Tender, meaty, and delicious these venison meatballs are a fantastic alternative to traditional meatballs. Whether you’re a fan of spaghetti and meatballs or just want to try something different, this recipe will become a keeper and the only meatball recipe you’ll ever need.

We always have ground deer meat in the freezer and I’m always looking for new ways to use it up. We love to make venison burgers and our favorite venison chili, but I’m always in the kitchen coming up with new ground venison recipes to try.

These venison meatballs are definitely one of my new favorites. There isn’t any gamey taste, they don’t need any other meat added (though you can add some pork if you don’t frequently eat venison and feel they’re too dry), and they’re super easy to make.

Another bonus is these freeze really well so making a big batch so you can put some in the freezer for use later is a great meal prep idea to use on a busy weeknight.

These delicious meatballs are excellent on their own in a little pasta sauce, served over spaghetti, spaghetti squash, or even made into meatball subs. However you eat them, you’ll come back to this recipe again and again.

If you’re looking for a homemade sauce to put them in, you can try my venison bolognese and simply omit the meat in the recipe and let the meatballs cook in it just for a bit.

Ingredients for the Best Venison Meatballs Recipe

These are the ingredients you need to make these easy baked venison meatballs. You can find exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ground Venison – I don’t add ground pork to the mix, I just use straight venison and it makes the perfect meatballs.

However, if you don’t often eat wild game meat, you can use about a 1:4 ratio of ground pork to ground venison to help with flavor and fat content.

Olive Oil – this is used to sautee the onion, garlic cloves, and herbs before adding to the meat mixture.

Yellow Onion – I like the sweet flavor of yellow onions for this recipe, but you can substitute red onions, however the flavor will be slightly different. Make sure they are minced fine.

Garlic Cloves – mince these fine as well… you don’t want big chunks in the meatballs.

Oregano – I use dried oregano in this recipe, however, you can use fresh (1 teaspoon of dried is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of fresh).

Parsley – Again, I use dried parsley, but you can substitute fresh herbs.

Salt & Black Pepper – for flavor.

Red Wine Vinegar – this provides an acid to tame any “gamey” flavors in the meat as well as tenderizes the meat.

Egg – one large egg helps bind the meatballs together.

Panko Bread Crumbs – traditionally plain bread crumbs are put into meatballs, however, if you’re grain-free, pork panko is a fantastic alternative I’ve used before.

Parmesan Cheese – adds the perfect umami flavor. You can use grated parmesan cheese which will blend together perfectly and the flavor will be more pronounced.

How to Make the Best Venison Meatballs

This venison meatball recipe is very easy to make and bake. Or, you can simply mix them and refrigerate them until ready to bake or double the batch, bake, and freeze them for an easy weeknight meal.

Preheat the oven. Start by preheating the oven to 375°F.

Sautee onion and garlic. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Place the onion in the hot oil and saute for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for an additional minute. Add in oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Lastly, add red wine vinegar and allow it to evaporate slightly and the onion to carmelize before removing from the heat.

Make meatball mixture. In a large bowl combine ground meat, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and onion mixture. Mix well with wet hands, or a mixer, or you can place everything in a food processor and combine it that way.

Make meatballs. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop meatball mixture and form into a ball. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1″ apart in a single layer.

Bake. Place the baking sheet with meatballs in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F when a thermometer is inserted in the center.

Add to sauce. Add the meatballs to your favorite pasta sauce, allow them to cook in the sauce just a few minutes, and serve.

How to Freeze Deer Meatballs

The best part about these venison meatballs is they freeze really well after they’re baked and freezing them is a great way for meal prep for busy nights.

To freeze, allow the cooked meatballs to cool to room temperature first. Then, place them on a clean cookie sheet lined with freezer paper. Freeze for 2 to 4 hours, or until frozen solid.

Once frozen, transfer the meatballs to a ziploc bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.

To thaw, place them in the refrigerator overnight and then warm them up in your favorite sauce or a 350°F oven for 8-12 minutes until heated through.

How to Serve Venison Meatballs

Our favorite way to serve these is by making meatballs and spaghetti or meatball subs by putting them in tomato sauce. However, you can also make Swedish meatballs, cocktail meatballs, sweet and sour meatballs, or Italian wedding soup.

Storing Leftover Venison Meatballs

You can freeze any leftovers as mentioned earlier, or you can refrigerate them.

To refrigerate: Allow meatballs to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat: Heat oven to 350°F and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until warmed to 165°F.

More Ground Venison Recipes to Try:

• Easy Venison Tacos Recipe Using Ground Meat
• Easy Ground Venison Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
• Easy Classic Venison Meatloaf with Ground Deer Meat

If you try this venison meatball recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below! Also, I’d love if you could leave me a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ recipe review on the recipe card below. If you want more recipe inspiration, make sure to follow me on Facebook or Pinterest!