Venison Smoking Time and Temperatures
Smoking venison is a combination of art and science, and to do it successfully you need patience.
Most cuts of venison are best smoked at 180-200F, the times range anywhere from 2 hours to 15 hours, with an internal temperature ranging from 140-190F.
Let’s look at it in more detail
Venison Smoking Times and Temperatures Chart
| Cut of Venison | Smoking Temperature | Approximate Smoking Time | Target Internal Temperature | Resting Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steak (1-inch thick) | 175°F-200°F | 45 mins – 1 hour | 130°F-135°F (Medium-Rare | 10 minutes |
| 200°F-225°F | 30 mins – 45 mins | 130°F-135°F (Medium-Rare | 10 minutes | |
| Steak (1.5-2 inches thick) | 175°F-200°F | 1.5 – 2 hours | 130°F-135°F (Medium-Rare | 10-15 minutes |
| 200°F-225°F | 1 – 1.5 hours | 130°F-135°F (Medium-Rare | 10-15 minutes | |
| Roasts (Backstrap, Tenderloin) | 175°F-200°F | 2 – 3 hours (varies with size) | 130°F-140°F (Medium-Rare) | 15-20 minutes |
| 200°F-225°F | 1.5 – 2.5 hours (varies with size) | 130°F-140°F (Medium-Rare) | 15-20 minutes | |
| Larger Cuts (Shoulder, Hindquarter) 4-8 Lbs | 175°F-200°F | 3 – 5 hours (varies with size and bone presence) | 135°F-145°F (Medium) | 20-30 minutes |
| 200°F-225°F | 2.5 – 4.5 hours (varies with size and bone presence) | 135°F-145°F (Medium) | 20-30 minutes | |
| Larger Cuts (Shoulder, Hindquarter) 8-15 Lbs | 175°F-200°F | 8 – 12 hours (or more) | 140°F-150°F | 30-45 minutes |
| 200°F-225°F | 7 – 10 hours (or more) | 140°F-150°F | 30-45 minutes | |
| Ribs | 175°F-200°F | 3 – 4 hours | 140°F-150°F | 15-20 minutes |
| 200°F-225°F | 2.5 – 3.5 hours | 140°F-150°F | 15-20 minutes | |
| Shanks | 175°F-200°F | 4 – 6 hours | 145°F-155°F | 20-30 minutes |
| 200°F-225°F | 3.5 – 5.5 hours | 145°F-155°F | 20-30 minutes |
The times provided in this chart are only a guideline and have so many variables.
Ideally, you will need to use a good meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the venison.
The venison should not be pulled from the smoker until it reaches your desired internal temperature.
Factors Affecting Smoking Time
Before choosing your smoker’s ambient temperature or setting a smoking you first need to look at factors that will affect smoking time.
Thickness and Size of the Cut
An obvious factor that affects smoking time is the thickness of the venison.
Larger cuts of venison like a quarter can take a very long time to smoke, up to 15 hours wouldn’t be unheard of.
However, on the flip side of that thin cuts like some steaks could take as little as two hours, while some cuts take even less.
Bone-in vs. Boneless
Keeping the bone in while smoking certainly has its advantages, particularly in taste.
However, the cost of keeping the bone in is a few extra hours in the smoker.
The bone acts as a heat sink and takes a long time for the surrounding meat to come up to temperature.
I also like to smoke venison at a lower temperature with the bone in to get an even cook.
Fat Content and Marbling
One of the most significant differences in smoking venison compared to beef is that venison lacks fat, or marbling.
The lack of this fat and marbling means that venison is better smoked at a lower temperature than beef, thus making the smoking time longer.
Temperature Guidelines:
There are two temperatures that you need to carefully monitor when smoking venison.
The first is the ambient temperature that you will set your smoker to, and the second is the internal temperature that you will cook the venison to.
As I mentioned earlier, venison lacks any fat or marbling, so these temperatures must be monitored closely.
Setting Your Smoker’s Ambient Temperature
The first temperature is the smoker’s ambient temperature. If you use a pellet smoker this will be easily managed.
However, if you are like me and prefer using charcoal there is a little more maintenance involved.
You have to ensure you have enough coals for the duration of the cook.
You also need to set the coals in a way that they don’t burn too fast and raise the temperature too high.
There are two ways of doing this, the first is the old-school way using the snake method.
The second way of managing the coal burn and the easiest if you are using a Weber grill is to use a Slow and Sear.
Because venison is smoked at such a low temperature it also helps to fill a drip tray with water to help steady the temperature.
Ideal Internal Temperatures for Perfect Venison
Once you have your grill set up to the ideal temperature, the next number you need to focus on is the internal temperature.
Again, the lack of fat makes it very easy to overcook venison or dry it out.
If you may not know, overcooking venison makes it rather unpalatable, which some people may describe as gamey.
- Rare venison 125-130f
- Medium rare is 130-135F
- Medium 135-140F
Smoking venison is one of the rare instances where you can go past medium, but this will depend on the cut.
Tougher cuts that you want to make pulled venison from or for the likes of ribs, you can smoke venison until 190F
Smoking Duration: How Long to Smoke Venison?
Steaks and Chops
Venison steaks are one of the faster cuts to smoke.
However, because these cuts are thinner they also dry out faster.
There are two methods for smoking venison steaks and chops.
The first is to smoke over a higher heat for a short period. I’ve smoked these cuts as high as 300-350F
This isn’t your typical smoking temperature but given that venison steaks are already tender you can smoke at these temperatures.
It’s also worth considering that when smoking venison steaks you are only looking for a hint of smoke, and these cuts take on a smoke flavor much easier than denser cuts.
Smoking venison high and fast can take as little time as 30 minutes depending on the the thickness of the cut.
Aim for a 30-60 minute smoke, while carefully monitoring the internal temperature.
The second option is to smoke them low and slow like larger cuts.
Smoking steaks low and slow makes for an incredibly juicy tender steak.
However, the smoke flavor can be intense so choose a milder wood like alder or a sweet wood like apple or cherry.
Smoking venison steaks like this you should plan for a 45-minute to 2-hourc smoke, again much depends on the thickness of the cut.
- For a steak 1-inch thick, you’re looking at approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour to reach medium-rare (around 130°F to 135°F internal temperature).
- If the steak is 1.5 to 2 inches thick, it might take around 1.5 to 2 hours to reach medium-rare.
Roasts, Larger Cuts, and Tougher Cuts
There comes a time when you will have the urge to smoke larger or tougher cuts of venison.
I urge you to have patience when smoking these cuts of venison as it’s not for the faint of heart.
However, for those that persevere the results are more than worth it.
Most of these cuts will be smoked at a lower temperature between 180-200F
The times will vary depending on the cut, but don’t be surprised with a 12-15 hour smoke.
- Hindquarter 12-15 hours
- Ribs – 5-6 hours
- Shank 6-8 hours
- Brisket 6-10 hours
- Pastrami 1-2 hours
Without knowing the weight of the meat it’s hard to put a time on the smoking session.
The times mentioned above are a good guideline as I have smoked these many times and they come in around the same time.
Ground Venison and Sausages
Smoked venison sausages is something I thoroughly enjoy and make every year.
What I like about smoked sausages is they are one of the faster venison dishes to smoke.
Another benefit of smoked sausages is because you have added fat to the sausage mix, the cooking temperature can be increased a little.
I’ve smoked venison sausages with an ambient temperature as high as 250F.
The longer the smoking time the more intense the smoke flavor will be.
I usually aim for a 3-4 hour smoke.
However, regardless of your smoker temperature, the ideal internal temperature for venison sausages is 160F.
The Stall
The “stall” is a phenomenon experienced when smoking large cuts of meat, where the internal temperature of the meat seems to plateau or “stall” for an extended period, not rising despite the meat being subjected to a constant cooking temperature.
The stall can add a significant amount of time to the smoking session.
- Evaporative Cooling: The primary cause of the stall is the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the meat. As the meat heats up, its internal moisture migrates to the surface and begins to evaporate.
- This evaporation process has a cooling effect (similar to how sweating cools the human body).
In large cuts of meat, especially ones with a lot of connective tissue like brisket or pork shoulder, this cooling effect can balance out the heat input for a while, causing the internal temperature to plateau. - Duration: The stall can last for several hours, depending on the size of the meat, the cooking temperature, humidity, and other factors.
- Connective Tissue Breakdown: During the stall, connective tissues within the meat (collagen) break down into gelatin.
This process requires energy (heat), which contributes to the temperature plateau. The breakdown of connective tissue is crucial for rendering tough cuts of meat into tender, flavorful delights. - The “Texas Crutch”: To combat or shorten the stall, many pitmasters employ a method called the “Texas Crutch.”
This involves wrapping the meat in aluminum foil or butcher paper once it reaches a certain temperature (often around 150°F to 160°F for meats like brisket) to reduce surface evaporation.
By doing this, you trap in some moisture and heat, which can help push through the stall more quickly. However, using this method might soften the bark (the crispy outer layer) of the meat. - Impact on Venison: Venison, being leaner than meats like pork shoulder or beef brisket, doesn’t have as pronounced a stall.
However, if you’re smoking larger, bone-in cuts or pieces with more connective tissue, you might still experience a mild stall.
Resting
One thing people often overlook when smoking venison is resting the meat after smoking.
Resting the venison is considered part of the cooking process and should be taken into consideration when planning the cooking time.
Once the venison is removed from the smoker the cooking doesn’t stop there.
While the venison is resting the internal temperature of the meat is continuing to cook.
For this reason, it’s often advisable to pull the venison about 5F below your planned internal temperature.
Resting periods depend on the size of the meat and the smoking duration.
For small cuts like steak or sausages, a 5-10 minute rest is ample.
For larger cuts like briskets or roasts, you may need a 20-30 minute resting period.
