Venison meatballs with sweet and sour sauce are made with ground venison that is perfectly seasoned and covered in a delightful sweet and sour sauce that is tangy and full of flavor. These venison meatballs are an easy 30-minute recipe that everyone will love. These can be made into mini meatballs for an appetizer or a larger size for a main dish meal.
PIN the recipe to try it later!
Now that Fall is here; we might find ourselves with some deer meat in the freezer if we are lucky. Having deer meat cuts down on the grocery bill, and we know that the meat is natural and not filled with hormones or antibiotics.
This venison meatballs recipe is one of our favorite ground deer recipes and is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Serve it over a bed of Instant Pot Jasmine Rice for a complete meal.
Some of our favorite venison recipes are homemade deer jerky, pepperoni sticks, and smoked venison tenderloin.
I also love to cook a big pot of my Best Venison Stew, Instant Pot Venison Stew, and Instant Pot Venison Roast.
Jump to:
What is venison?
Venison is the term given to the meat of large wild game such as elk, bison, and deer.
What does venison taste like?
Venison meat tastes very similar to beef, but it has a much lower fat content and is drier than beef. Many people add in a fattier cut of meat, such as pork, to increase the moisture in the meat. If the animal has been eating a lot of sage, the meat may have a flavor of sage to it. Where we live, the deer graze on grass, clover, and timothy hay, so the venison has a very mild taste to it.
Ingredients
Only a few basic pantry staples are needed to make this simple venison meatballs recipe.
Venison meatball ingredients:
- Ground venison. The venison in these pictures is mixed with 30% ground pork. You can also use 100% ground venison, but the meat will be a little bit drier. You could also add 30% ground beef.
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Onion, chopped
- Egg
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
Sweet and sour sauce ingredients:
- Brown sugar, or cane sugar
- Water
- White vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Cornstarch
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make sweet and sour venison meatballs
Make the meatballs: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well to combine. I find it easiest to use my hands to get in there and mix it up. Next, make the meatballs about 1.5-inches in diameter, smaller if you want mini meatballs.
Add olive oil to a large skillet and preheat on medium heat. Next, add meatballs to the skillet and brown them. Flip them over to brown on all sides.
Next, make the sauce for sweet and sour meatballs: While the meatballs are cooking, add the first three ingredients to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Mix soy sauce and cornstarch with a spoon or small whisk and add to the saucepan. Heat until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens.
Next, take the sweet and sour sauce and pour over meatballs in the skillet.
Finally, add 1 cup of shredded carrots to the skillet for extra veggies and fantastic color. Put the lid on and let the meatballs cook, on low-medium heat, for about 10 minutes.
Serve venison meatballs on a bed of jasmine rice, or serve the sweet and sour meatballs with noodles.
I hope you agree that these are the best sweet and sour meatballs, and it is such an easy recipe!
Top Tips
- Make the meatballs the same size for even cooking.
- Chop the onion in fine pieces, so it blends in with the meat well.
- When browning the meatballs, keep the lid on the skillet to prevent evaporation. The venison meat is very dry, and it needs all the moisture it can get.
- Add a grated carrot for extra nutrients, and top with sesame seeds for garnish
Substitutions
- Meatballs - You can use frozen meatballs to make this recipe for sweet and sour meatballs. However, the cooking time will be a little bit longer.
- Panko - You can use breadcrumbs or oatmeal instead.
- Brown sugar - You can use cane sugar or raw sugar in place of brown sugar.
- Onion - If you are not a fan of onion, feel free to leave it out.
Variations
Some great tasting variations to add to the sauce for this deer meatball recipe are:
- A splash of pineapple juice for extra flavor
- Pineapple chunks
- Chopped bell pepper
Equipment
To make this 30-minute dinner recipe, you will need mixing bowls and a skillet.
Storage
Fridge: Cooked meatballs will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
Freezer: Venison meatballs can be frozen (once cooled) in an airtight container for up to two months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Venison is high in protein and low in fat. The saturated fat content of venison is much lower than other red meat.
Absolutely. Venison is rich in iron, which is great for pregnancy. As with all meat when pregnant, make sure it is prepared correctly and thoroughly cooked.
Is it healthy to eat deer meat?
- Deer meat has less cholesterol than chicken and less saturated fat than salmon. Venison also contains 50% less fat than beef, making it a healthier red meat alternative.
- Venison is also richer in protein than any other red meat, which promotes muscle growth. The high protein content will also make you feel fuller longer.
- It’s also high in nutrients like B vitamins, iron, and phosphorus.
What to serve with sweet and sour meatballs?
- Pressure Cooker Jasmine Rice
- Smoked Corn on the Cob
- Mashed potatoes
- Egg noodles
- Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
- Cauliflower rice
- Roasted vegetables
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
If you've tried this Venison Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce or any other recipe, please take a moment to rate it and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!
You can also Follow Me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Would you please tag me in your photos @windingcreek_ranch? I would love to see your pictures!
📋 Recipe
Venison Meatballs - Sweet and Sour Sauce
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Skillet with lid
Ingredients
Ingredients for venison meatballs:
- 1½ pounds ground venison
- 3 tablespoon Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Ingredients for sweet and sour sauce
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 1½ cups water
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 2½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup grated carrot optional
- sesame seeds for garnish optional
Instructions
Venison Meatballs
- Combine ground venison, panko, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Mix together well. Using your hands works the best.
- Shape meatballs into 1.5" balls. You will get approximately 20 meatballs this size.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet or frying pan and preheat over medium heat. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Keep a lid on to prevent moisture from escaping and drying the meatballs out.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, add brown sugar, water, and vinegar. Mix to combine. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce and cornstarch and add to the saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens.
- Add sauce to meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on until meatballs are cooked through.
- Optional: Add 1 cup grated carrot to the sweet and sour sauce for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- That's it! I hope you enjoy this easy 30-minute recipe!
Notes
- Make the meatballs the same size for even cooking.
- Chop the onion in fine pieces, so it blends in with the meat well.
- When browning the meatballs, keep the lid on the skillet to prevent evaporation. The venison meat is very dry, and we need all the moisture we can get in it.
- Add a grated carrot for extra nutrients, and top with sesame seeds for garnish
Nutrition
Food safety
- 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
Francis L Bibbo
I added 1.5 tablespoon of chili powder and a half tablespoon of cumin: just to be creative. The sauce is great and so are the meatballs.
Jeri Walker
Thanks for trying this venison meatballs recipe, Francis! I'm so glad you enjoyed them, and I love the addition of chili powder and cumin! Thanks for coming back to comment and rate the recipe! 🙂
Oscar
This sounds relishes. Can’t wait to make this next time I get some venison. Looks good.
Jean
I havent tried a deer meat but will use the sauce and replace the meat to try the recipe 🙂
Agnieszka
I had a pound of bison meat in my freezer and didn't know what to do with this. Found this meatball recipe, made them and I have to say - the recipe is easy to follow and the meatballs turned out amazing!
Natalie
I always cook classic beef meatballs or turkey meatballs. Honestly, I never tried version meatballs before. But this sounds extra delicious. Especially with that sticky-sweet sauce. You definitely got me interested. I'm going to make this for sure.
Kayla DiMaggio
Wow! I love the sweet and sour sauce in this! These were amazing, the whole family loved them!
Jessica l Tao of Spice
As someone who has not cooked with venison before, I found this post to be very informative. I'm now dying to get my hands on some so I can try these fantastic sounding meatballs!
Jeri
Thank you so much, Jessica! I'm glad you found it interesting!
Addie
These meatballs are so tender and flavorful!
Jeri
I'm so glad you liked them!
Kristina
A wonderful recipe for venison, and I need more of these. I did leave out the carrots in the sauce, but it was still amazing. Definitely a keeper if you love venison!
Jeri
It is delicious, with or without carrots. Glad you liked it!
Kay
We had some venison in the fridge and decided to make this recipe,
the family absolutely loved this dish; we will be making this again very soon 🙂
Jeri
I'm glad your family liked it! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Jere Cassidy
I have never tried venison, and I am pretty sure our local butcher has that, so I can give this recipe a try. We are meatball lovers and I love the sweet and sour take on this.
Jeri
You can also use regular ground beef as well if you don't have venison, it will still be delicious!
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/
I Love game meat - way cleaner than the rest of meats! I am saving the recipe to make when the next order arrives!
Jeri
Awesome! Let me know how you like it!