Tender, juicy venison roast with minimal effort this slow cooker recipe results in a mouth-watering dish that is sure to please.

The slow cooker is probably my favorite modern kitchen appliance. We use it year-round for various dishes, but this venison roast recipe is hands-down my absolute favorite.

This recipe is super simple to prep in the morning and go about your day. Full of savory vegetables and flavorful venison roast, it’s the epitome of comfort food and by far one of my favorite deer meat recipes.

How do you cook venison so it’s tender?

Cooking venison is a bit of a learning curve for a lot of folks since it appears similar to beef, only leaner, but that leanness means it isn’t cooked quite the same.

If your venison roast is coming out tough, you likely didn’t cook it long enough at a low enough temperature. The trick to cooking tender deer roast is to cook it low and slow.

Much like my slow cooker venison stew recipe or venison shanks, it’s a process that cannot be hurried. This is why I love using the crock pot for this particular cut of venison meat. It results in the most tender meat I’ve ever had plus, it’s a set it and forget it type of recipe and I love those.

Tips for the BEST Crock-Pot Venison Roast

Cook low and slow. While you could technically put your slow cooker on high for this recipe, I don’t recommend it. The result will likely be tough and dried out. The best way to get tender venison roast, is to cook it on low for 8 or 9 hours.

Sear the meat. Using a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, refined olive oil, clarified butter (ghee), or even beef tallow or deer tallow works best here. If you have bacon grease, it works even better. Brown the deer roast on all sides.

Use baby potatoes. You can use russets or another type if you prefer, but baby potatoes don’t require peeling, hold their shape well, and taste amazing. I halve ours.

Cut the carrots into larger pieces. This will help make sure they don’t overcook. You don’t want to slice them too thin, just big chunks.

Use plenty of fresh herbs (if you have them) and seasoning. Aromatics play a big part in the flavoring of this dish. If you have fresh rosemary and thyme, that’s great. If you don’t, use dried, just use less.

Salt and pepper are also your friends here. Be sure to generously coat the roast in salt before searing and when the roast is done, taste the broth to see if you need to add a little more salt and pepper before serving.

Deglaze the pan. After searing, add a little of the red wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits and pour it into the crockpot with the roast, this adds some amazing flavor.

Quality or homemade stock is best. You can use venison bone broth here and it works out really well, or homemade beef broth. But if you don’t have those, that’s ok, just make sure to use a high-quality stock we really like kettle and fire beef broth.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Venison Roast

This recipe only requires a few simple ingredients. The full recipe and ingredients list can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Venison roast. Various cuts of venison roast can be used for this recipe. This is a great recipe to use neck roast or shoulder roast since it is cooked low and slow, but leg roasts, round, or rump can work here, too.

Carrots. Chop these into large chunks instead of coining them so they don’t overcook.

Potatoes. I like to use baby potatoes in this recipe and halve them, but you can peel and use russets, yellow potatoes, or whatever you prefer.

Red wine vinegar. Using an acid when cooking venison is important to help balance out the flavor profile. I prefer utilizing red wine vinegar for this.

Worcestershire sauce. This umami-flavored addition not only helps add flavor but also helps tenderize the meat while it cooks.

Tomato paste. Tomato paste helps add depth of flavor without adding liquid.

Red wine. This not only adds flavor but also helps tenderize the meat. It’s great to use some of it to deglaze the pan before cooking.

Beef stock or broth. Or venison broth if you have it on hand. This recipe will need approximately 2 cups of liquid, so I prefer to split it right down the middle between the broth and wine, but you can adjust it as you feel suited or even use different liquids.

Onion & Garlic. Essential for adding flavor to your roast and broth.

Thyme & Rosemary. Aromatics are an important part of any recipe, but especially when cooking venison. Use fresh if you have them, but dried works fine as well.

Salt & Black Pepper. Again, don’t be shy when using these to help season the dish!

The Best Tender Venison Pot Roast Recipe

Prepare the roast. Allow the roast to come to room temperature, pull the roast out of its packaging, and dry it with some paper towels. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Sear the meat. In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Brown the entire roast on all sides. Place the roast in the bottom of the crockpot.

Deglaze the pan. Using about a third cup of red wine, pour it into the hot skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape off the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour the liquid over the roast in the crockpot and arrange the onions around the roast.

Make the broth mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together beef broth, remaining red wine, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, tomato paste, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Pour it on top of the meat in the crock pot.

Add vegetables. Add potatoes and carrots on top of the roast, this will help keep them from getting soggy.

Slow cook. Cook the venison roast on low for 8 to 9 hours. When done, it will be fall-apart tender. Remove the meat to a serving platter and shred it using two forks, dip the vegetables in the juices then transfer them to the same platter as the meat.

Make gravy. While optional, the drippings and broth make a delicious gravy. To make it, remove the meat and veggies, combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth.

Add the broth and drippings to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry bits at a time until the mixture is thickened. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Serving Deer Pot Roast

Typically, we put everything on a large platter and serve it with gravy on the side. Everyone digs in to get what they want. Sometimes we enjoy putting a dollop of homemade butter on top just to add a little flavor, then drizzle everything with a bit of the gravy.

This meal is hearty and protein packed all on its own. However, we usually serve it with some no-knead dutch oven bread or sourdough rolls.

You could also serve it with a salad drizzled with some raspberry vinaigrette, or my favorite southern-style green beans.

Storing and Freezing Venison Roast

Venison roast is even better the following day after it’s had time to marinate with all those amazing flavors! To refrigerate, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The meat in this meal freezes very well, stored in an airtight container for up to 6 months. The vegetables, however, don’t. You could always make the pulled venison without the vegetables and store it, frozen though.

Venison Recipes to Try Next

• Best Marinated Venison Steaks Recipe | Easy Deer Steak
• The Best Hearty Venison Chili Recipe
• Easy Classic Venison Meatloaf with Ground Deer Meat

If you try this delicious venison pot roast, 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 inspiration, make sure to follow me on Facebook or Pinterest!