Home » Blog » Delicious Venison Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

Delicious Venison Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

4.79 from 33 votes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

These Venison Salisbury Steaks are flavorful and delicious. Topped with mushroom gravy and served with mashed potatoes, they will satisfy even the biggest appetite!

venison salisbury steak on white plate with broccoli and mashed potatoes

Comfort food always evokes memories. And this Venison Salisbury Steaks recipe is no exception even though it uses wild game meat instead of the more traditional beef. 

When I was a kid we would occasionally have Swanson TV dinners.

Do any of y’all remember those?

Maybe I’m dating myself here… lol

My favorite was the Salisbury Steak one.

It was something my mom never made, so it was a treat for me.

Oddly enough, as much as I loved that as a kid, I never made it either.

The other day, I was online looking for some inspiration.

I have a bunch of ground venison and I wanted to make something new and different.

I came across a Venison Salisbury Steak recipe and thought, “Bingo!”

But, when I read through the recipe it had some really weird stuff in it that I didn’t have in my kitchen.

So, you know me, I started experimenting.

After a few tries, this is the recipe I came up with.

The steaks are moist, and the mushroom gravy is rich and full of flavor.

I like to serve these with mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, a whole wheat dinner roll, and some cherry cobbler for dessert.

Just like Swanson. 

Vension salisbury steak with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes and broccoli on white plate

These Venison Salisbury Steaks reheat really well and freeze beautifully.

You could also make the steaks ahead of time and freeze them so they’re ready to go when you are.

The recipe makes eight portions, or six generous ones.

So, if you have big appetites around your table, you might want to make six.

Oh, and just a note about the onions. It looks like there’s waaay too much onion in this recipe.

I promise it’s not.

Trust me. 

Enough talk! Let’s go make these!

VENISON SALISBURY STEAKS

Ingredients:

Patties

Gravy

  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 1 large onion sliced into ¼” slices
  • 4 ounces sliced mushroom OR 1-4 ounce can of mushrooms with liquid
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, OR ½ teaspoon dried
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 tablespoons all purpose flour OR cornstarch
  • 4 cups beef broth or game stock
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

How to cook perfect Venison Salisbury Steaks

Making the Patties

You’re going to need a large mixing bowl.

Start with the venison. Break it up a little bit with your hands to make it easier to mix.

Now add the minced onion and garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and salt and pepper.

Venison Salisbury Steaks ingredients in mixing bowl

It’s best if you mix it up by hand. Using a mixer would overwork it and make it too dense.

Mix it all up just until it’s combined.

Divide the mixture into 6 or 8 portions.

Venison Salisbury steak mixture divided into 8 portions in mixing bowl

Now form the portions into oval patties that are about 1/2-inch thick.

Some of those onions will pop out as you form the steaks. Just press them back into the meat mixture.

As you form the steak patties, put them on a large plate.

Once all the steak patties are made, it’s time to get frying.

Grab a large skillet (I usually use my large cast iron skillet, but it was otherwise occupied) and melt a tablespoon of ghee or olive oil over medium heat.

Add the Venison Salisbury Steaks in 2 batches.

Unless you have a ginormous skillet that is big enough for all of them. 

Venison Salisbury Steaks browning in frying pan with ghee
4 at a time for me

Fry them over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. We’re getting a nice sear going, but not cooking them all the way.

After both sides of the patties are brown, remove them from the pan to a platter and cover to keep warm. Set aside.

Then fry the second batch and add those to the plate as well.

Making the mushroom gravy

To get started on the gravy, add another tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil to the frying pan.

Once that’s melted, add the sliced onions to the pan.

onions frying in pan

Cook these over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. You need to stir these very frequently.

At about 5 minutes, they should be translucent and beginning to caramelize.

If you are using fresh mushrooms add those in now.

Then, continue to cook and stir for another 3 minutes or so.

Now we’re going to add the flour, garlic powder, and thyme.

Use a whisk and get that all combined with the onions and oil.

Then you need to let that cook and brown for about 1 minute, whisking continuously.

Now it’s time to pour in the beef stock or game stock all at once.

all the mushroom gravy ingredients in frying pan
adding the mushrooms

Continue to whisk that all together. Make sure to scrape the bits off the bottom of the skillet.

If you are using canned mushrooms, add those and the liquid now and whisk that in.

Cook the gravy, whisking continuously, until it comes to a boil then lower the heat just a tad so the gravy simmers.

Continue to simmer and whisk until the gravy thickens, then add 1 tablespoon butter and stir until it’s melted. As the butter melts, it will add a richness and a lovely sheen to the gravy.

Once the gravy has thickened up, add the Venison Salisbury Steaks back to the pan with the gravy mixture.

Venison Salisbury Steaks in frying pan with gravy
and the steaks back in to finish cooking

Ladle some of that gravy over the steaks, and cook for 5 minutes.

About halfway through you can switch some of the patties around if they aren’t all covered with gravy.

Serve these Venison Salisbury Steaks smothered in the delicious mushroom gravy and garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

Round out the meal with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice.

How to Freeze Uncooked Venison Salisbury Steaks

If you are planning ahead and turning this into a freezer meal, here is the process to follow.

  • Form the patties and place each one on a small piece of parchment paper
  • Fold the parchment paper up and around the patty and tape together
  • Pop the patties into an airtight container or zip top freezer bag
  • To cook, remove the patties from the freezer and allow to thaw completely, then follow the normal instructions
  • Then will keep for about 3 months in the freezer

My favorite Parchment Paper is unbleached and I get it here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Venison Salisbury Steaks

Why is my Venison Salisbury Steak tough?

Overcooking can make your steaks tough, especially since venison is such a very lean meat. To ensure that your Venison Salisbury Steaks stay juice and succulent, take care to only brown the patties initially and finish cooking them in the gravy.

Why do my Venison Salisbury Steaks fall apart while cooking?

If the meat mixture is too warm it can sometimes fall apart while it’s cooking. To avoid the issue you can form your patties and then cover and place them in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. You can also make them ahead and leave them in the fridge for several hours before cooking.

Can I freeze the leftover Venison Salisbury Steaks?

Absolutely! For best results, freeze the steaks in the gravy in an airtight container. They will keep for about 3 months in the freezer.

More main dish recipes you’ll love:

Venison Salisbury Steaks

These Venison Salisbury Steaks are flavorful and delicious. Topped with mushroom gravy and served with mashed potatoes, they will satisfy even the biggest appetite!
4.79 from 33 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people
Calories 208 kcal

Ingredients
  

Patties

  • 1 pound ground venison
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup onion minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley OR 1 tsp dried
  • 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil for frying

Gravy

  • 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
  • 1 large onion sliced into ¼” slices
  • 4 ounces sliced mushroom OR 1-4 ounce can of mushrooms with liquid
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped, OR ½ teaspoon dried
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 tablespoons all purpose flour OR cornstarch
  • 4 cups beef broth or game stock
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, break up the venison a little bit with your hands to make it easier to mix. Now add the minced onion and garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
  • Divide the mixture into 6 or 8 portions. Form the portions into oval patties that are about 1/2-inch thick.
  • In a large skillet melt a tablespoon of ghee or olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add the Venison Salisbury Steaks in 2 batches and fry them over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to sear.
  • After both sides of the patties are brown, remove them from the pan to a platter and cover to keep warm. Set aside.
  • Repeat until all the patties are browned.
  • Using the same frying pan, add another tablespoon of ghee or olive oil and let it melt.
  • Add the sliced onions to the pan. Cook these over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until translucent and beginning to caramelize.
  • If you are using fresh mushrooms add those in now. And continue to cook and stir for another 3 minutes.
  • Using a whisk, add the flour, garlic powder, and thyme and combine with the onions.
  • Let that cook and brown for 1 minute, whisking continuously.
  • Pour in the beef stock or game stock all at once. Continue to whisk that all together. Make sure to scrape the bits off the bottom of the skillet.
  • If you are using canned mushrooms, add those and the liquid now and whisk that in.
  • Continue to whisk the gravy until it comes to a boil then lower the heat just a tad so the gravy simmers.
  • Continue to simmer and whisk until the gravy thickens, then add 1 tablespoon butter and stir until it's melted.
  • Once the gravy has thickened up, add the Venison Salisbury Steaks back to the pan with the gravy mixture. Ladle some of that gravy over the steaks, and cook for 5 minutes.
  • About halfway through you can switch some of the patties around if they aren’t all covered with gravy.
  • Remove from heat and serve.

Notes

Serve these Venison Salisbury Steaks smothered in the delicious mushroom gravy and garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
Round out the meal with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pattyCalories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 17gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 891mgPotassium: 373mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 185IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 3mg
Keyword venison
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
By on December 1st, 2021

2 thoughts on “Delicious Venison Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy”

  1. 5 stars
    I love Venison, followed the recipe. I did not have Italian bread crumps, I used plain bread crumps and added some Italian seasoning. My family loved it. I will most definitely be making this again!

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.