Turn tough venison into fork-tender perfection with this easy Instant Pot Venison Stew! Loaded with hearty vegetables and rich broth, this one-pot comfort meal is ready in under an hour - perfect for busy weeknights or cold winter days!
If you love venison recipes, try my Smoked Venison Roast or Sweet and Sour Venison Meatballs next!
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Editor's Note: This post was originally published on October 30, 2021. I recently updated it on January 22, 2025, with more information and helpful tips, but the recipe remains the same.
With my husband and daughter as avid hunters, I cook venison several nights a week. And this venison stew recipe in instant pot is one of our favorites.
For more venison recipes, check out 31 Ground Venison Recipes (an excellent roundup of great recipes containing Instant Pot venison chili, venison crockpot stew, and other venison instant pot recipes).
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Why you'll love this stew
- Quick and easy: Ready in under an hour with just 15 minutes prep.
- Fork-tender meat: Pressure cooking makes even tough cuts melt in your mouth.
- One-pot meal: Complete dinner with minimal cleanup.
- Naturally gluten-free: Perfect for special diets.
Recipe ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below, and special notes are included in the bulleted list to assist you.
- Venison stew meat (or other wild game meat), cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut into ½-inch to 1-inch cubes. I like to use deer meat, elk meat, moose meat, or even ground venison. You can also use leftover cooked meat.
- Olive oil: Olive oil prevents the venison from sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker while sauteing. You could also substitute avocado oil as well.
- Beef broth (or water). You can also use vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks. I used red potatoes, but feel free to use any potato, even sweet potatoes!
- Onions, peeled and chopped. I used a red onion, but you could also use a yellow onion or a sweet onion.
- Garlic cloves peeled and chopped, or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Squash, cut into 1-inch chunks. I used buttercup squash as that is the kind I grew in the garden this year (my favorite), but you could also use butternut squash or acorn squash. If you like buttercup squash, try Roasted Buttercup Squash Soup.
- Paprika. You could also use smoked paprika if you have it.
- Red wine vinegar. If you do not have red wine vinegar, you can substitute white wine vinegar or red wine.
- Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire is perfect for tenderizing meat, as well as adding deep flavor to the stew.
See the printable recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make Instant Pot venison stew
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- First, brown the meat to add some flavor. Add olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on the saute function. When the oil starts to sizzle, add the cubed venison. After 5 minutes, add chopped onions and garlic and cook with the meat. Stir often and saute until the cycle ends or until the meat is brown on all sides.
- Add the beef broth to the Instant Pot and use a spoon to scrape any brown bits on the bottom of the pressure cooker. Next, add potatoes, carrots, squash, paprika, sea salt, pepper, Italiano seasoning, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Give it a final stir to mix all the ingredients well.
- Secure the lid and set it to "sealing" or the "stew" setting. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and stir the elk stew well. If you want your stew thicker, mix two tablespoons of cornstarch and two tablespoons of cold water and pour it immediately into the stew. Stir until thickened. Pour into serving bowls and enjoy!
Top tips
- Use leftover meat. Leftover meat cooked in the instant pot is extra tender and falls apart with your fork. If using leftover cooked meat, skip the saute step.
- Sear the meat first. This provides a much more flavorful stew, trust me! However, do not overcook the meat in this step.
- Cut uniform pieces: Even-sized cubes cook consistently.
Variations
- Low Carb: Skip potatoes and use turnips, radishes, or cauliflower.
- Herbs: Add fresh thyme, rosemary, or bay leaves.
- Spicy: Include red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Garden Fresh: Add zucchini, celery, peas, or green beans in the last 5 minutes.
Storage instructions
Store cooled stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It freezes beautifully for up to 2 months - perfect for meal prep!
Remove from the freezer and thaw overnight before reheating on the stovetop or microwave until hot.
Recipe FAQs
Venison is the term for the meat of a deer (whitetail or mule deer), antelope, caribou, moose, or elk. Venison is low in fat and calories, high in protein, and extremely lean. However, as it's leaner than other meats, it can be dry and tough if cooked incorrectly.
Venison meat tastes very similar to beef but has a much lower fat content and is drier than beef. If the animal has been eating a lot of sage, the meat may have a flavor of sage to it. The deer graze on grass, clover, and timothy hay where we live, so the venison has a very mild taste.
The shoulder, rump, and hindquarters are all great meat for stew recipes. For extremely tender venison, use a backstrap in this stew.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve this venison stew in Instant Pot with Smoked Foil-Wrapped Corn on the Cob on the side or a garden salad.
I also like to serve my Beginner Sourdough Bread, Fluffy Air Buns, No Milk Biscuits, Irish Soda Bread, Sourdough Focaccia Bread, or garlic bread to soak up the broth.
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Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Venison Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound venison, cubed with all sinew removed, or ground venison
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 5-6 large potatoes diced (about 4 cups)
- 5-6 medium carrots diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium buttercup squash diced
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch optional
- 2 tablespoons cold water optional
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to the saute function for 10 minutes. Add the olive oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot and add the cubed venison. After 5 minutes, add chopped garlic and diced onion. Saute until the cycle ends.
- Add the beef broth to the Instant Pot and use a spoon to scrape any brown bits on the bottom of the pressure cooker. Next, add potatoes, carrots, squash, paprika, sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Give it a final stir to mix all the ingredients well.
- Secure the lid, set it to "sealing" or "stew" setting, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Then, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
- Remove the lid and give the venison stew a good stir. If you want your stew to be thicker, mix two tablespoons of cornstarch and two tablespoons of cold water and pour it immediately into the stew. Stir until thickened.
- Pour into serving bowls and enjoy!
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Notes
- If using leftover cooked meat, skip the saute step.
- Do not overcook the meat when searing - just brown the outside.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This recipe was originally published on October 30, 2021. It was completely updated on January 22, 2025.
Scott V says
I've changed the cooking times on my version. My wife does not like over cooked veggies. So I seared and then cooked the venison and onion first, first sauteed the venison, browning all sides, then I threw in the onion and cooked it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I then pressured cooked on high for 20 minutes, slow released for 10, then released. I then put in the rest of the potatoes and veggies and pressure cooked them for 12 minutes, with a slow release for 10.
Added some corn starch and everything was great. Not too mushy.
Dennis says
It's definitely stew weather and my family loved your delicious venison stew!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
This dish looks so deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right this minute!
Jeri says
Thank you, it is the perfect fall dish! 🙂
serena says
We love venison at our house! So delish!
Toni says
This was a huge hit at my house! So comforting and delish!
Krisitna says
Venison is such a great meat when made into a stew. I love the idea of adding butternut squash, especially during the fall and winter. Thanks for the recipe and the easy to read and follow tips.
Jeri says
Thank you, Kristina. I'm glad you liked it! 🙂
Addie says
We love venison here in Maine! This total comfort food was so warm and hearty.
Oscar says
My dad gave me some venison he had from a neighbour and so I used this recipe to make a stew in the instant pot. The meat turned out super tender and I loved how quick it was to make in the instant pot. Great recipe Jeri.
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings says
YUM! We recently got a half deer and have been using it in all sorts of recipes. Will definitely be making this again soon!
Mihaela says
I am dreaming of a steamy bowl of game soup! Even more when I know I can make it so quickly!