Venison Meatballs with Asian Zing Sauce

Juicy venison meatballs slathered in a homemade Asian zing sauce in a pan.

5 from 4 votes

Venison Meatballs with Asian Zing Sauce

Juicy venison meatballs are made tender with tofu and pork, tossed in a tangy Asian Zing Sauce. A quick, 30-minute recipe for a flavorful appetizer or dinner!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizers/ Snacks, Mains

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 83kcal

Author: HWC Magazine

Equipment

baking sheets rimmed
cookie scoop nice to have but optional

Ingredients

1 pound ground venison (ground deer meat)
1 pound ground pork
8 ounces firm tofu drained well and patted dry
1 cup green onions chopped
2 tablespoon ginger freshly grated
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos to keep gluten-free
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon white pepper or to taste
oil or oil spray to prevent meatballs from sticking to baking tray
bamboo skewers or toothpicks (optional)

Asian Zing Sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ cup soy sauce or coconut aminos to keep gluten-free
2 teaspoons sesame oil toasted
4 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons garlic chili paste or Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon oil for frying garlic
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced

Garnishes (Optional)

toasted sesame seeds optional
green onions chopped (optional)
chili peppers minced (optional)

Instructions

Venison Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400°F(204°C). Line rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and grease with oil for easy cleanup.
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for Asian style venison meatballs; ground venison, ground pork, firm tofu, green onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce (coconut aminos), rice vinegar, sesame oil and white pepper. Gently mix with hands or spoon until combined.
Roll the meat mixture into approximately 1.5-inch balls. Lay the venison meatballs on a lined baking sheet about 1 to 2 inches apart. Continue forming meatballs with the rest of the venison mixture.
Bake venison meatballs uncovered at 400°F (204°C) for approximately 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 160°F (71°C) and the meatballs are golden brown.

Asian Zing Sauce

While the deer meatballs are baking, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, add cornstarch and slowly add the rice vinegar while stirring to remove any lumps.
Add soy sauce (coconut aminos), sesame oil, honey, garlic chili paste of sriracha to the cornstarch and vinegar mixture. Mix well and set aside.
If you plan on serving the meatballs tossed in the sauce, use a large frying pan/skillet to make the sauce. Over medium - high heat, add oil and garlic and stir fry for just a minute until aromatic.
Add the Asian zing sauce to the frying pan with the garlic. Bring to a boil while stirring. The mixture will thicken in about 2 minutes. The goal is that the sauce coats the back of the spoon but pours easily. Remove the sauce from the heat until the meatballs are done baking.

Putting It Together

Place the skillet of prepared Asian zing sauce back on the burner over low-medium heat. Check on the consistency of the sauce. As the sauce thickens when it cools, add a teaspoon of water at a time to thin out as needed. Add the baked venison meatballs into the Asian zing sauce and toss to coat. You can also serve the sauce as an optional dipping sauce on the side.
(Optional) Garnish the Asian style deer meat meatballs with toasted sesame seeds, green onions, minced chili peppers as desired. If serving as an appetizer, place a bamboo skewer or toothpick in each Asian meatball lollipop and enjoy! Also delicious as a 30 minute main dish with a side of rice and veggies.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is based on 4 venison (deer meat) meatballs tossed in the Asian Zing Sauce.

Recipe Tips

Use firm tofu. Please drain it well and lightly dry with a towel to remove the extra moisture. This prevents soggy meatballs.
Don’t over mix the meat mixture or it can make the venison meatballs tough. Mix just until combined. The best way to mix the meatball mixture is with your hands.
Use a rimmed baking sheet because when the meatballs cook, they release a little liquid.
Line the baking sheets with aluminum foil and oil to prevent the deer meat meatballs from sticking while baking. It makes cleanup a snap.
If you have a cookie scoop, this works great to keep the meatballs all the same size. This ensures that they cook evenly.
This recipe makes about 36 to 38 meatballs. Please keep about a 1.5 to 2 inches space between each so they have room to cook evenly.
Cook ground venison to a minimum of 160°F (71°C).
Size matters! If your meatballs are smaller than 1.5 inches, it will take less time to cook. On the other hand, if you made them larger than 1.5 inches, it will take longer to cook.
Serving the meatballs tossed in the sauce? Use a large frying pan to cook the sauce then you can add the meatballs right into the sauce.
Asian zing sauce will thicken as it sets or cools. To loosen it back up, add a teaspoon of water or two until the consistency coats the back of a spoon but it is pourable.

Storage

Prepared raw or cooked venison meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. Raw frozen prepared meatballs will need to be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight before baking the next day.

Regarding the homemade Asian zing sauce, we suggest it is only good for 3 days in the refrigerator because it contains cooked garlic. Alternatively, it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Reheating

The best way to reheat the meatballs is in the sauce either in the microwave or over low-medium heat on the stovetop.

Nutrition