This easy Guisado de Venado recipe is a rich comforting venison stew with my own twist by adding intensely flavored chorizo for a slightly spicy version.
Depending on the region, you can find stew described in Spanish as guisado, guiso or estofado. Deer is either venado or ciervo. No matter what you call it, it turns out to be a delicious, hearty venison stew.
Serve it on its own or over rice. On the side, you’ll want plenty of warm tortillas, bisquits or fresh bread.
- Cooking Venison on the Stove Top
- Can I Use a Crockpot to Cook Venison?
- Marinating Venison before Cooking
- How to Thicken Stew
- Recipe
Ingredients
Can you believe that you only need a few ingredients for this guisado de venado? The flavor for this venison stew is primarily from the Mexican chorizo. You can use beef or pork chorizo. I happened to use beef this time.
You don’t actually need to use the chorizo, but, if you don’t, you may want to add some extra seasonings. And, you may want to consider adding a little bit of olive oil for flavor since venison is extremely lean.
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Cooking Venison on the Stove Top
I’ve cooked this guisado in a soup pot. You can use a stock pot or even a Dutch oven. Whatever works for you. You won’t need a really tall stock pot, but it will work just the same. Read about the differences at Chef’s Pick.
Can I Use a Crockpot to Cook Venison?
This recipe is fairly easy with a “dump and go” profile. If you want to cook it in a crockpot, cook the chorizo in a skillet then add it and everything else to a crockpot. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
Marinating Venison before Cooking
Unless I’m making something with ground venison, I marinate it each time. I like to use a marinade that will match well with the flavors of the finished dish.
For this guisado, or venison stew, I use a tomato-based marinade. It can be something as simple as tomato juice. This time, I happened to have some V-8 so I used that. You can use any tomato juice or you can make your own by mixing tomato sauce and water together.
If I’m doing a gravy, like my Venison Gravy, I marinated the venison in milk. For my Braised Venison, I used a balsamic vinegar dressing. I like to get creative with marinades.
How to Thicken Stew
If you end up with a lot of thin liquid, serve a basket of bread or biscuits so you soak up all the delicious flavors.
If you want a thicker stew, place one cup cool water and ½ cup flour in a small bowl. Whisk together until completely dissolved then slowly pour into the stew during the last 15 to 25 minutes of cooking.
If you want a gluten free version, try using ¼ cup cornstarch in the one cup of cool water.
You can also add dried, instant potato flakes. Don’t add too much. You can always add but you can’t take away. Try not to add too much at a time since you could end up with a venison stew paste. Just a little at a time and it’s all good!
More Venison Recipes
I’ve just started cooking with venison this season, but we have lots more in the freezer. Here are some recipes to get you started.
Recipe
Guisado de Venado Venison Stew
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For more information, be sure to check the recipe details in the attached 24Bite® post.
Equipment
- soup pot, stock pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Venison, marinated overnight in tomato juice, then cut into bite size pieces
- 10 ounces Mexican Chorizo
- 2 large Potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
- 3 medium Carrots, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 medium Onion, peeled and chopped
- 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes, canned, petite diced or regular diced
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Bragg's Seasoning, or Italian seasoning
- ½ cup Red Wine, Barefoot merlot used
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, beef flavor
- 4 cups Water
Instructions
- Remove venison from marinade and pat with paper towels. (See Notes for more marinade instructions.) Cut into bite size pieces.
- In large soup pot, stock pot or Dutch oven, open the package of Mexican chorizo and cook it in the pan until done, over medium high heat, about 5 or 6 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add all ingredients in the order presented, stirring after each addition.
- Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 to 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until venison is tender.
- Before serving, you can use a spoon to skim off most of the fat from the chorizo. It will be a much darker red than the rest of the liquid. Discard the fat safely.
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Notes
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.
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