This Slow Cooker Venison Spaghetti Sauce is made with all the classic ingredients of traditional homemade spaghetti sauce with the exception of adding ground venison and shredded carrots. Pair this delicious recipe for meat sauce with spaghetti noodles and a side of garlic bread for a tasty meal the whole family will enjoy.
I love cooking with ground venison, especially when making Slow Cooker Venison Tacos or Slow Cooker Venison Chili.
Why you should try venison meat sauce
When it comes to deer meat, people either love it or hate it. What I’ve found is that those who say they don’t care for it, may not have had it cooked properly. And that’s where a recipe like this ground venison spaghetti sauce comes in. Because it’s slowly cooked in the crock pot and mixed with other ingredients full of flavor, you can hardly tell that the meat used is ground venison.
Similar to other sauces made with ground meat, the other ingredients include tomato sauce, fresh vegetables, and Italian seasoning. The prep time is quick and the cooking time is moderate, meaning you can have this homemade meat sauce ready for Sunday supper the same day.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Venison: For this recipe, I like to use at least 2 lbs. of 80/20 mix or 90/10.
- Vegetables: You’ll need a handful of carrots so when they’re finely minced, you end up with about a 1/3 cup. A large yellow onion, green pepper, and a couple of celery ribs add the perfect flavor.
- Tomatoes: Every good spaghetti sauce has tomatoes and for this recipe, you’ll need a couple of cans of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Seasonings: 5 cloves of minced garlic, Italian seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, and salt and pepper make this meat sauce taste delicious and free of any wild game taste.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – In a large skillet, add the venison and cook over medium-high heat until barely any pink remains.
Step Two – Add the venison and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (except salt and black pepper).
Step Three – Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 Hours or LOW for 8 hours. After the cooking time is finished, taste the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
How to serve
- One of the most traditional ways to serve this sauce is spooned over cooked spaghetti noodles with some garlic bread on the side.
- You can also serve it over any kind of fresh pasta of your choice. My favorite pasta is linguine.
- This is also a great recipe to use for making loaded baked potatoes, a rice casserole, or for making a potato hashbrown casserole.
Recipe FAQs and Variations
Of course! If you don’t prefer to make this sauce with ground deer meat, you can use ground elk, ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey.
I do not recommend doing this because your noodles will be mushy. Instead, cook the pasta separately according to the package directions (which is typically al dente). Keep the two separate until you’re ready to serve.
If you’d like more vegetables, you can add diced tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and different meats. All of these options will add great flavor.
Once the Venison Spaghetti Sauce has cooled completely store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. This is the type of food that tastes better the next day!
Yes, this spaghetti sauce freezes well. Store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
When we have our venison meat processed we like to mix the ground meat with a little extra fat (usually pork) so that the venison doesn’t dry out – as it’s a really lean meat. We choose 80% venison 20% pork fat normally.
I like to add carrots for the sweetness, instead of sugar. Carrots add a natural sweetness, plus it’s a great way to sneak vegetables.
Yes. Be sure to turn the cook mode on KEEP WARM. Stirring occasionally will keep your new favorite sauce from burning.
Yes. You can use a large pot (or a large Dutch oven) to make this simple sauce. Cook the pasta sauce on a low temperature to keep it from burning or sticking.
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Slow Cooker Venison Spaghetti Sauce
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. ground venison 80/20 mix or 90/10
- ⅓ cup finely minced carrots
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 56 oz. crushed tomatoes (two 28-oz. cans)
- 20 oz. tomato sauce (two 10 oz. cans)
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. all purpose seasoning (such as seasoning salt)
- salt and pepper to taste (add at the end)
Instructions:
- In a large skillet add the venison and cook over medium-high heat until barely any pink remains. Add the venison and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (except salt and pepper).
- Cover and cook on high for 5 Hours or low for 8 hours.
- After the cooking time is finished, taste the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve spooned over cooked spaghetti noodles and some garlic bread on the side.
Recipe Notes:
- Storage Instructions: Once the Venison Spaghetti Sauce has cooled completely store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This is the type of food that tastes better the next day!
- Can I freeze? Yes, this spaghetti sauce freezes well. Store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
- What is meant by 80/20 or 90/10? When we have our venison meat processed we like to mix the ground meat with a little extra fat (usually pork) so that the venison doesn’t dry out – as it’s a really lean meat. We choose 80% venison 20% pork fat normally.
- What is the purpose of the carrots in this recipe? I like to add carrots for the sweetness, instead of sugar. Carrots add a natural sweetness, plus it’s a great way to sneak vegetables.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
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