Venison Ragu (The BEST Venison Spaghetti Sauce)

Rich and meaty, sweet and tangy, and totally saucy-- this Venison Ragu makes the best venison spaghetti sauce for an easy weeknight dinner or any time you want something hearty and satisfying.

There are a few easy meals around our house that Michael and I jokingly refer as "mom" meals. These are dishes that are made easily when you forgot to take something out to thaw ahead of time or you want to cook, but don't feel like making something super fancy or complicated.

Some of those meals are "mom tacos" and "mom spaghetti."

Now that we have a freezer full of venison meat in different cuts, these meals are all getting the deer meat treatment! And I have to say, I may prefer it to their standard ground beef versions.

Venison Ragu is similar to regular beef ragu, but with a couple additions to really make it shine.

• Take the time to caramelize the tomato taste to bring out its sweetness and richness. This really compliments the deer meat.

• Add red wine vinegar. I have mentioned before that I always like to add a bit of acid when cooking wild game, such as venison. It helps tone down the gaminess and again, compliments the meat very well.

• Add more olive oil than you traditionally would. Venison is an extremely lean protein source. Although we add fat into the ground meat after we harvest it, I still like to add a bit more olive oil or butter when cooking with it than I normally would.

Is ragu the same as bolognese?

Although people often interchange meat sauces with names like spaghetti sauce, ragu, and bolognese, they can actually be quite different.

A bolognese is a very specific rich sauce from Italy that has a base of mirepoix (carrots, onions, and celery), and it does not have any garlic. Bolognese has wine in it, recipes vary with red or white. In true bolognese sauces, there is also cream or milk.

This venison meat sauce is more of a ragu. It has a great depth of flavor from caramelized tomato paste and red wine vinegar. It works as a delicious meat sauce for many italian dishes including venison lasagna or cheesy stuffed shells with spinach.

It is also wonderful poured over top your favorite pasta shape (pappardelle pasta would be wonderful!) ​with a side of garlic bread and a salad.

Ingredients for Venison Ragu

• ground venison meat
• tomato paste
• crushed tomatoes
• garlic
• onion
• red wine vinegar
• chicken stock
• italian seasoning
• salt
• olive oil

How to Make Venison Spaghetti Sauce

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large deep skillet or pot. Add in onions and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant.

Add in ground venison meat and brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go.

Once the venison begins to brown, add in entire can of tomato paste and stir. It will be a little thick at first, but will be easier to work with as it heats up.

Allow to caramelize with the ground meat, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. This should take about 6-7 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan-- those are full of flavor.

Add in chicken stock (you can substitute in starchy pasta water or wine) and stir.

Add crushed tomatoes, salt, and italian seasoning. Stir and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine and the venison sauce to thicken slightly.

How to Store

This deer meat sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

It also freezes wonderfully and can be kept frozen for many months. I love making big batches of sauce and separating it to pull out and thaw for various dinner recipes like lasagna, poured over spaghetti squash, and even as a pizza sauce.