Grilled Venison Steak Salad

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Jeff Benda

Contributor at Harvesting Nature

Cooking gives me a creative outlet to transform wild game and bring it into traditional recipes from around the world to help expand people's perceptions.My goal is to celebrate local fish and wild game and provide achievable, bright recipes designed to build confidence for new cooks, and inspire everyone to elevate their cooking.

I hope that by sharing and celebrating the food I create with the fish and wild game I harvest, I can highlight the great contribution so many hunters and anglers have made to conservation in this country, and reflect the freedom we have to enjoy America's great outdoors.

Latest posts by Jeff Benda (see all)

• Deer Sausage and Asparagus Quiche - September 18, 2023
• Buffalo Pheasant Wonton Cups - August 25, 2023
• Grilled Venison Steak Salad - July 24, 2023

Grilling is my favorite way to prepare venison steak. When it comes to cooking a deer, antelope, or elk steak on the grill, you can’t really go wrong with what cut you choose. I’ve had great success with backstraps, tenderloins, eye of round, top round, and bottom round steaks. Having said that, I can’t stress enough how much I want you to try tenderizing your venison steaks with my favorite kitchen tool – a Jaccard meat tenderizer. I use it to prepare all the steaks going in our family freezer, as well as every steak I cut for clients. I’ve had nothing but compliments from everyone I’ve recommended it to. And it made the bottom round deer steak I used for this recipe melt-in-your-mouth tender.

I also recommend cooking your venison steaks to medium-rare (130-135 degrees F). It really makes a more enjoyable experience when your steak is juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. When you cut into a perfect medium-rare venison steak, the meat will be a beautiful pink on the inside.

I love using grilled venison steak in fresh summer salads like this one. The girls and I eat a ton of salads during the short summers here in North Dakota, and this is our all-time favorite! Our garden is exploding this time of year, and adding a protein like venison steak is a great way for me to enjoy both the farm-to-table and field-to-table experience on the same plate. I also love this dish because I can get a refreshing summer meal on the table in a short amount of time that will have everyone full and satisfied. 

Oiling the Grill Grate

Most grill grates are made of steel or cast iron and need to be oiled before grilling to keep your food from sticking. After preheating the grill, take the time to scrape the cooking grate clean with a grill brush. Using tongs, dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil or canola oil and wipe the preheated grill grate before adding the steaks.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

Looking for more venison salad recipes? Why not try this spicy venison meatball salad?

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Grilled Venison Steak Salad

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Recipe by Jeff Benda Course: Venison, Wild RecipesCuisine: American

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• Steak Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds 1 1/2 venison steak (about 2-inches thick)

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1 teaspoon 1 salt

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoons 1/2 smoked paprika

• 2 tablespoons 2 canola oil

• Salad Ingredients

• 6 cups 6 mixed salad greens

• 2 cups 2 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 1 avocado, sliced

• 1 1 ear sweet corn, sliced off the cob

• 1/2 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup 1/2 queso fresco or crumbled feta cheese
• Cilantro Lime Dressing Ingredients

• 1 1 bunch of fresh cilantro

• 1 tablespoon 1 minced garlic

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 salt

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon 1 honey

• 1/2 cup 1/2 plain Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup 1/4 canola oil

Preparation

• Place the steak on a cutting board and tenderize using a Jaccard meat tenderizer.
• Place the steak on a large plate and squeeze lime juice over it.
• In a small bowl, make the steak rub by combining the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and paprika.
• Add the spice mixture to the steak, turning to coat the meat evenly. Set aside and marinate while you assemble the salad and salad dressing.
• To assemble the salad, place the mixed greens on a large platter. Add the tomatoes, avocado, corn, onion, and queso fresco.

  • 

• Combine all of the salad dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor. Put the lid on and blend. Stop and taste and adjust with more salt or honey if desired.
• Pour the dressing into a bowl or small glass jar. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
• Heat your grill to high. Brush the steaks on both sides with the canola oil.
• Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill about 2 minutes more for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 130 degrees F).
• Transfer the steaks to a cutting board or platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin slices. Add steak slices to the salad, Serve the salad dressing on the side so everyone can use the amount they prefer.

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