Marinated Venison Backstrap

4.54 stars

Tender, juicy, and flavorful venison backstrap. Marinated then pan-seared or grilled until nicely browned on the outside and a little pink on the inside. Super easy to make, melt in your mouth venison recipe without the "gamey" taste.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Resting Time4

Total Time4 25

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Rachel Kochlin

Equipment

Oven-safe skillet

Ingredients

1 pound venison backstrap
½ tablespoon olive oil

Marinade

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice (plus lemon wedges for optional garnish)
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
2 garlic cloves minced
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Marinade

Mix together the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish or a ziploc bag. Add the backstrap and place in the refrigerator. Marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, flipping halfway through.
About 30 minutes before you're ready to cook, remove the venison from the marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Set on a clean plate and allow to come to room temperature.

Pan seared and oven finished:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat an oven-safe cast iron skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the backstrap and sear on all sides until a nice brown crust forms, including the ends by using tongs to stand the backstrap in the pan. This should take about 4-5 minutes total.
If using an oven-safe skillet, transfer the skillet with the backstrap to the preheated oven. If your skillet isn't oven-safe, transfer the backstrap to an oven-safe dish with a little olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 130-135 degrees. Keep in mind, the internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5-10 degrees while the meat rests, bringing it closer to medium doneness. Transfer the backstrap to a plate or cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
If desired, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.

Grilled:

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Place the backstrap on the hot grill and cook for 6-8 minutes, then flip and continue to cook another 6-8 minutes.
The backstrap is done when a meat thermometer reads 130-135 degrees. Keep in mind, the internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5-10 degrees while the meat rests, bringing it closer to medium doneness. Transfer the backstrap to a plate or cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
If desired, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.

Notes

What can I use if I don't have a cast iron skillet?

Cast iron skillets conduct heat evenly and allow you to get a nice sear on your steak. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, I recommend using a stainless steel skillet. Last resort, you can use a non-stick skillet, but you won't be able to get as nice of a sear on the steak.

If you don't own a cast iron skillet, I highly recommend purchasing one! Lodge sells very reasonably priced cast iron skillets on Amazon. Here is a link to the one I own.

The best internal temperature for venison backstrap/steak:

I highly recommend using an instant read meat thermometer when cooking steak to ensure you don't overcook or undercook it. For venison, here are the temperatures for degree of doneness:

Rare: 125 degrees F.
Medium-rare: 130-135 degrees F.
Medium: 135-140 degrees F.
Medium-well: 140-145 degrees F.
Well: 145-150 degrees F.

I like to cook venison steak to around 130-135 degrees F. It's still pink and juicy in the center, but not raw, and browned around the edges.

Nutrition