Best Smoked Venison Roast Recipe

Name: Best Smoked Venison Roast Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 155 min
Ingredients: 2-3 pound venison roast; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp chili powder; 2 tsp brown sugar; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp oregano; 1 tsp kosher salt; ¼ tsp black pepper

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If you love smoked meat, you will love this recipe for smoked venison roast! This recipe is simple and easy to follow, and it will yield some of the most delicious smoked deer meat you have ever tasted! Don't let the tough texture of deer meat scare you away from cooking with it. This recipe turns ordinary venison into something juicy, tender, and flavorful, with an irresistible smoky flavor that everyone will love.

Smoked venison roast placed on a white table, with a few slices cut off, with wedge fries around it.

My husband is an avid hunter, and by the end of hunting season, we have a freezer full of deer and elk meat if we are lucky.

I am always trying out new recipes to cook up different types of venison, besides deer jerky.

This recipe makes a top-notch roast deer that is so tender and juicy you will not want to cook it any other way. This recipe works well with any cut, such as a venison leg roast or neck roast.

Smoking venison on the pellet grill is one of our favorite ways to cook venison, especially roasts. The roast is rubbed with a blend of spices and then smoked until tender and juicy. The dry rub on the outside leaves a crispy exterior full of flavor.

Don't get me wrong, in the winter, I also love making Instant Pot Venison Roast for a quick one-pot meal with gravy and veggies that is ready in about an hour, or my Venison Stew Recipe.

But when the weather warms up, I love to use the electric smoker for cooking venison roast. The subtle smoke flavor is infused in each bite of tender meat, and it is SO delicious.

I like to serve this roast with Smoked Corn on the Cob or Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Smoked Baked Potatoes or Oven-Roasted Potatoes, and Homemade Coleslaw for a complete meal.

For a smoked roast made with beef, check out my Smoked Beef Tenderloin, Smoked Chuck Roast recipe, or my amazing Smoked Prime Rib Roast Recipe on Pellet Grill.

👩🏻‍🍳 More wild game recipes

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👩🏻‍🍳 More wild game recipes
❓ What is venison?
❤️Why you will love this smoked venison roast recipe
🧂 Ingredients
♨️ How to prepare a venison roast for smoking
🧾 Substitutions
📖 Variations
🍽 Equipment
🌡️ Storage
💭 Top tips
❓ Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
🥗 What to serve with smoked deer roast?
📋 Recipe
📑 Food safety
💬 Comments

❓ What is venison?

Venison is the meat from any deer. It is red meat and resembles roast beef in color and texture but is less fatty.

Venison is low in fat and calories and very high in protein, iron, and other minerals.

Some people say that venison has a gamey taste, but I find it quite delicious. When smoked, venison takes on a rich, smoky flavor that is perfect for any meal.

❤️Why you will love this smoked venison roast recipe

Venison is lean. Venison is a very lean meat, low in fat and calories, and it's a good source of protein, vitamin B12, niacin, and zinc.
Easy to make. Smoking a venison roast is one of the easiest ways to make a roast. All you need is a smoker and some wood pellets. Only a few minutes of prep are required, and the pellet grill does the rest of the work. It's pretty much hands off cooking.
Juicy and tender. The smoker is ideal for juicy and tender venison as it is cooked low and slow, retaining the moisture in the meat.
Flavorful. Smoking the roast will add incredible flavor. The smoke enhances the natural flavor of the venison, making it a real treat for your taste buds!

🧂 Ingredients

This venison roast is easy to make with simple ingredients.

Venison roast. The roast should be at least 1-inch thick.
Olive oil. This is to adhere the spice rub to the roast.
Chili powder.
Brown sugar.
Garlic powder.
Onion powder.
Paprika.
Oregano.
Kosher salt.
Black pepper.

See the recipe card for quantities.

♨️ How to prepare a venison roast for smoking

Start by trimming any excess fat off the roast and removing any silver skin. If any of this is left on, there may be a chance you will have a more pungent gamey taste. Trust me; you will want to remove it. 🙂

Next, preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the delicious spice rub.

Rub the deer roast all over with a light coating of olive oil. This will help the spice rub adhere to the roast.

A hand pouring olive oil onto a venison roast that is sitting on a blue plate.

Sprinkle the dry rub all over the roast. Make sure you cover all sides of the roast.

A spoon sprinkling dry spice rub onto the roast.

You can use your fingers to push the spice rub into the meat, so it doesn't fall off.

Place roast in the smoker directly on the wire rack.

A deer roast covered in spice rub and placed on the rack in a smoker grill.

After 1.5 hours of smoking, turn down the dial to 'smoke' and continue cooking for an additional hour. This extra smoke flavor will give your roast more flavor while also adding great color! The meat is safe to consume when it reaches 145 degrees F internally.

Remove the roast from the smoker, cover it with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes. Then, place the meat on a cutting board and slice it into thin slices.

Enjoy!

HINT: The exact length of time to cook the roast may vary depending on several factors such as the thickness of the deer roast, type of pellet grill, how hot your smoker cooks, outside temperature, etc.

A smoked deer roast with a few slices cut off, ready to eat.

🧾 Substitutions

Venison roast (or other game meat). The recipe calls for a 2 to 3-pound roast. You could also use an elk roast, moose roast, or beef roast.
Olive oil: Olive oil is used so the dry rub has something to stick to. You could also substitute avocado oil as well.
Spice rub: The recipe is for a homemade spice rub, but you can use your own homemade spice rub or favorite spice rub from the grocery store.

📖 Variations

There are several variations for smoked venison roast that you can try. Here are a few of our favorites:

Spicy: Add red chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the spice rub to imbue heat into the meat
Herbs: Add some fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, to the roast for extra flavor.
Garlic: Make slits in the meat with a sharp knife and insert a few whole garlic cloves into the meat for extra garlic flavor.
Sweet: If you want to add a little more sweetness to the meat, increase the amount of brown sugar, or try basting the roast with a honey and mustard mixture during the smoking process.
Less sweet: If you like your roast less sweet, reduce or omit the amount of brown sugar in the BBQ spice rub.
Saucy - Add your favorite barbecue sauce the last few minutes of smoking
Deluxe - Wrap several slices of bacon around the roast for extra flavor

No matter what variations you try, I'm sure this smoked venison roast recipe will be a hit with your family and friends!

🍽 Equipment

Smoker: Our pellet grill is the Pit Boss Smoker 8-in-1 grill. It uses 100% wood pellets as fuel instead of gas and propane. There is nothing better than food cooked on the smoker. We love the flavor!

Meat thermometer: This is a must if you have a smoker. It is very important as you need to cook by temperature and not by time.

🌡️ Storage

Place cooled venison roast in an airtight container or freezer-friendly bag, with all air removed.

FRIDGE: Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

FREEZER: Freeze for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer and thaw overnight before reheating in the oven, air fryer, stovetop, or microwave until hot throughout.

💭 Top tips

Make sure that your roast is thawed completely before you start smoking it.
Always season the deer roast with a dry spice rub before smoking it. This will help to give the roast a delicious flavor that everyone will love.
Cook the deer roast in the smoker for 1.5 hours, then turn to 'smoke' and smoke it for an additional 1 hour. The internal temperature of the roast should be at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit before it is considered safe to eat. The longer it 'smokes' the stronger the smoke flavor will be.
Allow the deer roast to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This will help to ensure that the roast is juicy and flavorful.

A whole smoked deer roast, unsliced, on a white table, with wedge fries in the background.

❓ Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How long will the venison roast last?

The venison roast will last 3 days in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.

How long does it take to smoke a venison roast?

It takes about 2.5 hours to smoke a venison roast at around 250 degrees.

What temperature do you cook venison roast?

Venison roast is best cooked at a temperature of about 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

What are the best pellets for smoking a deer roast?

This will depend on your preference, but hickory, mesquite, apple wood, and Competition blend pellets are all excellent choices.

🥗 What to serve with smoked deer roast?

There are so many sides that go great with smoked deer roast; some of my favorite sides are:

I hope you enjoyed this Smoked Venison Roast Recipe. If you try it out and like it, I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a star rating and/or comment below.

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📋 Recipe

📑 Food safety

Cook to a minimum temperature of 145 °F
Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
Wash hands after touching raw meat
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Never leave cooking food unattended