Venison Fajitas Recipe

Venison is not your standard kind of meat, but then again, it's not too far off the mark from what we're used to. Unlike beef, venison has a lean, earthy taste — a taste that many people have come to adore over the years. Thanks to the richness of the meat, venison provides a decadent dining experience, though many people likely haven't ever tried it. Fortunately, thanks to this venison fajitas recipe, you can easily give the delicious meat a try!

As recipe developer Kristen Carli tells us, "I've eaten venison before a few times." Carli is a dietitian, so she appreciates the fact that venison is "a leaner protein, so it is a bit healthier." She describes the flavor as being "very similar to beef, just a little leaner," and finds that it works quite well in fajitas. This recipe calls for venison meat, sliced peppers, and onion, making for the perfect fajita with a unique twist. Why stick with traditional beef fajitas when you could switch things up with venison?

Before you can get started on making these venison fajitas, you'll want to make sure you have the right ingredients. Naturally, the most important ingredietn i the venison itself — and we'll explain how you can get your hands on some in the next slide. Aside from the meat, you'll need cooking oil (Carli used olive oil), cumin and chili powder for seasoning, an onion, and some bell peppers. Carli used red, yellow, and green peppers to make her dish more colorful, although you can go more monochromatic (or bi-chromatic) if you prefer. The only other thing you'll need is flour tortillas for wrapping the fajitas, although you can top your finished creation with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and cheese as desired.

If you've bagged yourself a buck (or doe) this season, or been the recipient of someone else's bounty, you may already have some venison in the freezer. If not, you might have to do some scouting around in order to source this meat. It's probably not going to be available at your local Safeway or Kroger, but Carli tells us that she "found venison at a local meat market," and you may be able to do so, as well. Be sure to call first, though, as some butchers may process deer meat for hunters, but they won't necessarily sell it themselves. Also, if you can specifically find venison medallions, this is the cut you'll want to use. "Using venison medallions will ensure the meat is tender and not tough," Carli explains.

Now that you have all of your ingredients sorted, you can get going on making the recipe. First, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, then cook the venison for two minutes on each side. Sprinkle the meat with ¼ teaspoon each of salt, cumin, and chili powder, along with ⅛ teaspoon of pepper. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside for a moment, Now add the peppers and onion to the pan along with the remaining cumin and chili powder and another ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cook the veggies for about five minutes, until the peppers are slightly charred.

To assemble the fajitas, all you need to do is wrap the meat and veggies in the tortillas. You may need to microwave the tortillas for a few seconds to get them flexible enough to wrap easily, but if they are really fresh this may not be necessary. "Fajitas are typically served with guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, and sometimes lime juice," Carli notes of potential toppings and additional sides. "Feel free to add in whatever toppings you desire." Just like that, you've whipped up some delicious venison fajitas — you may just find that this is your new favorite kind of meat!