Need a method for cooking venison perfectly without risk of overcooking and being left with a tough cut of meat? This simple sous vide venison tenderloin is the venison cooking method for you! It is my FAVORITE way to prepare venison backstrap and venison tenderloin because it is almost entirely hands off, but the result is a tender, perfectly cooked venison.
Learning to cook deer meat well is a must for any hunter or home cook that is interested in incorporating more wild game into their kitchen. While it isn't necessarily hard to cook venison, it is a fragile meat that can go from raw to overcooked in a matter of minutes. Having tried and true cooking methods, like sous vide, are a must.
This sous vide deer tenderloin is out of this world tender. It is seriously like butter and just melts in your mouth. All you need to prepare it are the deer meat itself, a bit of oil, and your favorite seasoning blend. It's that simple.
You can use venison backstrap, venison tenderloin (venison inner strap), or any venison cut to sous vide. They will all turn out beautifully using this temperature steady cooking method.
What is sous vide?
For those unfamiliar with the sous vide cooking method, it is the process of vacuum sealing a piece of food, often meat, in a bag and then placing that bag in water. The water is then heated to the exact temperature you want your food item cooked to and kept at that temperature until tender and cooked through.
Every sous vide machine is going to work a little differently, so it is important to follow the instructions on your particular model here. There are some sous vide devices that look kind of like immersion blenders and are placed in a vessel of water like a pot or large plastic container. The sous vide device then heats the water to the specified temperature and maintains that temperature throughout the cooking process. Some popular brands of sous vide machines are Anova and Breville Joule.
Other devices, like the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL, which is what I use, heat the entire apparatus (rather than a stick you place into your own pot or bowl). Both work great, it's just a matter of preference. I use my Ninja Foodi for all of its features like air frying, Instant Pot, dehydrator, etc., so for me that one makes more sense.
Benefits of cooking venison sous vide
- It really helps you maintain control of the temperature. With this precision cooker method, you are in control of the temperature the meat comes out at. This is important with venison especially, because a matter of degrees can mean the difference between raw and tough, overcooked venison. It can be difficult to monitor the temperature with other cooking methods, so sous vide is great if you are new to cooking deer meat.
- Cooking sous vide is a largely hands off cooking method you don't have to check temperatures, stir a pot, or worry about anything boiling over. Simply set a timer for your specified cooking time and forget about it.
Ingredient Notes
- Venison tenderloin: Or venison backstrap.
- Oil: I like a neutral oil that can stand high heat, like avocado oil.
- Seasoning of choice: (I like italian seasoning or a classic seasoning salt)
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients.
Step by Step instructions
Step 1. Take venison tenderloin and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 2. Coat with olive oil and generously season with your favorite seasoning blend
Step 3. Carefully place into your sous vide bag and remove as much air as possible. Seal completely and tightly to ensure that no water can get in.
Step 4. Place sealed bag into the water bath and set the temperature to 125 degrees for medium-rare venison. Cook using the sous vide for 2-4 hours.
Step 5. Heat up a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove bag from water and gently take meat out. Sear the deer meat quickly for about 90 seconds per side, until it has a nice golden brown crust.
Step 6. Set on a plate to the side and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips
- If you want it super rare venison set the temp to 120 degrees (it will carry over cook a few degrees), if you want it medium rare, set to 125 degrees, and if you want it medium, set to 130 degrees. Know that the temperature will raise a few degrees when you sear it in the pan, so keep that in mind when choosing the temperature you want to set your sous vide device too.
- There are specific sous bags out there along with vacuum sealers to go along with them. If you are a sous vide maestro or plan to be, this may be an investment you want to make. I personally don't find it necessary and prefer to use my stasher bags. Stasher bags are endlessly reusable and are made from high quality, food grade silicone. They are great for sous vide as well as a wide variety of kitchen tasks. I can't recommend them enough. You can also use a regular gallon sized bag for sous vide.
Recipe FAQs
Venison tenderloin is the muscle inside the ribcage, known for its tenderness. Venison backstrap is along the outside of the spine, a larger cut with a slightly stronger flavor. Both are lean and can be cooked similarly.
Sous vide is a cooking method in which food is vacuum-sealed in a bag and cooked slowly in a precise-temperature water bath.
Try more venison recipes
- easy venison lasagna
- simple venison burgers
- classic venison spaghetti sauce
- venison medallions
- venison tacos
- ground venison chili
- Instant Pot Venison Roast
- Homemade Venison Jerky
If you tried this Sous Vide Venison or any other recipe on my website, please please let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love to hear from you.
Sous Vide Venison Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb. venison tenderloin or venison backstrap
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. seasoning of choice
Instructions
- Take venison tenderloin and pat dry with paper towels.
- Coat with olive oil and generously season with your favorite seasoning blend.
- Carefully place into your sous vide bag and remove as much air as possible. Seal completely and tightly to ensure that no water can get in.
- Place sealed bag into the water bath and set the temperature to 125 degrees for medium-rare venison.
- Cook using the sous vide for 2-4 hours.
- Heat up a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Remove bag from water and gently take meat out.
- Sear the deer meat quickly for about 90 seconds per side, until it has a nice golden brown crust.
- Set on a plate to the side and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
New to Venison
Is this photo indicative of the 130 cooking temp? This looks more medium-well than medium-rare.
Sarah Baumeister
I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. The photos were for 130 cooking temp. I have updated the photos to a 125 cooking temp and its more of a medium/medium rare. If you would like rare, I would suggest 115-120 F. -Sarah