As deer season comes to an end here, I hope there are some restocked freezers out there.  This smothered venison recipe is an all time favorite and a must try for your backstrap deer meat!!!

The Best Fried Deer Backstrap Recipe

I got this recipe from a good friend of mine.  He’s a hunting machine with the genetics of a silverback and the linguals of a wild turkey! And ol’ dude can cook, too!! So can his wife! Most of her desserts I would eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (may or may not have done that more than once……just saying).  They had us over for dinner one night, years ago, and his wife fed us this.  Literally, it instantly became one of my favorite wild game meals! They didn’t have a name for it and “that smothered tenderloin thing mom used to make” was a mouthful in itself, so “Flannery Special” was born.  It is a regular “go-to”. Actually, we enjoyed it at their house just the other day!

Ingredients for Smothered Deer Backstrap 

The ingredients for this deer backstrap recipe are pretty similar to your basic ingredients for frying any meat.  You need:

• Venison backstrap cut into 2″ cubes
• cream of mushroom soup
• flour and breadcrumbs, or you favorite fry mix 
• seasoned salt, salt and pepper
• eggs
• oil for frying

How to Cook Smothered Deer Backstrap

The first thing to do is create your battering station. Do this by placing flour on one plate, eggs in a bowl (beaten), and the breadcrumbs/flour mixed on another plate. Season both plates to taste with the seasoned salt and pepper. Roll the venison cubes in the flour, then egg, then the breadcrumb/flour mixture. You can also substitute your favorite fry mix and follow the battering directions on the label. 

Fry the battered cubes until they are golden brown, be careful not to overcook here.  You’re wanting the meat to be medium rare. Remove the backstrap from fryer and place on a wire roasting basket to drip/dry. Place the meat in a baking dish and cover with cream of mushroom. Bake until the cream of mushroom starts to bubble and brown.  

Tips for Cooking Venison:

One of the most common mistakes when it comes to cooking venison, and other wild game for that matter, is overcooking it.  Don’t do it! Cuts like deer backstrap should be cooked to no more than medium.  Anything else is called jerky 😜. The same applies to this backstrap recipe.  Fry to medium rare then bake until medium (just long enough to heat the cream of mushroom).  If you cook too long during either phase, you might end up with a tough chunk of meat covered in soup and that sounds substantially less appetizing. 

What to Serve with Smothered Venison

Traditionally, this recipe has always been served with two things: wild rice and green beans. We rarely venture from this plate because it’s just that good! Sometimes, the green beans do get the axe, though.  Going  “meat and potatoes” with this recipe is real easy to do. The meat is the star of the show, so not much else is needed to leave you satisfied.  To really go “meat and potatoes”, try these delicious mashed potatoes in place of the rice.

Other Wild Game Recipes:

Nashville Hot Deer Nuggets 

Sloppy Joes 

Duck Popper Sliders

Smothered Venison Backstrap

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Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs of venison cut into 2" cubes
• 1 large can cream of mushroom
• flour
• breadcrumbs
• seasoned salt
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 eggs

Instructions

1. Heat your choice of oil in a skillet (med-high) or deep fryer (365 degrees).
2. Create your battering station by placing flour on one plate, eggs in a bowl (beaten), and the breadcrumbs/flour mixed on another plate at a ratio of roughly 80/20. Season both plates to taste with the seasoned salt and pepper.
3. Roll the venison cubes in the flour, then egg, then the breadcrumb/flour mixture.
4. Fry the battered venison until golden brown and the meat is about medium rare (130 degrees).
5. Place the medium rare venison into a baking dish and cover with cream of mushroom. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

Notes

* Best served with wild rice and green beans.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 366Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 182mgSodium: 457mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 47g