Plenty has been said around here about how much I love a food holiday or making a fun dinner out of everyday dinners. This Spicy Taco Deer Meat dinner covers many bases and is a perfect take on Cinco de Mayo dinner plans. It is one of my favorite ways my mama would use deer meat from our freezer, and now that I’ve made it for my family, they say to keep it coming on repeat.

If you are tired of the regular ways you are using deer meat, check out this new option. A few extra steps up front will make the best-tasting meal that covers up all the game flavor of any deer meat. You can, of course, make this with beef, and it would probably work with pork as well. Heck, for all I know, it would work with bison, elk, or emu…you know if you are still trying to live your Yellowstone dreams for a Thursday night dinner!

Print Recipe

Spicy Taco Deer Meat Dinner

Ingredients

1 lb deer meat pounded
1 cup canola oil
1 packet of zesty ranch breading
½ cup taco seasoning
12 oz. peach jam apricot or orange work fine, anything fruity and not berry flavored
1 cup red picante salsa

Instructions

Put oil in a pot and bring to medium heat.
Mix together breading and taco seasoning in a bowl or shallow battering dish.
Separate dear steak pieces, cutting into no more than 4 inches wide.
Pat the meat pieces into the breading mixture, coating as much as possible.
Shake off and place into the hot oil.
Cook for 3 minutes on each side, using a fork to flip.
Remove for oil with a fork and place it on a paper towel-lined plate.
Repeat with all pieces of meat.
Stir together salsa and jam.
Once all pieces of meat are cooked, place in a 9×13 baking dish.
Spoon sauce over meat.
Bake for an additional 20 minutes at 400.

Notes

Note, depending on how brown the coating is in the bottom of your skillet, pour off the oil and use that same skillet for cooking the meat. Add meat to skillet and pour sauce over. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. I always serve this with yellow rice or mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. While the vegetables and meat cook in the oven, I prepare the rice.

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