Venison Tacos: A Lean and Flavour-Packed Twist

Venison tacos recipe overview

Tacos are a family favourite and are a good use of venison striploin leftovers (but freshly cooked is great too!). A little steak goes a long way with this recipe, and venison is my go-to meat here. It's much lighter and feels better than using beef or pork but it still has an incredible meaty and earthy flavour that contrasts well with the lighter ingredients like sour cream and feta. 

Why venison works well for tacos

Venison is an underrated meat on so many levels, and for me, it's my favourite to cook with tacos. I use Noble & Wild venison which is sourced wild from the Highlands, so these types of premium cuts are tender and come with complex, meaty, and slightly sweet flavours which come from the deer's natural diet in the wild. These pair well with the other ingredients in this recipe, and feels a lot lighter than when using other meats because wild venison is lean and low in calories. I've discussed the benefits of venison compared to other meats many times before but in short once you try it, it's hard to go back. It's better for your body, better for the planet, and tastes damn good too.

Ingredients for venison tacos

I like to keep it simple but high quality to get the best results with tacos. 

• Meat: Choose the best quality wild venison to get a tender and flavourful cut. Buy a small-batch chipotle sauce to add some spice to the meat before cooking.
• Sauce: Fresh spring onions and a 300ml tub of sour cream
• Slaw: Red Cabbage, lime, coriander, and a bit of salt
• To Serve: Feta, and of course soft taco shells - either supermarket bought or they're quite simple to make fresh.

Seasoning and preparing venison for tacos

This is probably a bit of a theme in my recipes, but I think simple is effective. The main thing with preparing a venison steak is getting it out of the fridge and letting it reach room temperature so that it cooks evenly and has the best taste and texture possible. That usually takes 30 minutes to an hour.

In terms of the seasoning, season it generously with salt and cover the outside with some chipotle sauce to give it a nice smoky heat and get you the traditional Mexican kick that makes tacos so delicious. 

Cooking venison taco filling

I've got a handy recipe about how to cook the perfect venison steak, but I can summarise it here. Use a thick heavy pan and get it hot enough that when adding a few drops of water they should sizzle off. Add oil and then the striploin and press it down to maximise contact with the pan. Give it a minute until the edges start to brown and lift off the pan, and start turning the cut with tongs ensuring the meat is cooked on every side. It should take about 6-8 minutes total, and you will know when it's ready because the meat starts to bounce back when pressed. 

With venison it's important to cook it rare or medium-rare at most, to preserve the tenderness and juiciness of these incredible cuts. If it's overcooked, it isn't as forgiving as beef and loses a lot of the delicate flavours that make it unique.

Taco toppings and flavour combinations

For this recipe I have 3 toppings to compliment the venison steak: feta, a burnt onion sour cream, and red cabbage slaw.

For the burnt onion sour cream, simply char spring onions until blacked and blend them into the sour cream. This adds a smokiness to the taco that pairs really well with the chipotle we added earlier and the meatiness of the striploin steak.

The red cabbage slaw adds a nice texture and freshness, I've also kept this simple. Thinly slice some red cabbage and add to a bowl with the juices of 3 limes and a pinch of salt. Massage these together so it starts to break down and soften the red cabbage. Add some coriander to the bowl and set aside.

Assembling venison tacos

A common mistake with tacos is to overfill them, and that's when things get messy and spill everywhere. You can always make more tacos so don't be too generous with the fillings unless you want to stock up on napkins.

In terms of layering, add a bit of crunchy slaw as the base, layer a couple of thin slices of steak, followed with the sour cream sauce, feta, and a bit of fresh coriander. Serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze on top.

Serving and storage tips

Venison tacos are best served immediately while the shells are still warm and the slaw is at its freshest. Unlike many of my other recipes, I wouldn't recommend keeping any of these as leftovers.

Steak can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days but if you are already using leftover steak for this recipe I wouldn't keep it any longer. If you're looking for more ways to enjoy venison steak, check out our other recipes, including venison steak sandwiches, fresh salads, and venison steak served with crispy chips.