Smoked Deer Meatball Blankets: A Hunter’s Recipe for Tonight

 The past two days, I’ve been watching geese return to southeast Manitoba—spring conservation season’s on, and I’m itching to hunt ‘em before it ends mid-April. But tonight, I took a break from prepping my Mathews Tactic for bear season (April 28, 2025) and fired up the Pit Boss Sportsman 820 smoker. Using some ground deer from last fall’s hunt—same batch that dropped with my DEEPOWER broadheads at 35 yards from my knees, 70-yard blood trail—I whipped up a batch of Smoked Deer Meatball Blankets. 


Denali, my trusty chocolate Lab girl, kept me company in the kitchen, hoping for scraps, while I worked on our new 25.5x31in coffee bar countertop, finished with Sansin stain.


Smoked Deer Meatball Blankets Recipe (Makes 16)

  • For the Meatballs:
    • 2 lbs ground deer meat
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp onion powder
    • 1 tbsp salt
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar (I used sharp for bite)
  • For the Biscuit Dough:
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
    • 3/4 cup milk
  • Instructions:
    1. Meatballs: Mix deer meat, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and cheese in a bowl. Roll into 16 meatballs (2 oz each). Set aside.
    2. Biscuit Dough: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold butter ‘til crumbly. Add milk, stir into a dough, knead lightly 3-4 times, and divide into 16 pieces.
    3. Wrap: Flatten each dough piece into a 1/4-inch circle, wrap around a meatball, and pinch to seal. Repeat for all 16.
    4. Smoke: Preheat Pit Boss to 275°F with apple wood—keeps the smoke mild. Place meatballs seam-side down on the grate. Smoke 45-60 minutes ‘til meat hits 160°F and dough’s golden.
    5. Serve: Let ‘em cool slightly. I skipped sauce—they’re smoky and savory enough, but BBQ or garlic aioli works if you want a kick.

I made ‘em on our new countertop—Denali sniffed every step, hoping I’d drop a meatball. They’re perfect for a post-hunt snack, with the Worcestershire cutting through the gamey deer and the Pit Boss adding that smoky edge.

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