Slow-cooked in the oven, this mouthwatering venison roast with carrots, onion, potatoes is topped with homemade flavorful gravy. The whole family will love it!
If you love this recipe, you’ll also love bone-in venison steaks using the Instant Pot or baked hunter’s casserole with ground venison; they’re all a family favorite.
Today I’m excited to show you how to make a mouthwatering venison roast with carrots, onion, potatoes and an incredible gravy made from six hours of slow cooked flavor in the oven. With wind chill temperatures setting new records this week, there is no better day to turn on the oven and fill my home with the aroma and warmth of roasted venison. Simple, healthy and so, so, so good.
Table of Contents
Why Cook Venison Roast In The Oven
There are varying ways I like cook different cuts of meat and venison is no different. I have made bone-in venison roasts in my pressure cooker, but prefer the oven every time. Why?
- Roasts are the largest cuts of meat on a deer and are typically served with roasted carrots and potatoes, making a large sharable meal that needs the space of a stockpot.
- The oven gives plenty of time for the meat drippings to blend with everything in the pot so you can make the most delicious gravy.
- What about the slow cooker? I still prefer the oven. To me, the perfect baking temperature for a bone-in venison roast is 250 degrees, which is not an option on conventional slow cookers. The typical high of a slow cooker is 300 degrees and the low setting is only 200 degrees.
- The oven allows you to bake your roast using the same pot you seared your vegetables and browned your meat – adding even more flavor. I learned this trick from The Pioneer Woman. She is one smart lady!
Are you ready to make a spectacular baked venison roast to share with your loved ones?
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How To Cook Venison Roast In The Oven
Step 1: Let thaw if frozen. Here is my three-pound venison shoulder roast. Thank you, hunter husband! I took it out of the freezer yesterday to let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Unlike my venison steak recipe, venison roast is best cooked when the meat has been thawed out and browned.
Step 2: Take the thawed meat out of the package and generously season both sides with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Set it aside to rest as you prepare the other ingredients. Turn your oven on to 250 degrees.
Step 3: You will need 5-6 peeled and chopped carrots. I never halve the length because the oven will give them plenty of time to tender up. Slice up 1 medium yellow onion and peel 4 garlic cloves. You will also need one sprig of fresh rosemary (another trick from The Pioneer Woman that makes such a difference!), fresh parsley, and some onion soup mix. I like to use the homemade version. All of these ingredients will cook in a small amount of quality beef stock. Don’t worry if this seems like too much salt. We will add potatoes later during cooking, and they will need them.
Step 4: Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in a generous amount of olive oil (approx. ¼ cup). The oil has to last us through the searing of two batches of vegetables and the meat. When the oil is hot, place your onion rings and garlic cloves in the pot.
Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until the onions are translucent and crispy brown edges are formed. Be careful not to burn the garlic. If it helps, you can start with the onions and add the garlic halfway through. Remove the onions and garlic and set aside in a large bowl.
Step 5: Using the same method, sear your carrots for about two minutes per side. Searing the onions, carrots, and garlic will bring out the sugars from the vegetables and provide an intense flavor to our dish. When the carrots start to show browning on both sides, pull them out and add them to your bowl of onions and garlic.
Step 6: Make sure you still have some oil at the bottom of the pan. Then lay down one side of the seasoned meat into the pan. You will hear it sizzle! Allow the meat to brown for one minute on each side before removing it to rest one more time.
Step 7: Working quickly, whisk 1/3 cup of beef stock into the browned bits at the bottom of the pan and keep whisking until they are part of the stock. Turn off your heat.
Step 8: Layer the bottom of the pan with the vegetable mixture and top with the browned roast. Split the rosemary sprig in two and lay it on top of the meat, followed by one tablespoon of onion soup mix per pound of meat. Since I have a three-pound roast, I added 3 tablespoons of mix.
Also, add 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and only 1 ½ cups of quality beef stock. We don’t want too much liquid because the fat from the meat will add some and the vegetables. Cover the pot and bake for 3 hours at 250 degrees. Your kitchen begins its mouthwatering smell about 2 hours in.
Step 9: At three hours, slide the pot out and carefully (use hot pads!) add some peeled and rinsed russet potatoes around the edge of the meat and on top of the carrots, onions, and stock. You could also use red or yellow potatoes and leave the skin on if you like that! At this halfway point, I also like to move the rosemary from the top of the meat and poke it down into the juices. Slide the covered pot back into the oven and bake for an additional 3 hours at 250 degrees.
Step 9: When the six hours have ended, carefully remove the stockpot from the oven, take out the roast, and place it on a platter. Cover it with foil, so it stays warm. Remove all of the vegetables and place them in a bowl and cover with foil. Strain the remaining stock using a fine mesh strainer or a gravy separator, pour it into a liquid measuring cup, and set it aside.
How To Make Venison Gravy
Since our roast cooked for so long, we will have some incredible pan drippings to make gravy.
- After you have removed everything from the pot, add 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter.
- Melt the butter and then add 3 Tablespoons of flour (or potato starch for gluten-free friends), whisking them together to form a paste.
- Allow it to cook for 1 minute before whisking in your reserved stock and drippings. Whisk just until it is thickened and turn off the heat.
This picture does not do justice to the aroma in my kitchen, the tastes in our mouths, and the warmth in our bellies. A true venison roast dish at its finest with roasted carrots, potatoes, and …oh, that gravy! Seriously. I love being married to a hunter 🙂
Stay warm…. and enjoy!
How To Make Venison Roast Video
Venison Roast Cooking FAQ
Our recipe calls for a baking temperature of 250 degrees, which is not an option on most conventional slow cookers. In addition, you can pre-sear your vegetables and brown your meat (both important steps) in the same pot used for baking.
Searing the onions, garlic and carrots will pull out the sugars from the vegetables and remove some of the water. The result is more flavor for our dish.
Browning meat before cooking is really all about flavor. The caramelized surface of the meat will give so much more flavor to the final dish… plus it looks more appetizing!
Yes, you can prepare the roast as featured (minus the 1 ½ cups of stock) and place the entire stockpot in the refrigerator to chill for up to four hours before baking. When ready to bake, add the additional stock. You can also put the chilled stockpot into a cold oven, add the stock, and set your time bake feature for up to one hour ahead.
Yes, but I still prefer the oven. The perfect baking temperature for a bone-in venison roast is 250 degrees, which is not an option on conventional slow cookers.
Venison Roast Recipe
Ingredients
Venison Roast
- 4 pounds venison shoulder or butt roast
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 5-6 large carrots
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 + 1 1/2 cups quality beef stock
- 1 Tablespoon onion soup mix
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 6 medium potatoes peeled or unpeeled
Venison Gravy
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Cups Roast drippings and broth
Instructions
- Generously season both sides of your thawed roast with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Set it aside and turn on your oven to 250˚ F.
- Peel and chop the carrots, slice the onion and peel the garlic cloves. In a large stockpot on the stove using medium-high heat, pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. When the oil is hot, lay down your onion rings and garlic cloves. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until the onions are translucent and crispy brown edges are formed. Remove the onions and garlic and set aside in a large bowl.
- Using the same method, sear your carrots for about two minutes per side. When the carrots start to show browning on both sides, pull them out and add them to your bowl of onions and garlic.
- Make sure you still have some oil at the bottom of the pan before laying down one side of the seasoned meat into the pan. Place the roast in the stockpot to brown for one minute on each side before removing it to rest one more time.
- Working quickly, whisk 1/3 cup of beef stock into the browned bits at the bottom of the stockpot and keep whisking until they are part of the stock. Turn off your heat.
- Layer the bottom of the stockpot with the onions, carrots and garlic and top with the browned roast. Split the rosemary sprig in two and lay it on top of the meat followed by one tablespoon of onion soup mix per pound of meat. Also add the fresh chopped parsley and 1 ½ cups of quality beef stock.
- Cover the pot and bake for 3 hours at 250˚ F.
- At three hours, slide the pot out and carefully add the potatoes around the edge of the meat and on top of the carrots, onions and stock. Move the rosemary from the top of the meat and poke it down into the juices. Slide the covered pot back into the oven and bake for an additional 3 hours at 250˚ F.
- When the six hours has ended, carefully remove the stockpot from the oven, take out the roast, and place it on a platter. Cover it with foil so it stays warm. Remove all of the vegetables and place them in a bowl and cover with foil. Strain the remaining stock using a fine mesh strainer or a gravy separator and pour it into a liquid measuring cup and set it aside.
- To make gravy, add the butter to the same pot and allow it to melt. Whisk in the flour and form a paste. Allow it to cook for 1 minute and then whisk in your reserved stock and drippings. Whisk just until it is thickened and turn off the heat.
- Shred the meat and serve with carrots, potatoes and gravy.
Comments & Reviews
Jill says
When I cook venison, I remove as much fat, silver skin and other stuff as I can. Do you do this?
Meredith says
Hi Jill!
Our roasts come from the butcher with the silver skin already trimmed. However, there is fat on the roast and I leave it on for extra flavor. So, trim the skin, don’t trim the fat.
Hope that helps!
Bill Pentangelo says
This was the most tender venison roast I ever made! The taste was amazing and the meat shredded easily. The gravy was also outstanding. Thank you for a venison roast recipe that I will make every season. 5 stars!
meredith says
Thanks for your review, Bill! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Patricia says
I really want to try this recipe however I’m in the UK so when you say 250 degrees is that Fahrenheit or celcius. It seems a long time to cook it if you meant celcius and I’d need to convert it if you’re using Fahrenheit. Thank you
Lynette says
Yes, it is Fahrenheit. :).
Helen says
I’ve NEVER had success with roasts, until I discovered your recipe! I had a 3lb of some sort of venison roast (my husband is a hunter, too 😊) I followed this recipe, minus 1 hr of roasting time and it was most delicious! Shocked that it wasn’t shoe leather! This recipe is a keeper for sure, thank you!
Meredith says
Thanks for the comment, Helen!
From one hunters wife to another, we are blessed!
So glad you liked it 😉
Alissa says
Hello, I was wondering if you had any tips for cooking at high altitude I’m at 5500 ft in the Montana Rockies.. I can NEVER get a tender fall apart roast.. I have an Elk roast id like to try this with but I’m afraid it will turn out tough.. again …. It doesn’t matter if it is cooked in a slow cooker or in the oven or if its home grown beef or wild game.. its always tough. Any idea on what i am doing wrong?
meredith says
Hi Alissa!
I’m no expert on high altitude, but my first thought was that maybe you should cook the elk for a really, really long time. I have a friend who cooks her roast for 24 hours in a slow cooker. Perhaps you need that much time for the muscular tissue to break down at that altitude? Could let it cook overnight, check it in the morning and keep cooking until dinner. Worth a try? Let us know what you find out!
Tanya Muralles says
I have a lean venison roast with no bone and not very much fat. I may fry some bacon to add some extra flavor and oil.
Thank you so much for your recipe, I will be making this for tomorrow nights dinner!
Meredith says
I have not done this recipe with boneless, but that sounds like a great idea! Let us know how it turned out 🙂
Meredith says
I have not done boneless, but that sounds like a great idea! Let us know how it turns out 🙂
Terry Kruse says
Meredith, I have a2 1/2 lb neck roast with bone in , could I use this recipe as stated? I would have to roll the roast to brown, but would everything else be the same?? Thank you. Terry
Meredith says
Hi Terry! I think your 2.5 bone-in neck roast will work just fine! Keep everything else the same. Enjoy!
Terry says
Meredith, I have the neck roast in now. About 2 more hours. I did use 1lb baby carrots as that is what I had on hand. My only concern is will the potatoes be done. They are medium sized. Sure smells good like you mentioned. Hope wife is home on time or there might not be any left. 😂😂😂😂.
Hajni says
Wow! Just wow! This was amazing! I can not wait to make it again. I wish I could post a picture.
Theresa says
I found this recipe recipe and made it today for my family. They loved it!! I tasted so much like beef and was very tender. No leftovers. With two hunters in the family, I’m always looking for new recipes for venison. This one is definitely a keeper!
Meredith says
Yay! So glad your family liked it, Theresa! I have a few other venison recipes on here…Hunter’s Casserole, Tamale Pie with Venison, Venison Meatloaf and Venison Meatballs…oh and Instant Pot Venison Steaks.
Hunting families are the best 🙂
Aj says
Could I use a Dutch oven for this?
Meredith says
Yep! You sure can
Danielle says
Thank you so much Lynette for sharing this amazing recipe. Being Italian and growing up in New York City, I’m usually cooking Italian food, I was delighted to find your recipe for the venison roast. My husband is a hunter, and this time made some roasts instead of cutlets. I mean how many cutlets and meatballs can we eat! Your recipe made my whole family happy! It’s the best! I can’t wait to make it again!
Meredith says
Thanks for commenting Danielle!
When we are married to a hunter, we somehow become a great cook of game meat, no matter our background. So glad you all were delighted by the recipe!!
MaryB says
I made this recipe today! It was so delicious! I would make it again. It came out VERY tender and with lots of liquid. I usually cut up the potatoes, but it seems that if you leave them large the potates dont “suck” up all the juice and that way had plenty to make a delicious gravy. Only wish I had this 30 years ago! I would give this 5 stars!!
Meredith says
Thank you Mary!
So glad you enjoyed it. Venison is the bomb, isn’t it? 🙂