The BEST Venison Meatballs

Tender venison meatballs cooked in a delicious homemade Sunday sauce and served over pasta for the ultimate family dinner .

You can’t beat the classics. You simply have to try these amazing Venison Meatballs for your next family dinner. The meatballs have a fork-tender texture that keeps everyone coming back for more. The best part about this recipe? You don’t have to waste any time browning the meatballs. They get cooked to perfection right in the sauce! This wild game recipe will have you ditching your old venison meatball recipe for this one again and again.

This recipe starts off by combining the ingredients for the delicious homemade pasta sauce. I’ve provided instructions for both a canned tomato version and a fresh garden tomato version- both will turn out great! Fresh tomatoes will take a few extra steps, which I’ve provided in the note section of the recipe. The sauce starts with sautéed onions then you’ll add in tomato paste and let it cook for a bit to let the flavors of the paste really come out. After that, we’ll dump in the rest of the ingredients and you’re all set! There’s tons of flavor in the sauce from the fresh basil, wine, and chopped garlic. As the meatballs cook in the sauce and the flavors mend together, it only gets better and better.

After the sauce is set to simmer, you’ll combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs. This is my tried and true recipe for meatballs. Venison has a low fat content so I love pairing the otherwise lean venison with a high fat meat- like the sweet Italian sausage we use here! It’s the perfect compliment for this recipe and adds so much flavor. These meatballs don’t skimp out on any flavor, especially when we add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, onion, eggs and the best seasonings. Be sure to wet your hands about every 3 meatballs as you form them and drop them right into the sauce. Then, let time do its thing and you’ll have the best wild game dinner in no time.

If You Like Venison This Recipe, You’ll Love:

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The BEST Venison Meatballs

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Tender venison meatballs cooked in a delicious homemade Sunday sauce. No browning required here. The meatballs will cook to perfection right in the homemade sauce. 

• Author: Jenn Homa
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

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Sunday Sauce

• 4 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ Large Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can Tomato Paste
• 2 (28 ounce) cans of San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes* See Notes for Instructions For Fresh Tomatoes
• 1 (28 ounce) can Tomato Puree*
• 12 fresh Basil Leaves
• ¼ cup of Dry Red Wine
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs

• 1 ½ pounds Ground Venison
• ½ pound Ground Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1 cup Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs
• ½ cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
• ½ Large Onion, Finely Diced
• ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Onion Powder
• 2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper To Taste

For Serving

• Cooked Pasta of Choice
• Chopped Basil or Parsley, To Garnish
• Grated Parmesan Cheese

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Instructions

1. Coat the bottom of a large heavy pot with olive oil on medium low heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes, spreading the paste around as it cooks.
2. Add in crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, basil, wine, chopped garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. (I usually do 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper). Use a hand blender to blend the ingredients together then cook on a low simmer with the lid left slightly ajar while you prepare the meatballs. You can let this simmer for up to an hour before starting on the meatballs if desired.
3. While the sauce is simmering, get out a large bowl. Add in ground venison, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, parsley, onion, Parmesan, eggs, and seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. With wet hands roll approximately 2” size meatballs. Rewet hands every 3rd meatball or so. Add the meatballs directly to the sauce as you roll them.
5. Cook for about 90 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked and tender, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to ensure the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom.
6. Serve over your favorite pasta garnished with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

*Garden Tomato Swap

You will need about 6 pounds peeled, seeded and diced garden plum tomatoes.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice an X on the bottom of each tomato then once the pot is boiling balance the tomatoes for 1-2 minutes or until the skin cracks. Remove them from the water and let them cool until you can handle them.
2. Peel off the skin, remove the core then squeeze the tomatoes, removing the seeds. Add in place of crushed tomatoes and tomato purée. 
3. If it seems too tart, add ½-1 teaspoon Baking Soda and mix well.