Bulgogi style venison backstrap is our absolute favorite way to enjoy venison. The backstrap is cut into medallions and marinated before being grilled. The results are tender, flavorful, and hard to beat. You can also use the marinade on steaks or thinly sliced beef for a more traditional take on this Korean BBQ style goodness.
If you are looking for a great way to give your venison or beef an out of this world flavor, you are in the right place. This bulgogi style marinade is by far our family’s favorite flavor when grilling either.
Just let the soak up the sweet and savory goodness and grill it to perfection. We enjoy it cooked medium rare.
That way it is super tender and really flavorful. Everyone who has it falls in love!
This recipe has been an absolute favorite in our family for decades. We originally got the marinade recipe from my Great-Aunt Nancy.
If I remember correctly it was when I was in the eighth grade. So it was (ahem) a few years ago.
We went to visit them in Virginia and she marinated thin strips of steak in this and cooked them on the grill. It was delicious and unlike anything we had tasted before, being small town Midwesterners after all.
So of course we asked for the recipe. It was my job to jot it down. I still have the recipe written in my grade school handwriting!
Early on, MiMi and Pops would make it with thin strips of beef, much like Nancy did. It was a hit every time.
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Then pops marinated a venison backstrap in it. Oh my! It has been a family favorite ever since!
How We Have Adapted the Recipe
Rather than slicing the backstrap thin like a more traditional bulgogi, pops cuts his deer loins into larger medallion type cuts and soaks them in the marinade. That way he can grill them to a medium-rare type doneness.
That is the best way to have deer loin in our book! Everyone in the family loves it, and if he makes it for extended family it is gone in a snap. I have never seen somebody try it and not like it.
The Korean BBQ marinade gives the venison great flavor and a bit of sheen when you grill them up. Leaving the cuts of backstrap a little bit thicker allows you to get a nice medium rare cook that is tender and reminiscent of eating a nice steak.
You can garnish the grilled meat with a few toasted sesame seeds if you want, or serve them as is. If you are a fan of teriyaki this bulgogi flavor is going to be a hit as well.
Of course this marinade is still very tasty on beef, so if you don’t have venison don’t feel like you can’t enjoy it. This recipe is still a good one for anyone’s arsenal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to soak the backstrap in milk before marinating it?
No. We never soak venison backstraps in milk before using this marinade. The bulgogi style marinade is so flavorful and the backstrap stays nice and tender if it is grilled somewhere in the medium rare to medium range.
What internal temperature should venison backstrap be cooked to?
Because the venison backstrap is so lean, you don’t want to overcook it. It can be pulled with it reaches 130-135F for medium-rare or 135-140F for medium. Grilling it to these temperatures will keep it tender and juicy.
Bul Kogi Backstrap
Ingredients
- 3 pounds venison backstrap sirloin tip or round roast
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds optional
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cut 3 pounds venison backstrap into medallions about an inch to an inch and half thick. Place in a large plastic zipper bag.
- Combine ½ cup soy sauce, 3 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoons light brown sugar, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper together and pour over meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for several hours.
- Grill to your liking. We find medium rare gives a super tender result.
Video
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If you have a freezer full of ground venison, you can check out my collection of favorite ground venison recipes. Or let me know your favorite ways to use venison in the comment below. We are always looking for new ideas to try!
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I may have missed it, but how long does it need to sit in the marinade before grilling? Sounds yummy!
It is soooooo good! I try to marinate the meat for at least a couple of hours, up to a day is fine.
I used it with back strap yesterday! Found in freezer. Was awesome.
Yay! It is one of our favorites, for sure!
Oooooh! This sounds fabulous! I've never had venison so I will use beef, but I can't wait to try it.
It is super good with beef too! We love it both ways!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Sounds delicious! I'm not a fan of venison, so I'll be trying this on beef, instead 😉 Thanks so much for sharing it with us at Talented Tuesdays!
It is wonderful either way!