Seared and Baked Deer ( Venison ) Tenderloin Recipe

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These prized deer / venison tenderloins cook easily in a skillet on the stovetop and are finished in the oven. Deer tenderloins and / or backstrap are an easy, delicious and tender recipe to make.

Sliced deer tenderloin on a dark green cutting board with a sprig of rosemary - Eat Simple Food

Although the deer tenderloin and backstrap are different cuts of meat, I have often heard my family and friends mistakenly use the terms interchangeably.

However! This recipe works for either the deer tenderloin or backstrap. Both cuts are lean so preparing them on the rarer side will help keep them tender.

Just keep in mind that the larger cuts of deer backstrap will take a longer time to sear and a little longer in the oven.

*These tenderloins were given to me by my good friends son - it was the first deer he ever shot. Go Luke!

How To Cook Venison / Deer Tenderloin or Deer Backstrap

These deer tenderloins were small - ~ ½ lb each. You will need to up the oven time if you are working with larger cuts for this recipe. This is where a digital oven thermometer come in handy, as you never have to open the oven door to know where the internal temperature of the meat is at.

Preheat oven to 375F.
Season the deer meat with salt and pepper. Add fresh herbs like chopped rosemary if you like.
Add a high heat oil like safflower or vegetable oil and butter to a medium size pan that's at medium high heat. When melted, sear tenderloin on all sides (usually there are 3 sides) ~ 2 minutes or until browned. The first seared side generally takes ~ 1 minute more. Cast iron works well because it can go from stovetop to oven.
Transfer pan to oven and cook an additional 7-10 minutes or until internal temperature of deer reaches 145F. Remember - the oven time will need to increase if you are working with a larger tenderloin(s).
Let meat rest ~ 15 minutes and thinly slice. Add salt to taste.

Additional Notes on Deer Tenderloin:

The deer meat should naturally come easily off the pan when it's done searing. If you're not sure if it's ready it's ok to take a quick peak under an edge, but generally you don't want to disturb the meat while it's searing.

If the deer tenderloin is not letting go of the pan than it is generally not ready.

Butter burns easy. If you find the butter burning before the meat is browning then add a little vegetable oil to bring down the smoking/burning point.

Use an oven mitt or hot pad when handling the pan out of the oven. Sometimes we forget and just grab the handle because we're not used to having a skillet in the oven as often.

Sliced deer tenderloin on a dark green cutting board with a sprig of rosemary. Top view.

FAQS About Deer Tenderloin / Deer Backstrap

Is venison the same thing as deer?

Mostly. Venison is a general term to describe hunted animals. In Latin, it means "to hunt" so venison could be used to describe wild game like antelope, elk, moose, reindeer, etc. Mostly, we think of venison meat as deer meat.

Is deer (venison) loin the same as deer or venison backstrap?

Nope. The terms are often used interchangeably but it's not correct. The backstrap (also known as the loin) runs outside the ribs near the backbone along the length of the spine. It's loonnnnggg.

The deer tenderloin (also knows as the inner loin or under loin) runs inside the back near the gut. There are two tenderloins per deer and they are very small compared to the backstrap. Confused yet? I really like this diagram from North American Whitetail.

Can I cook venison / deer tenderloin the same way as venison / deer backstrap?

Yup. This deer tenderloin recipe works for both the tenderloin and the backstrap.

Things In My Kitchen:

Digital oven thermometer for checking the internal temperature of the meat without opening the oven door.
Splatter guard for containing grease better so it doesn't get all over your stovetop, counters or face!
Cast iron skillet - 12", silicone hot handle, pre-seasoned, made in the U.S.A.

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Perfect Seared And Baked Deer Tenderloin

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EatSimpleFood.com

These prized venison tenderloins cook easily in a skillet on the stovetop and oven and are an easy, delicious and tender recipe to make.

Author: beckie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop / Oven
Cuisine: International
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

1 lb deer tenderloin (or backstrap)
2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
sea salt
black pepper
1 tablespoon safflower oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.
Sprinkle deer tenderloin with salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary. Let meat sit at room temperature ~ 15 minutes.
Bring a medium size pan to medium high heat. Cast iron works well because it can go from stovetop to oven.
Add olive oil and butter. When melted and hot, sear tenderloin on all sides (usually there are 3 sides) ~ 2 minutes or until browned. The first seared side generally takes ~ 1 minute more.
Transfer to oven and cook an additional 7-10 minutes or until internal temperature of deer reaches 145F. Remember - the oven time will need to increase if you are working with a larger tenderloin(s).
Let meat rest ~ 15 minutes and thinly slice. Add salt to taste. Happy Eating! Beckie

Notes

The meat should naturally come easily off the pan when it's done. If you're not sure if it's ready it's ok to take a quick peak under an edge, but generally you don't want to disturb the meat while it's searing. If it's not letting go of the pan than it is generally not ready.
Butter burns easy. If you find the butter burning before the meat is browning then add a little vegetable or olive oil to bring down the smoking/burning point.
Don't like or have rosemary? Skip it. Just butter, salt, and pepper is perfect.
Please note: I have edited this recipe Aug 2021 to add a little olive oil to add with the butter. It tempers the butter so the meat doesn't burn if you have the pan really hot.

Perfect Seared & Baked Deer Tenderloin