Smoked Venison Tenderloin (Deer Tenderloin)

This smoked venison tenderloin will become a favorite recipe for cooking wild meat. Two venison tenderloins are tied together, soaked in a fresh marinade and smoked to a perfect medium. The simple marinade helps to seal in moisture and create a flavorful crust. Use this recipe to smoke several different cuts of venison including backstrap. Reserve the marinade for a simple creamy mushroom gravy at the end of the cooking time.

Venison Cuts That Work In This Recipe

There are many cuts of deer that will work with this smoked venison tenderloin recipe including backstrap, venison loin roast, venison sirloin, venison top roast, and even steaks. Venison is naturally low in saturated fat, making it easy on the cholesterol! The marinade in this recipe works wonders to infuse the deer meat with robust and complimentary flavors including rosemary and garlic… paired with the smoke from your pellet grill and you have a winner!

As with all recipes, I do recommend using a meat probe or infrared thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the roast. Smaller cuts like individual deer tenderloins will take less time to smoke than a larger backstrap or loin roast. My Traeger Ironwood has a built in probe… If you are in the market, this wireless Meater Probe has great reviews and can be monitored with your phone.

Tips + Tricks

• Closely monitor the internal temperature of your deer tenderloin to make sure that it doesn’t become overcooked. Cook it from 145°F (medium) to 165°F. The Minesota Department of Agriculture recommends cooking it to 165° while the University of Minesota states that bigger cuts like roast are safe at 145°F… this is up to your discretion and preferences. Meat will rise 3-6 degrees F while resting.
• Serve your roast hot to ensure the texture of the deer fat remains enjoyable.
• Don’t cook the venison tenderloin above 375°F, the short fibres found in wild game meat can toughen at this temperature.
• The oil in the marinade is deliberate- don’t skimp! The extra fat helps to keep the deer tenderloin from drying out on the smoker. You don’t need to oil the pan or add any fat to the pan before cooking- it should already be soaked in the oily marinade!
• Be sure to allow your pellet grill venison tenderloin/venison backstrap to rest before serving. This helps to allow any extra liquid in the center of the loin to migrate back to the edges and reabsorb into the meat- maintaining a juicy tenderloin roast.

Key Ingredients

Venison Tenderloin or Venison Backstrap- This recipe can be used identically for deer tenderloin or backstrap. My tenderloins are tied together using butcher’s twine to create more of a “loin roast” (1.5 pounds) but they can also be cooked separately.

Olive Oil- Olive oil is the perfect fat for smoking this tenderloin- you can also experiment with melted butter, coconut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil.

Apple Cider Vinegar- The apple cider vinegar in this recipe helps to tenderize your venison tenderloin before smoking. Lemon juice or orange juice can replace the apple cider vinegar for more of a citrus marinade.

Broth- Beef broth lends excellent flavor to the roast.

Rosemary- Choose fresh rosemary when possible. Dried rosemary works as a substitute.

Soy Sauce

Worcestershire Sauce

Ground Black Pepper

Exactly How to Make Smoked Venison Tenderloin

Step 1. MARINADE: Combine all marinade ingredients including 1/4 cup beef stock, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, and 1/2 cup olive oil in a medium sized bowl.

Place the venison tenderloin a ziplock bag or other air tight container, pour on the marinade, and leave for at least 4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2. SMOKE: Preheat your pellet grill or other smoker to 275°F. Transfer the venison tenderloin into a grill safe pan (I use a cast iron skillet) and place a probe into the center of it. You can also place the venison tenderloin directly onto the grill grates over indirect heat if you prefer. Smoke for 1-2 hours or until the internal temperature of the tenderloin has reached 145°F (medium rare) to 165°F (well done).

Step 3. REST + Optional Gravy: Transfer the smoked tenderloin to a covered dish, or wrap in aluminum foil or butcher paper and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Optional Creamy Mushroom Venison Gravy: Spoon 1/4 cup of leftover marinade and 2 tablespoons of flour in the same skillet that you used to smoke the venison tenderloin. Whisk until a paste forms. Slowly add 1.5 cups milk, water or broth. Continue to whisk vigorously until all of the lumps have disappeared. Add sliced mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until thickened to your liking and mushrooms are soft (10 minutes or so). Season with freshly cracked pepper. Drizzle overtop of your roast! Enjoy

What To Serve With Smoked Venison Tenderloin

Deer Tenderloin Batch + Storage + Reheating

Smoked Deer Tenderloin Batch Size

This recipe, using a 1.5 pound portion of tenderloin will feed four adults.

Tenderloin Storage

This tenderloin is best fresh! If you need to save it for later, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I love to slice up any leftover venison loin, drizzle with gravy, and freeze in a ziplock bag along with leftover asparagus for a fast meal.

How to Reheat Smoked Venison Tenderloin

Sous Vide: This method will help to prevent your smoked venison tenderloin from drying out and is my preferred method for reheating most meats. If the tenderloin was refrigerated, set the sous vide to 140F/60C for 30 minutes. If it is fully frozen, reheat at the same temperature for an hour.

Microwave: Leftover venison roast can be reheated in the microwave at 50% power at 45 second intervals, checking temperature in between. Consider spritzing it with water or wrapping in a damp paper towel before microwaving.

Oven: Place the cooked deer tenderloin in a dish with a lid. Spritz with water or your favorite barbecue sauce and warm at 300° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

Smoked Venison Tenderloin Printable Recipe Card

Pin It!