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Spicy Korean-Inspired Venison is a total game changer when it comes to easy dinners! Fresh ground deer meat is combined with a soy-based sauce that is both spicy and sweet. Serve over rice for a twenty-minute venison recipe that you’ll make again and again.
This recipe uses ground venison in place of ground beef for a wild game take on classic Korean Beef. It’s a staple in our house that we like to enjoy for a quick dinner or easy packed lunches throughout the week.
Sweet honey, spicy red pepper flakes, and crunchy snap peas all blend in perfect harmony in this ground venison recipe. Here’s what else you’ll need to make it at home:
Ingredients for this recipe
- Ground Venison
- Snap Peas (snow peas would work too! Or broccoli!)
- Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Honey
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Sesame Oil
- Cooked White Rice (for serving!)
One of my favorite things about this dish is it’s a total pantry staple recipe. We always have 99% of the ingredients on hand.
That makes it easy to whip up when I don’t feel like heading to the grocery store or thinking too hard about meal prep. Of course, it also helps that it’s incredibly delish!
How to Make Sweet and Spicy Korean Venison
This is just a brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
- Brown the venison. In the sesame oil. Venison is incredibly lean so the oil will help it crisp up.
- Make the spicy soy glaze. Just whisk everything together.
- Add the glaze to the venison. And cook it down until thick and syrupy. This will take about eight to ten minutes.
- Add the snap peas. During the last two minutes of cooking. This helps them keep their crunch.
- Serve over white rice. Or in lettuce cups or over cellophane noodles!
Using fresh ginger in cooking
It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago I would have avoided anything with red pepper flakes (can you say, “Midwestern?”). Now I can’t get enough!
The heat from the pepper flakes and ginger are balanced out so perfectly with the sweetness from the honey and the brown sugar. The umami flavor from the soy sauce just ties it all together into one perfect ground venison recipe.
Speaking of ginger! Buy it in a tube!
Much like jarred minced garlic, I always have a tube of grated ginger in the fridge. It lasts forever and is much easier to use than peeling and mincing fresh ginger. Look for it in your grocer’s produce section!
More Venison Recipes you may enjoy
- Ground Venison Stroganoff
- Ground Venison Shepherd’s Pie
- Easy Cheesy Venison Enchiladas
- Venison Meatballs
- Venison Meatloaf
Watch the recipe video!
Spicy Korean Venison
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 pound ground venison
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 8 ounces snap peas, washed
Instructions
- Place the sesame oil in a large skillet set over high heat. Add the venison and cook until browned and crispy.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic, and ginger. Pour sauce over browned venison, stirring to coat.
- Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce had reduced enough to coat the meat and be thick and glossy, about 8-10 minutes. Near the last two minutes of cooking stir in the snap peas.
- Serve with white rice.
Video
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.
- If you’re not a huge fan of spice, use ½ tsp. red pepper flakes.
- Recipe adapted from Table for Two.
Cheryl says
This is a great venison recipe. Like you I struggle with how to use all of our ground venison. It's delicious and you don't get that gamey taste at all. Thanks for sharing.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you so much for the kind review! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. It's one of our favorites too, especially for a quick weeknight meal.
Happy hunting 🙂
Amanda
Anna says
So good! Served it the first night over rice. Served the leftovers as tacos the following night. Definitely a keeper
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Anna!
I never though to serve as tacos before. But you've given me an idea! Imagine in a lettuce wrap?!
Thanks for rating!
Amanda
Anna Kluge says
Oh yes please! Maybe some lettuce cups with chopped peanuts on top:D definitely gonna do that next time
Anna Green says
2500mg sodium per small serving?! That’s an insane amount!!!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Anna,
I don't track my sodium intake and these calculations are based on the app I use for the recipe card. That being said, you can always use low-sodium soy sauce in the recipe if you desire. Soy sauce tends to have a lot of sodium in general and soy-based sauces common in Asian cooking may be higher than what you're used to seeing.
Amanda
Kaki says
I have tons of deer meat to be used up and this is one of my favorite recipes for making a delicious asian meal. I pair it with rice and broccoli. As a college student, this is super easy to make, and a wonderful use of my frozen deer meat. I've made it multiple times now. Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda Gajdosik says
LOVE to hear that you're enjoying this recipe, Kaki! Thanks for rating and reviewing 🙂
Kim says
Absolutely delicious!! This will definitely be in our regular rotation!
I added grated ginger and cilantro to rice while it was cooking. We also ate it wrapped in iceberg lettuce leaves for added crunch/texture. So yummy!
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Kim! Honored to be a part of your dinner rotation and love that you made the meal your own (cilantro and ginger in the rice sounds AMAZING and I will be trying the next time I make it!).
Thank you for rating and reviewing 🙂
Amanda
Leann says
Excellent. I hate deer meat but I can tolerate this. I have tons of meat that needs ate. Thank you. Next time I’ll cut back on the soy sauce and brown sugar a tad bit.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Leann,
I'm glad to hear my recipe made you enjoy venison more! Feel free to check out my entire catalog of venison recipes - I am a firm believer that wild game doesn't need to tasty gamey! Might I suggest my venison tacos that are spicy and smoky and sweet? Or if you have whole cuts of venison my red wine venison stew is possible my favorite recipe on my site? It's so perfect and many people have said it doesn't taste like venison!
Thanks,
Amanda
Leann says
I most definitely will check them all out. Thank you!
Cheryl says
This was my first time cooking venison
This recipe had just the right amount of spicy can’t wait to try more of your recipes in the future
Amanda Gajdosik says
I LOVE hearing that, Cheryl! Hope you enjoy my other recipes, too 🙂
Brian Van Syoc says
Amazing great recipe.
Lynn says
Absolutely delicious!!!! My family loved it. Next time I'm going to add more vegetables like julienne carrots and mushrooms.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Love the idea of adding more veggies! Will have to try that as well. Thanks for reviewing, Lynn! So happy you enjoyed my recipe 🙂
Carol D. says
Ohmyword…this is SO SO good! The perfect mix of spicy and sweet. We served ours of cauliflower rice and added green beans instead snap peas. I give this recipe two delicious thumbs up and five out of five stars!
👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍
MP says
Absolutely wonderful sauce (had to sub gluten free soy sauce - it was still delicious).
Thank you.
Amanda says
So glad you enjoyed it! And could easily make it GF with a simple swap! I love the sticky sweet heat of the sauce - it's just so perfect. Thank you for reviewing 🙂