If you’re looking for a new way to switch up the way you prepare venison, try my Venison Ragu recipe. This ground venison ragu is slow cooked until tender and packed with flavour. Serve it over pasta or polenta or use it as a filling for ravioli or lasagna.
Check out my Slow Cooker Venison Roast, and this hearty Slow Cooker Venison Stew
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Slow cooked venison ragu is the perfect comfort food: so hearty, delicious and easy to prepare. I love making it in my crockpot as it can simmer away over many hours while I get on with my day.
And while I normally associate ragu with cold winter months, I actually make it year-round as the slow cooker doesn’t heat up the kitchen.
My family never complain when they are presented with bowls of steaming tagliatelle with rich ragu sauce – and that’s a win whatever the season!
VENISON RAGU INGREDIENTS
Venison is naturally lean so I have added a couple of Italian sausages to counter this. You can use pancetta instead if preferred. Italian ragu tends to be meat rather than tomato based but feel free to add more canned tomatoes or tomato paste.
- Ground venison (venison mince) – farmed venison or deer meat.
- Italian sausages, casing removed
- White onion, celery and carrots, the classic Italian soffrito trifecta, make up the backbone of our ragu sauce
- Minced garlic, garlic powder, salt, pepper and a bit of sugar
- Tomato paste (tomato purée) and finely chopped canned tomatoes
- White wine or red wine
- Beef broth / beef stock or venison stock if available
- Balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
- Bay leaves, cinnamon stick and parmesan rind for flavour
- Olive oil
- Flat leaf parsley and grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese, to serve
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER VENISON RAGU
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Heat the olive oil in your slow cooker if it allows for browning or in a large skillet. Add the sausage and ground venison and brown the meat, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon.
Stir in the minced garlic, salt, sugar, ground pepper, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
Add the wine and let it cook down until the alcohol fragrance dissipates. At this point you can transfer everything to the slow cooker if you have started cooking in a skillet.
All the remaining ingredients – the diced onion, celery, carrots, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and beef broth – are stirred in at this point.
Finally add the bay leaves, cinnamon and cheese rind, cover the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for 8 – 12 hours. You can also cook on the HIGH setting for 5-6 hours.
Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cheese rind. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve over tagliatelle or parpadelle with with a generous grating of Parmesan and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
COOKING VENISON RAGU ON THE HOB
The method is slightly different if you are cooking this on the hob. You will need to add more liquid and give the occasional stir so this is more hands on.
Heat the oil in a large pot (such as a Dutch Oven). Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for about 8-10 minutes or until softened.
Add the sausage meat and venison, breaking it up with the back of your spoon and stirring until browned. Stir in the wine and cook until it cooks down by about half.
Stir in the salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, cinnamon, and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about two hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure to keep an eye on the liquid levels and top up with hot water if needed.
STORING AND FREEZING
Store leftovers in a suitable container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a saucepan until the ragu is bubbling and serve over pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes.
You can also freeze the sauce, in serving portions, for up to three months.
RECIPE NOTES
- What’s the difference between ragù and bolognese? Ragu is a meat based sauce which contains vegetables, wine and tomatoes. Bolognese on the other hand originates from Bologna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy and although similar to ragu it frequently contains dairy such as milk or cream.
- Want to use venison haunch or shoulder instead of ground meat? Follow my recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Ragu.
- Reserve some of the starchy pasta water when draining your pasta to add to the sauce if it needs a bit of extra liquid.
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Venison Ragu { Slow Cooker or Hob }
Equipment & Tools
Ingredients
FOR THE RAGU
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1,3 lbs (600g) ground venison (venison mince) , farmed venison or deer meat
- 2 Italian sausages , casing removed * see note 1
- 1 white onion , finely diced
- 2 celery ribs , finely diced
- 2 carrots , finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (tomato purée)
- 14 oz (400g) canned tomatoes , finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (60ml) white wine or red wine
- 1 cup (250ml) beef broth / beef stock * see note 2
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cinnamon stick
- small piece parmesan rind
TO SERVE
- Flat leaf parsley
- grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
- salt and freshly ground pepper , to taste
Instructions
SLOW COOKER VENISON RAGU
- Heat the olive oil in your slow cooker if it allows for browning or in a large skillet.
- Add the sausage and ground venison and brown the meat, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Stir in the minced garlic, salt, sugar, ground pepper, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the wine and let it cook down until the alcohol fragrance dissipates. At this point you can transfer everything to the slow cooker if you have started cooking in a skillet.
- All the remaining ingredients – the diced onion, celery, carrots, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and beef broth – are stirred in at this point.
- Finally add the bay leaves, cinnamon and cheese rind, cover the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for 8 – 12 hours.
- Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cheese rind. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve over tagliatelle or parpadelle with with a generous grating of Parmesan and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
COOKING VENISON RAGU ON THE HOB
- The method is slightly different if you are cooking this on the hob. You will need to add more liquid (2 cups beef broth instead of one) and give the occasional stir so this is more hands on.
- Heat the oil in a large pot (such as a Dutch Oven). Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for about 8-10 minutes or until softened.
- Add the sausage meat and venison, breaking it up with the back of your spoon and stirring until browned. Stir in the wine and cook until it cooks down by about half.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, minced garlic, balsamic and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, cinnamon, and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about two hours, stirring occasionally.
- Make sure to keep an eye on the liquid levels and top up with hot water if needed
- When ready to serve, discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cheese rind. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Video
Notes
- Substitute with 7oz (200g) / scant 1 cup diced pancetta or bacon
- You will need to use 2 cups (500ml) of beef broth if cooking on the hob, plus additional liquid if needed.
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