Christmas Venison Italian Sausage Recipe with Red Wine Vinegar - Blend of Bites (2025)

If you are a meat lover, you should definitely consider this venison Italian sausage. It’s not smoked, which means it’s as fresh as they come. Bursting with Mediterranean flavors, this one is also pretty versatile and can be enjoyed along with various dishes.

Admittedly, it might be a bit niche for some, considering the availability of venison. But you are missing out on so much by skipping venison. It has a unique taste that is nothing like your average beef or poultry, and that goes for the sausage as well. Blended with a unique mix of herbs and spices, the recipe also includes different variations as well.

Ingredients

• Ground venison — 1 pound
• Red wine vinegar — 1 tbsp.
• Salt — ¾ tsp.
• Black pepper — ¾ tsp.
• Garlic powder — 1 tsp.
• Onion powder — 1 tsp.
• Dried oregano — ½ tsp.
• Dried thyme — ½ tsp.
• Brown sugar — ½ tsp.
• Dried parsley — ¾ tsp.
• Bacon fat — 2 tbsp.

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients, except the ground venison, vinegar, and the bacon fat, in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the meat.

3. Pour some red wine vinegar over the mixture.

4. Work the mixture with your hand to ensure the meat is evenly coated.

5. Cover and chill overnight.

6. Melt some bacon fat in a skillet.

7. Add the venison-spice mixture. Cook until browned and crispy, around five minutes.

8. Break the sausage into smaller bite-sized shapes. Cook for another five minutes.

Substitutions

• Red wine vinegar — The rich and complex flavor of red wine vinegar is a huge bonus and essential for this recipe. It also helps tenderize the meat with its acidic nature. With that being said, red wine vinegar is not your only choice. Apple cider vinegar works pretty well for it, as well as balsamic vinegar.

• Ground venison — When you ask for venison, you probably think of deer by default. However, that is not always the case. Elk, moose, and antelope are considered venison as well. I’ve made this recipe using elk and moose as well, and the results were still fairly satisfying.

• Bacon fat — When it comes to this one, you can either go with bacon fat, as stated by our venison Italian sausage recipe, or you can use lard. Both will do the job. While the latter will provide a better, smoother texture to your dish, bacon fat provides more flavor.

Variations

• Hot — Not everyone likes their sausage hot, but one thing’s certain: Most recipes lack the necessary spices. Although that’s not the case with this venison Italian sausage, you can spice things up by adding some paprika or red pepper flakes into the mix.

• Sweet — While it’s true that this venison Italian sausage recipe already uses various herbs and spices, why not add some more ingredients? A honey and mustard glaze, perhaps? That one works wonders for most. Simply mix a cup of both in a bowl and coat the venison evenly.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons

• Mixing bowl

• Skillet

Storage

• You must refrigerate the leftover sausages since they will be perishable. Simply transfer the sausages to an airtight container. Once stored in your fridge, the leftovers will last for between three to four days.

• You can also wrap the leftover sausages and transfer them to a freezer bag. Once stored in your freezer, the leftover sausages will last for up to three months.

• Transfer the frozen sausages to your fridge overnight before reheating.

Pro Tips

• Make it even hotter — Although the paprika and the red pepper flakes tip should do the job, if you want something different, maybe you should consider adding a splash of hot sauce to the mix.

• The fat — If the ground venison you purchased came with the natural fat, then there is no need to use bacon fat or lard.

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