Recipe: Festive Fresh Venison Sausage

by
posted on January 16, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
recipe-festive-fresh-venison-sausage_lead.jpg

Sweet, savory and a hint of fruit is a great combination for the festive season, or anytime of the year. Fresh venison sausage with a taste of cranberries and orange will have hunters looking to customize the taste to personal or family preferences. The sweetness does come through and helps to ensure the sausages brown properly when cooked.

Allspice and cloves are easily overlooked as spices for wild game but add subtle flavors to tantalize your taste buds. It’s nice to make fresh sausage in small batches and use it up without putting it in the freezer. Keep it simple and form patties, or stuff it in casing for a more traditional look and feel.

Ingredients
• 1½ lbs. ground venison
• 1½ pounds ground pork
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground sage
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup cold orange juice

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a plastic mixing container and blend well. Put the mixture in a plastic or glass bowl or tub and refrigerate for an hour to let the salt and spices penetrate the meat evenly, and to firm it up for proper texture in the sausage.

2. Form the sausage into patties. You can make 16 patties that weigh 3.5 ounces. Alternatively, stuff the mixture into 30mm hog casings. Once the casing is full, pinch the casings between finger and thumb at the preferred length and twist to create separation between individual links.

3. For best results, place the sausages back in the fridge overnight on a rack to air dry. Eat, package for the freezer or keep in the fridge for a few days before grilling, frying or baking.

4. Fry the sausage in a Camp Chef cast-iron frying pan with oil and butter. The meat will brown nicely without overcooking the inside.

*Readers interested in MEAT! (meatyourmaker.com) game processing equipment can use the code HUNTER15 for a 15% discount.

For more delicious wild-game recipes, click here.

Latest

Majestic Deer In A Forest Glade 2026 01 07 07 17 03 Utc
Majestic Deer In A Forest Glade 2026 01 07 07 17 03 Utc

What Summer Buck Sightings Tell Us

Dreaming of fall? Here are some things to look for during your summertime scouting.

One Out of Every Four Hunters Won’t Hunt in 2026

One out of every four hunters who hunted the 2025 season will not hunt in 2026. That startling statistic was arrived at by Southwick Associates after conducting a survey of 28,447 hunters in 20 states.

Says You: Sightseeing on a Hunt?

Editor-in-Chief Scott Olmsted's monthly response column to questions posed by our members. This time, we're discussing hunting practices and traditions, and making some long-distance connections.

First Look: CVA Cascade SR

CVA has announced the Cascade SR. This suppressor-ready version of the company's standard Cascade, is built for hunters who need a compact, maneuverable rifle.

Fueled by AI: Boone and Crockett Club Launches Big Game Records Live 2.0

The Boone and Crockett Club recently launched Big Game Records Live 2.0, a major evolution of its digital platform that transforms the world’s oldest big game records database into an interactive analytics tool for hunters.

Lightweight AR-10: Building a Hunt-Focused Backcountry Rifle (Part 1)

Curious how to create a .308-chambered AR-10 that *doesn't* suck to carry into the backcountry? Dennis Bradley does just that, off a DPMS-pattern lower, and comes it at a shocking weight (read on for the exact number, but it is sub 2). Read on, to see how he does it.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.