Name: What To Serve With Venison
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 1 portion venison

Table of Contents

If you’re wondering what to serve with your venison dinner, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 13 of the most popular side dishes for venison.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best side dishes to serve with venison are steak fries, creamed spinach, cauliflower casserole, and baked beans. You can also include risotto, mac and cheese, dinner rolls, and asparagus. For healthier options, try serving cucumber salad, orzo salad, broccoli slaw, and roasted carrots.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Steak fries

There’s nothing more satisfying than ordering a big, juicy piece of steak with a heaping serving of fries on the side.

And venison steak is no exception.

It’s a classic food combination that’s hard to beat.

Steak fries have lightly crisp exteriors and thick, fluffy interiors that make them perfect for venison.

You can even dip your steak fries in the gravy or sauce you made for your venison.

Ready to make the best steak fries you’ll every try?

Head on to How to Feed A Loon for the recipe and additional tips.

Roasted carrots

Roasted vegetables work nicely with earthy meats like venison.

Out of all the vegetables, carrots are my favorite to roast.

They’re easy to work with because they require less prep than other vegetables.

You just need to peel and season them.

No need to chop them into little pieces.

Carrots are naturally sweet, but I still like to toss them in a homemade glaze for extra flavor before roasting them.

This recipe from Closet Cooking uses a delicious maple dijon glaze.

Asian cucumber salad

This Asian cucumber salad adds a bright, acidic twist to your venison dish.

The highlight of this salad lies in its vinaigrette dressing.

It’s a combination of salty, sweet, and spicy flavors that will leave your tastebuds tingling.

You can make this in advance to let the flavors mingle more (it stays good for at least 3 days in the fridge).

Try it out with this easy recipe from Feasting At Home.

Creamed spinach

Creamed spinach is a popular side dish in steakhouses.

The thought of scooping that velvety, luxurious cream and wilted spinach over a venison dish is making my mouth water.

I use baby spinach for this dish because of its tender leaves.

You can also make this keto-friendly by swapping whole milk for an alternative like almond milk.

Easy Weeknight Recipes has a fantastic recipe for the best creamed spinach you’ll ever have.

There won’t be any mushy greens and watered-down cream sauce with this recipe.

Pan-fried zucchini and mushrooms

These sauteed zucchini and mushrooms come together in just 20 minutes.

I like to season these veggies with rosemary, sage, and marjoram – the herbs really make this dish pair nicely with venison.

Sounds delicious, right?

Make this tasty side dish with the help of Diethood’s recipe.

Cauliflower cheese casserole

Serve this creamy, cheesy cauliflower casserole alongside your venison at your next dinner party.

It’s guaranteed to be a hit with your guests.

This casserole is so good that even picky eaters won’t be able to stay away from it.

This is a rich dish, making it a nice pairing for some lean meat like venison.

For this dish, I roast my cauliflower instead of boiling them.

It gives them more flavor and prevents the bechamel from being watered down.

Make this delicious casserole for your next party with RecipeTinEats wildly popular recipe.

Baked beans

Try serving these baked beans with your venison dish for a heartier, more filling side dish.

Baked beans have a sweet-smoky flavor that makes them irresistibly delicious.

This dish is so tasty that you can skip making a separate sauce for your venison.

You can just smother it with these baked beans instead.

I like to make my baked beans in the oven, but you can also make them in your slow cooker or on the stove.

This old fashioned baked beans recipe from Daring Gourmet is deliciously sweet and smokey.

Mediterranean orzo salad

Orzo salad is an excellent side dish to serve with venison.

It’s a light dish that will fill you up but won’t make you feel bloated.

To make my orzo salad even healthier, I like to add some vegetables like baby spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, and olives.

You can add in any veggies or protein you want – get creative!

Excited to give it a try?

Check out this recipe from Foodie Crush. Heidi uses a simple vinaigrette to dress this salad, but you can also use Greek salad dressing.

Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

Asparagus is one of those vegetables that just work so well with venison.

Blanching and steaming asparagus is a quick way to get them on your plate.

But you have to admit, that can get a bit boring.

So, hy not switch it up and make prosciutto-wrapped asparagus instead?

It’s also quick and easy to make.

You have the option to bake, grill, or fry the wrapped asparagus.

These prosciutto-wrapped asparagus bundles will instantly elevate your venison dish.

Italian herb dinner rolls

These Italian herb dinner rolls will hit the spot for when you want to keep things simple.

They’re lightly flavored with a classic Italian herb blend and Grana Padano cheese.

This flavor combination just takes the humble dinner roll to another level.

Eat them alone or use them to soak the sauce and juices from your venison steak.

This recipe from Knead Some Sweets makes 16 rolls. But with how good these are, you might want double it.

Mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is a delicious dish to serve with venison.

It’s also a safe choice if you’re cooking for kids.

Venison has a different taste from typical protein that kids eat, so they may not immediately like it.

But trust me, they won’t notice it when you have the venison smothered in the gooey, cheesy sauce.

I like to use cheddar and gruyere for my mac and cheese.

But you can use mozzarella, smoked gouda, and swiss too.

I wouldn’t expect any leftovers, especially when you make this using The Chunky Chef’s family favorite baked mac and cheese recipe.

Broccoli slaw

Coleslaw is a classic side dish to venison steak.

It provides a crisp, fresh bite to contrast the soft, tender venison.

This broccoli slaw is a variation of your traditional coleslaw.

It’s a lighter version, but you can still expect this slaw to be fresh and crunchy.

It’s also dressed with an olive oil-based honey mustard dressing that’s tangy and has a mild spice.

Tempted to try this? Give in and take a peek at the recipe from Detoxinsta.

Mushroom risotto

Dazzle your friends at the next dinner party by serving a delicious mushroom risotto with your venison steak.

You might be thinking it’s difficult to make a tasty risotto at home.

That couldn’t be more wrong.

You only need a tiny bit of patience and keep a keen eye over your pot while your rice cooks.

In just 20 minutes, you’ll have warm, creamy risotto ready to be served.

I like to add sauteed mushrooms to my risotto. They’re delicious, and their earthy flavor complements the venison well.

Hungry?

Give Ever Green Kitchen’s mushroom risotto recipe a try.

It has both dried and fresh mushrooms for that extra umami kick.

The best side dishes for venison

Steak fries
Roasted carrots
Asian cucumber salad
Creamed spinach
Pan-fried zucchini and mushrooms
Cauliflower cheese casserole
Baked beans
Mediterranean orzo salad
Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
Italian herb dinner rolls
Mac and cheese
Broccoli slaw
Mushroom risotto