Right on time for Christmas and New Year’s feasting, this Maple Bourbon Cured Venison is ready to bring the best food memories to your table. It’s a great way to bring together some of my favorite things: maple syrup, bourbon, and Maui Nui venison. Simple ingredients, yet so freakin’ delicious when married together.
Post sponsored by Maui Nui
The venison recipe is inspired by my buddy Max The Meat Guy, who’s always finding creative ways to make wild game the best bite you’ve ever had. In this post, we’re curing a Maui Nui Reserve-Aged Holiday Roast in a simple maple bourbon cure, then smoking it low and slow until it’s tender, rich, and packed with flavor.
What’s Special About Maui Nui Venison?
If you’re a hunter who thinks you’ve already tasted the best venison, you might want me to hold your beer for a minute. Maui Nui venison is on a whole different level. These axis deer live on the Hawaiian islands and feed naturally year-round, which gives the meat a clean, mild flavor and an incredibly tender texture. There’s no strong gamey bite here. Only lean, high-quality protein with a deep red color and fine grain that cooks beautifully every time.
What really sets Maui Nui venison apart is how the venison is harvested. The deer are ethically and sustainably sourced, helping restore balance to the local ecosystem while delivering some of the best venison available.
That care shows up on the plate. Less connective tissue, no lead-core bullets leaving fragments, and a tenderness that makes curing, smoking, and slicing a pleasure. So the next time you’re craving wild game, Maui Nui is the way to go.
Why You’ll Love Maple Bourbon Cured Venison
If you think you don’t have the patience to cure a beautiful cut of meat, trust me, it’s so worth it. The maple syrup and bourbon come together in a perfect balance of sweet and savory without overpowering the venison. That slow cure tenderizes the meat, helps break down connective tissue, and locks in moisture so it stays juicy from start to finish.
This is not my first time using Maui Nui venison in a recipe. For more inspiration, check out the best Venison Quesadilla and Venison Jalapeño Poppers.
Cured Venison Ingredients Round-Up
- Venison – Maui Nui Holiday Roast, kosher salt, your favorite BBQ rub (extra garlic powder optional). I used my new Cowboy Candy rub, and it worked out great.
- Cure – Maple syrup, Bourbon
That’s truly all it takes for this delicious roast!
The Cure
Start by patting the venison dry with paper towels. Season it generously on all sides with kosher salt. This is the foundation of the cure, so don’t be shy.
Place the venison into a food-safe container or glass pan. Pour in the maple syrup and bourbon until the meat is fully submerged. The amount of cure matters because you need to fully cover the roast for the best results. If you don’t have enough of the cure, flip the meat every 4–6 hours to prevent air pockets and ensure even curing.
Cover and place it in the fridge for 24 hours. This slow cure allows the flavors to penetrate without making the meat overly salty. Unlike a venison bacon cure, this recipe doesn’t rely on sodium nitrite or sodium erythorbate. It’s a cleaner, more straightforward approach that works beautifully for this cut.
The Prep
After curing, remove the venison from the maple syrup/bourbon cure and wipe off any excess moisture with paper towels. You don’t want the surface dripping wet when it hits the smoker.
Season generously with your favorite BBQ rub and a little black pepper. Let the venison sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
The Cook
Preheat your smoker or charcoal grill to 275 degrees F for indirect cooking. Add wood chips for light smoke. Fruit wood works especially well with maple syrup flavors.
Place the venison on the grates and cook until the internal temperature reaches 115F. This usually takes about 2 hours, depending on thickness. Always rely on internal temperature with a digital thermometer, not time alone.
Once it hits the ideal temp, pull off the roast and let it rest for 10 minutes. If you want more texture, finish it over a high-heat fire for a quick sear to build a crust.
I took it another step and added a stick of butter and some garlic to the maple bourbon mixture. After it was nice and bubbly, I poured it over the venison.
Slice the venison into thick slices and serve it warm right off the fire. Cheers to another great holiday meal!
What to serve with Maple Bourbon Cured Venison
The Maui Nui venison works beautifully alongside roasted vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes, or simple sides like green beans. Don’t forget some crusty French bread and a nice bottle of red wine to round out the holiday feast. Then, get ready for the compliments on this phenomenal venison.
More Venison Recipes!
Storage & Leftovers
If you have leftovers, let the venison cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. It reheats well over low heat (try a 300-degree oven for 20 minutes with some apple cider vinegar or more bourbon to steam it a little), but it’s also great sliced thin for sandwiches the next day. I like mine piled onto crusty bread with a little mustard or horseradish.
You can even take it one step further and turn leftovers into venison jerky. Slice it thin, dry it out slowly on some dehydrator trays, and you’ve got a smoky, sweet snack that keeps for days. It’s a great way to make the most of a special cut without letting anything go to waste.
Cured Venison FAQs
You can, but it’ll change the result. Brown sugar will still cure the meat, but maple syrup brings a cleaner sweetness and more depth that works better with venison. Brown sugar leans heavier and can overpower the meat. If you’re in a pinch, it’ll work — but for the best balance of flavor, maple syrup is the way to go.
Not recommended. Pork belly has a lot more fat and behaves very differently in a cure and during the cook. Venison is lean, so the maple bourbon cure and low, steady heat work to keep it tender. If you used pork belly, you’d be heading into a whole different recipe, such as Elote Pork Belly.
Go with a bourbon you actually like to drink. It doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive — just smooth and well-balanced. I look for something with a little vanilla, caramel, and oak, nothing too hot or overly sweet. If you’d pour it in a glass and enjoy it by the fire, it’s the right bourbon for the cure.
Stock Up on Derek’s Newest Spice Blend
Maple Bourbon Cured Venison
Ingredients
Venison:
- 3 lb Maui Nui Holiday Roast
- 2 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tbsp Cowboy Candy Rub or Your Favorite BBQ Rub
Cure:
- 1 Gallon Maple Syrup
- ½ cup Bourbon
Instructions
Cure:
- Season your venison generously with kosher salt.
- Add your venison to a food safe container. Cover in the maple syrup and bourbon, mix and cover the container. Place in the fridge for 24 hours to cure.
- If the cure does not cover the venison completely, flip it every 4-6 hours.
Venison:
- Pull the venison out and wipe off any excess cure.
- Generously season with your favorite BBQ rub. Set to the side.
- Preheat your smoker to 275F for indirect cooking.
- Add your venison to cook for about 2 hours until 115F internal. Pull off once done to rest for 10 minutes. Sear off over a high heat fire if you want a great crust!
- Pull off, slice and serve!
