Stir fry is a super fast meal that mimics your favourite take-out classic: teriyaki! We prefer venison and it comes together quickly on those busy days. Even faster than picking up the phone.
We love stir fry at my house. Chinese takeout is definitely one of the meals I will get from town on occasion because you can't beat the amount of food for the price. Otherwise we choose to make it at home, including the teriyaki sauce from scratch!
This meal is easily gluten-free. Soy sauce doesn't bother us so we use it, but if you are sensitive to the gluten in it you can substitute tamari or coconut aminos. It will all taste delicious. Serve over rice noodles or white rice and you'll still be gluten-free! You can buy a steak, but for a more economical take I use "stew meat" which is basically what we cut up/off other parts when butchering a deer.
Ground meat is super economical, so if you have that on hand you might enjoy Korean Style Beef. Add more veggies to your plate by mixing up a giant batch of Freezer Meal Fried Rice. You can serve with this meal or add eggs to enjoy on its own. Make a bunch and you can freeze the leftovers as well.
Key Ingredients
Meat - We often have venison in the freezer from hunting. This is a great way to use up odds and ends that are too small to serve on their own. You can also use a beef steak.
Teriyaki Sauce - I make my own from soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, and a few other seasonings. A store-bought bottle is just way too sweet for me, plus I always have these ingredients on hand.
Veggies - It's not a stir fry without a load of colourful veggies! You can use ones you've preserved from the garden or a bag from the store. Besides your favourites, I recommend sticking in a new veggie or two for your kids. When it's all mixed up with sauce they are more likely to give it a taste!
How to Make Teriyaki Venison
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Whisk together your teriyaki sauce ingredients so the sugar dissolves. Then add a cornstarch slurry and heat to thicken.
Step 2: Brown the meat in a wok with a generous amount of butter! Set aside the meat and the pan juice.
Step 3: Add more butter and stir fry your veggies until tender-crisp.
Step 4: Add the meat back in, then teriyaki sauce and as much pan juice to make the final texture you like.
Step 5: Serve over rice or noodles!
Tips and Tricks
- Cooking the vegetables will be by feel and taste the more times you do it. I know it's hard to have a recipe say "don't over or under cook" but that's what ya gotta do!
- This is a great way to throw in any type of veggies you have in the fridge or freezer. Little bags of veg just get used right up.
- You can easily reheat leftovers in a pot on the stove for lunch the next day.
Love the flavour of teriyaki? A teriyaki jerky is one of Marius' favourite ways to preserve meat to take on the road. I also do an Asian Honey Sesame Marinade for chicken that is amazing. Make a modified teriyaki sauce as a meat marinade.
FAQs
We love rice noodles. You can use spaghetti if that's what ya have on hand. Tinkyada is our favourite brand of pasta. They make brown rice in all your regular pasta shapes. You can also look for ramen noodles at the store, which are frequently easy to find gluten-free options. Otherwise rice is really easy in the Instant Pot.
I use it all! If you check out a "stir fry blend" at the store, it generally has pea pods, peppers, water chestnuts, and broccoli. I also love carrots cut in sticks. You can add peas and corn as well, but I like to add those later on in the cooking as they basically just have to thaw and not really cook. You can also practice making frozen veggies taste delicious on their own before learning to add to a stir fry.
This is a great way to thicken sauces! I find it much easier to use than flour, plus it's gluten-free if you need that. Always add cornstarch to COOL water - never directly to your hot dish or it will clump. Whisk it smooth with cool water, then stir into your dish and you will be quite pleased!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Venison Recipes
Hey friends, don't forget to follow me over on Instagram, cause if you like me here, I post there a LOT! I'm also on YouTube with tutorials and Facebook for all sorts of things.
If you like this recipe, I’d love if you reviewed it so others can find it easier. Sharing this recipe on Facebook or Pinterest is another way you can help us out at no cost to you. Thanks, xo Kate
Venison Teriyaki Stir Fry
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce:
- 1 cup water
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger or minced fresh
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove crushed
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup cold water
Venison Stir Fry:
- 1 - 1 ½ lb venison cubed or in strips (beef will also work)
- 750 grams frozen vegetables store bought or home grown, about 26 ounces
- ½ cup butter, lard, or bacon grease
Optional Toppings:
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions sliced
Instructions
Teriyaki Sauce:
- Combine 1 cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook and stir, about 1 minute.
- Mix cornstarch and ¼ cold water together in a cup until dissolved. Add to the saucepan while whisking.
- Cook and stir sauce until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Set aside until venison is cooked
Venison Stir Fry:
- Brown version in wok or cast iron skillet with ¼ cup butter until all meat is browned on all surfaces. If desired, add some teriyaki sauce at this point to flavour the meat. Set aside browned meat in a separate dish with juices.
- Cook frozen veg with other ¼ cup butter in wok until crunchy and cooked. Be careful not to under or over cook.
- Return venison to wok, not adding all the juices at once. At this point add some more teriyaki sauce, and juice from the meat plate if you desire a juicier stir fry. Cook until hot.
- Add to bowls of noodles or rice or eat on its own.
- Top with more teriyaki and sesame seeds.
Notes
- You can use beef if you'd like instead. Make sure and cut any of your meat against the grain if you are slicing in strips, so that it is easy to chew.
Leave a Reply