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Overhead view of sous vide venison cut into slices on a wooden board.
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4.86 from 14 votes

Sous Vide Venison

Sous Vide Venison is moist and tender, slow cooked to medium-rare in a red wine broth and seasoned with fresh thyme and juniper berries!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Resting Time8 hours
Total Time14 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 733kcal
Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ - 2 pounds venison loin
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon juniper berries crushed
  • 1 tablespoon brandy
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ¼ cup chicken or beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil for searing

Instructions

  • Rub the salt all over the venison loin and place in the fridge, uncovered, overnight or for 8 hours.
  • Heat a sous vide water bath to 131F degrees.
  • Place the venison in a vacuum seal bag with the remaining ingredients (except avocado oil).
  • Vacuum seal and cook in the water bath for 6 hours.
  • Remove and take the venison out of the bag, reserving the bag juice.
  • Simmer the bag juice in a pan (add extra stock if too thin or salty) for 3-5 minutes.
  • Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add the avocado oil.
  • Sear the venison on all sides for about 30 seconds per side, until a brown crust has formed. (Be careful not to sear too long or your venison will overcook).
  • Remove and let sit for 3-5 minutes (until cool enough to slice).
  • Slice and serve drizzled with the bag juice.

Notes

  1. For the best results, let the salted venison sit in the fridge uncovered overnight. This helps it tenderize and seals in the juices.
  2. Be sure to seal the vacuum seal or ziplock bag properly to remove the air and avoid bacteria entering the bag.
  3. If air gets in the bag while the venison loin is cooking, open the sealable bag or ziplock bag, remove the air and seal it again.
  4. The bag should be fully submerged in the water bath so the venison cooks evenly and safely. To prevent the bag from floating, you can use something heavy like a sous vide sinker weight.
  5. For a good crust, once the venison comes out of the water bath, pat it dry with paper towels before searing it. 
  6. For searing, make sure you use avocado oil or another oil with a high smoke point.
  7. If the bag juice is too thick or too salty, you can add more broth or even water.
  8. When it comes to broth, I like to use low sodium or homemade broth so I can control the saltiness of the venison. You can always add more salt to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 733kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 120g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 329mg | Sodium: 2021mg | Potassium: 1606mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 16mg