This easy venison tenderloin roast recipe is the perfect opportunity to use the venison you brought home from your last hunting trip. Tender and juicy with a simple, yet delicious seasoning, this venison tenderloin roast is always a satisfying dinner choice. You can even wrap the roast with bacon to make it even more flavorful.
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Easy Roasted Venison Tenderloin
Do you have a fridge or freezer full of venison that you’re trying to decide what to do with? This venison tenderloin roast is the perfect solution.
Venison is already known for having a rich, earthy flavor, so all you need to do is add a bit of seasoning and let the oven work its magic. Wrap the tenderloins in bacon to add a savory, crispy layer that makes this roast extra special.
🥘 Ingredients
The star of this recipe is venison, which is meat from a deer. Venison cannot be bought in most stores, so you will need to know a hunter or order some online.
- Venison – Tasty venison tenderloin (these come in 2 tenderloin strips) is the star of this dish and doesn't need much to make it amazing.
- Cooking Oil – Use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or your preferred cooking oil with a high smoke point.
- Seasoning – A simple combination of salt & pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika that allows the flavor of the venison to shine.
- Bacon – 6 slices of bacon (optional, thick-cut bacon is recommended for wrapping the tenderloins).
- Optional Mushroom Gravy - Butter, Mushrooms, Aromatics (fresh herbs), and Beef Broth.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Venison Tenderloin Roast
This venison tenderloin roast is incredibly easy to make. You will need a basting brush, meat thermometer, and roasting pan or heavy-bottomed oven-safe skillet.
This recipe makes 6 servings with 3 servings per tenderloin. If you have a lot of venison on hand, you can easily scale this up if needed.
Preheat. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6).
(Optional) Cook the bacon strips. If you are choosing to wrap the tenderloins in bacon, place 6 strips (132 grams) onto a baking rack that is on a baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the bacon is only partially cooked but still flexible. Set aside.
To Sear Or Reverse Sear
You have the option to sear the tenderloin before roasting or reverse searing for more caramelized flavor and deeper color after searing. In either case, be sure to use an oven-safe pan or skillet so you can go from searing to the oven or vice versa.
Season the roast. Brush the 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or your preferred cooking oil over the 1½ pounds (680.39 grams) of tenderloin and season them with ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper (photo 1).
If starting with searing the tenderloins, use the oil in the skillet or pan and heat over medium-high while you season the roast (photo 2). Sear on all sides then transfer into your preheated oven (photo 3).
(Optional) Wrap tenderloins with bacon. If you are using the bacon, wrap it around the tenderloins.
Roast. Place the tenderloins into the roasting pan and roast them at 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6) on the center oven rack until the internal temperature of the venison reads 125°F (50°C), taking about 15-20 minutes (*see note).
Doneness for Venison Tenderloin
My cooking instructions are for rarer portions of medium-rare venison tenderloin as this is the best way to enjoy this very fine portion of deer meat. You can cook longer if desired.
- Medium Rare: 130–135°F (54–57°C)
- Medium: 135–145°F (57–63°C)
Removing your tenderloins 5 degrees before your desired temp will allow for the carryover cooking that happens during the resting time.
Rest. Move the roasted tenderloins to a serving tray (photo 4) and loosely cover them with foil. Let the tenderloins rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Make An Optional Mushroom Gravy
Whip up a mushroom gravy. Make a hearty gravy with the pan juices (completely optional but highly recommended). Add about a tablespoon (or two) of butter, cleaned and chopped mushrooms, and some aromatics like thyme, parsley, rosemary, or sage (photo 5).
Cook the mushrooms. Saute in the pan juices and butter until the mushrooms are tender (photo 6). Add a drizzle of broth after a few minutes to start breaking up the 'fond' or browned bits in the bottom of your pan. They're the tasty base of your gravy.
Add the broth. Remove the mushrooms and herbs, then pour in about 2 cups of beef broth combined with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (photo 7). Whisk into the pan juices and bring to a low boil.
Simmer to thicken. Once the gravy reaches a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the gravy thickens slightly. Return the mushrooms (photo 8) and serve.
🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With
This venison tenderloin roast would taste amazing with some oven-roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. Of course, it's also an elevated dinner option that pairs wonderfully with my fondant potatoes too. Enjoy!
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💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- The weight and size of your tenderloins can vary, so make sure to check the internal temperature of the venison.
- Storing: Leftovers should be placed in the fridge in an airtight container. Enjoy within 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4). Let the venison come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before baking. Place the tenderloins on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until warmed to your satisfaction.
What Is The Difference Between Venison Loin And Tenderloin?
On deer, the loin (also called the backstrap) is the cut of meat that runs along the length of the spine. Tenderloin, on the other hand, is inside the deer’s abdominal cavity and is an extremely tender cut of meat.
Both cuts are tender and delicious, and they are my favorite portions to cook with.
❓ Venison Tenderloin Roast Recipe FAQs
Venison is red meat, so it does have a similar taste to beef. It is often described as rich or earthy. In other words, it’s delicious!
Usually, venison is used to refer to the meat of a deer. However, it could also refer to elk, moose, or reindeer.
In the case of any reference from me, here on BIWL, all venison is deer meat.
In my opinion, yes, most definitely. Both are great, but farmed deer meat (or venison) has a milder flavor. That just means it's a great way to introduce yourself to game meat.
🥩 More Meaty Main Courses
- Veal Scallopini
- Grilled Lamb Chops
- Duck Confit
- Roasted Leg of Lamb
- Pan Seared Duck Breast
- Pan Seared Hangar Steak
- Duck with Orange Sauce (Duck a L'Orange)
- Grilled Ostrich Steaks
- Whole Roasted Rabbit
- Smoked Duck and Mushroom Risotto
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📖 Recipe Card
Venison Tenderloin Roast
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon (optional, thick-cut bacon is recommended)
- 2 teaspoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 ½ lbs venison tenderloin (2 tenderloin roast portions)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt & pepper (to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉ (205℃/Gas Mark 6).
- (Optional) If you are wrapping your roast with bacon, place 6 slices bacon on a wire cooling or baking rack that is on a baking sheet. Once the oven has preheated, bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the bacon is just partially cooked but still flexible. Remove from your oven and set aside.
- Brush the 2 teaspoon olive oil over the 1 ½ lbs venison tenderloin and season them with ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt & pepper.
- If using the optional bacon, wrap it around the tenderloins, then place the tenderloins into the roasting pan.
- Roast at 400℉ (205℃/Gas Mark 6) in the center of your oven's middle rack until the internal temperature of the venison reads 125°F (65°C), about 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer the roasted tenderloins to a serving tray or cutting board and cover them loosely with foil. Rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The weight and size of your tenderloins can vary, so make sure to check the internal temperature of the venison.
- See the recipe post for the optional mushroom gravy this dish is served with.
- Storing: Leftovers should be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated. Enjoy within 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Let the venison sit at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes before reheating. Place the tenderloins on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated to your satisfaction.
Loretta says
Im Very happy with how well this turned out. A note for those who aren't a fan: Bucks that run up and down mountains and eat twigs and leaves are super tough and gamey. Button bucks and young does that laze around in Central Ohio eating corn and alfalfa are tender and succulent.
Anonymous says
Do you wrap the tenderloin in foil while cooking?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
No, it's not needed. Thanks for asking!
Alex Cosby says
Regretting wrapping in bacon, it became way too crispy and burnt
Anonymous says
Im not familiar with venison. Can deer loin be cooked the same way as the tenderloin using this recipe?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Venison refers to antlered game animals like deer or elk (and this was deer tenderloin in the recipe). You can use either and it will work wonderfully!
Anonymous says
Thanks for leaving temp for oven
Emily Nielsen says
Super easy and super delicious!