Simple Pan-Seared Venison Tenderloin

Why you'll love this recipe

• Simple ingredients, no marinade needed. Venison tenderloin is incredibly tender and flavorful on its own. A simple salt dry brine is all you need, with an optional herb butter if you want something a little extra.
• Tender & juicy. Between the dry brine and a quick sear over high heat, you'll get a beautifully browned crust while keeping the center pink and juicy.
• Delicious venison flavor. Instead of covering up the natural flavor of the deer meat, this simple preparation lets the venison shine while toning down gamey flavor. If you're new to wild game and wondering what venison tastes like, tenderloin is a great cut to start with.
• Perfect recipe for pan-searing or grilling. This venison tenderloin recipe works beautifully in a hot cast iron skillet or on the grill, so you can choose whichever cooking method works for you.

Venison tenderloin vs. backstrap

Venison tenderloin and backstrap are often confused, but they're actually two different cuts of meat. The tenderloins are small, narrow cuts found inside the body cavity along the underside of the spine, between the ribs and rump. The backstraps are much larger cuts that run along the outside of the spine.

Both are incredibly tender, lean cuts that are best cooked quickly over high heat and served medium/medium-rare. Venison tenderloin is similar to beef tenderloin and is prized for its buttery-soft texture, much like filet mignon.

If you have backstrap instead, try my very popular marinated venison backstrap recipe.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredient list.

• Venison tenderloin. Leave whole and trim away any silver skin.
• Salt. Coarse sea salt or kosher salt.
• Oil or beef tallow. Use a high-heat cooking oil like avocado oil or beef tallow for pan-searing.
• Herb butter. Butter mixed with garlic and fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary or chives.

Ingredient notes

• Salt. Salt is used to dry brine the tenderloin, seasoning the meat throughout while helping it stay juicy and flavorful as it cooks. Because different salts vary in crystal size and density, measuring by weight will give you the best results and prevent over-seasoning or under-seasoning. I use about 0.75% of the meat's weight in salt, or about 3.4 grams of salt per pound of meat. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use a full ½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt or kosher salt per pound of tenderloin.
• Butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter. If you're sensitive to salt, I'd opt for unsalted butter since the venison is already dry-brined in salt.

How to cook venison tenderloin

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions.

1. Dry brine. Season the venison tenderloin with salt and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2-3 hours or up to 12 hours.
2. Make the herb butter. Mix softened unsalted butter with minced garlic, fresh herbs and lemon zest.
3. Pan sear. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add a little oil, then sear the tenderloin until evenly browned all over.
4. Butter baste. During the last few minutes of cooking, reduce the heat and add the garlic herb butter. Once melted, spoon the butter over the tenderloin as it finishes cooking.
5. Check the temperature. For medium-rare, remove the tenderloin from the skillet at 125-130°F. Use an instant-read thermometer to avoid overcooking.
6. Rest and slice. Let the tenderloin rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving with more herb butter.

How to grill venison tenderloin

Venison tenderloin is also delicious cooked on the grill. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, and lightly grease the grill grates with cooking oil to prevent sticking.

Grill the tenderloin over direct heat for 2-3 minutes per side, turning as needed to evenly brow all sides. During the last couple minutes, brush the tenderloin with garlic herb butter. If the outside is browning too quickly before the center is done, move the tenderloin to indirect heat to finish cooking.

For medium-rare, remove the tenderloin from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 125-130°F. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. The temperature will continue to rise about 5°F as it rests.

Venison tenderloin internal temperature guide

I highly recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer when cooking venison tenderloin to ensure you don't overcook or undercook it. Here are the recommended temperatures for each degree of doneness. I also wrote an entire post on venison internal temperatures if you need more guidance.

• Rare: 125°F
• Medium-rare: 130-135°F
• Medium: 135-140°F
• Medium-well: 140-150°F
• Well: 150-160°F+

I like to cook venison steak to around 130-135°F. It's still pink and juicy in the center, but not raw, and nicely seared around the outside.

Pro tip! Always account for the fact that the meat will continue to cook once it's removed from the heat source; this is called carryover cooking. The residual heat left in the meat will continue to cook the meat for about 5 minutes, and the temperature will continue to rise 5-10 degrees. So, for example, if you want the venison steak cooked to 135°F for medium, remove the meat from the heat source at 130°F, then let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it reaches 135°F.

Why dry brine venison tenderloin?

Dry brining simply means seasoning the venison with salt ahead of time and letting it rest before cooking. It seasons the meat throughout while helping it stay juicy. And unlike a marinade, a dry brine doesn't add extra moisture to the surface of the meat, making it easier to get a nicely seared, beautifully browned crust.

Since venison tenderloin is naturally very tender, it doesn't need a marinade to tenderize it.

For the best results, I recommend dry brining for at least 2-3 hours or up to 12 hours. At first, the salt draws moisture to the surface of the meat. Given enough time, that moisture is reabsorbed, carrying the salt with it to season the meat more deeply and help it stay juicy as it cooks.

Tips for success

• Plan ahead and dry brine. Dry brine the tenderloin for at least 2-3 hours or up to 12 hours for better flavor.
• Short on time? If you don't have at least an hour to dry brine the tenderloin, season it with salt immediately before cooking instead. Salting it about 20-30 minutes ahead can actually draw moisture to the surface without giving it enough time to reabsorb, making it harder to get a good sear.
• Always use a meat thermometer. Venison is best when cooked to medium-rare or medium. Using a meat thermometer will ensure you don't undercook or overcook the tenderloin.
• Let the steaks rest. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. This gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a tender, juicy steak instead of losing those flavorful juices on the cutting board.
• Account for carryover cooking. While the steaks rest, the residual heat left in the meat after you remove it from the skillet or grill will continue to raise the internal temperature by about 5-10°F. So, if you want your venison steak cooked to 135°F for medium, remove it from the heat at 130°F.
• Slice against the grain. Cut the tenderloin into slices against the grain for the most tender bite.

Recipe FAQs

Have more questions about cooking deer meat? My Venison FAQs cover everything from preparing and cooking venison to storing it and getting the best flavor.

Storing & reheating

Store leftover venison in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat, warm gently in a skillet over low-medium heat with a little butter or oil. You can reheat the whole tenderloin or cut it into slices first.

More venison recipes you'll love!