If you have a freezer full of ground venison from hunting season, this recipe needs to go on your dinner rotation right now. These Venison Sloppy Joes are everything the Classic American sloppy joe should be - messy, saucy, a little sweet, a little spiced - just made with lean wild game instead of ground beef. The homemade sauce is what makes it, and trust me, once you taste it you'll never go back to a can of Manwich again!
This Recipe Earn's It's Mess
- It's one of the best uses for ground venison. Sauce recipes like this one are actually ideal for wild game because the sauce does a lot of the heavy lifting on flavor. If you've been nervous about cooking venison, start here.
- The homemade sauce is genuinely better. Deep, a little smoky, and slightly sweet. This sauce has layers that a packet or a can just can't touch.
- It's on the table in 30 minutes. Busy weeknight, hungry family, one skillet.
About the Spice Blend - Why This Sauce Tastes Different
Most venison sloppy joe recipes stop a chili powder. This one goes a little further - I add crushed cumin seed and a pinch of cinnamon to the mix, and both are worth talking about.
The cinnamon surprises people, but it works. Venison has a naturally earthy richness, and cinnamon plays off that the same way it does in a good mole or Moroccan-spiced lamb. It doesn't taste like dessert. It just makes the sauce taste deeper.
The crushed cumin seed instead of ground is a small thing that makes a real difference. Freshly crusted releases the oils right into the pan.
Swaps That Work
- Ground venison - ground bison is the closest swap and behaves almost identically in this recipe. Lean ground beef (93%) works too, though you'll lose some of that wild flavor.
- Red bell pepper - green bell pepper works just fine here.
- Cumin seed - ground cumin can sub in a pinch, use about ¾ of the amount called for.
- Brown sugar - coconut sugar or maple syrup works if you prefer a less refined sweetener.
- Ketchup - if you'd rather skip it, check out my Sloppy Joes without Ketchup for a version built around tomato sauce instead.
Make it Your Own
Sweet and Smoky: swap the chili powder for smoked paprika, or add a pinch of cayenne for heat.
Add mustard: a tablespoon of yellow mustard in the sauce gives it a zippy, tangy edge.
Mixed meat: If your nervous about pure venison, use half venison and half ground pork. The pork adds a little fat and richness that makes the sauce even silkier.
Cheese it up: lay a slice of provolone or sharp cheddar over the meat in the last minute of cooking. Let it melt right into the pan.
A Few Things I've Learned
Toast your buns. A dry bun turns to mush under all that sauce. Butter and toast them in a skillet or under the brioler. It makes the whole sandwich better!
If the sauce is too thin, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste. It thickens fast and deepens the flavor at the same time.
Don't skip the oil. Venison has almost no fat. The olive oil keeps the meat from sticking and drying out in the pan.
How to Serve Venison Sloppy Joes
The coleslaw in my photo isn't just for looks. It's the best thing you can put on top of one of these!
Pickle Red Onions are my other go-to. I keep a jar in the fridge and they live on everything.
For sides, you really can't go wrong with Air Fryer Frozen Fries or go low carb with Keto Roasted Radishes.
You Might Be Wondering
It depends on how the meat was handled from field to freezer. Properly processed venison has a clean, slightly earthy flavor that's richer than beef, but not "wild" in the way people fear. In a saucy recipe like this one, most people can't even tell the difference.
Yes, and I actually recommend it. Make the filling a day ahead, refrigerate it, and reheat when you're ready to eat. The flavors meld overnight and it tastes even better on day two.
Absolutely. This recipe doubles easily. The sauce scales up with no changes needed.
You can keep it warm in the slow cooker after making it on the stovetop - great for a game day spread. I wouldn't cook the venison in the slow cooker from raw. It needs that initial browning in a hot pan for the best texture.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: this freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Portion into dinner-sized containers and you've got easy weeknight meals ready to go.
Reheating: warm in a skillet over low heat or microwave covered. Fresh buns only - the meat reheats great, the buns do not.
Try These Next
Low-carb and made with ground veal, these Sloppy Joe Stuffed Biscuits are a family favorite.
Try this easy oven-baked recipe for homemade Venison Meatballs. They are great over spaghetti or as an appetizer.
Venison in Mushroom Gravy over egg noodles is cozy wild game comfort food at it's best.
📖 Recipe
Easy Venison Sloppy Joes with Homemade Joe Sauce
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Ingredients
- ½ onion chopped
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon olive oiil
- 1 pound ground venison
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed , crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounce tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup water
- 6 hamburger buns
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes, until softened. Add ground venison and cook chopping with a meat chopper to break the meat up, for 7 minutes, til ground meat is no longer pink.
- Add crushed cumin seed, chili powder, cinnamon and salt to the venison and stir to combine. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 2 minutes to blend spices.
- Stir tomato sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, and water into the meat mixture. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes, until venison mixture thickens.
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