40 Pheasant Recipes to Try this Year
White lean meats are highly endorsed for a healthy lifestyle, as they are high in protein but low in fat. Chicken is quite mainstream, but there are better poultry options out there. If you are feeling adventurous and want to try something new, go for the Pheasant.
Pheasant is a wild game bird, similar to chicken in taste but still unique. It’s a versatile poultry that can be prepared as a show-stopping centerpiece for a special occasion, a cozy meal for a family gathering, or a quick and delicious snack any day!
Aiming to include something for everyone, I have put together this collection of 40 Pheasant recipes that shall cater to different tastes and various cooking preferences:
1. Pot-Roasted Pheasant
This Pheasant recipe is very dear to me as it reminds me of the good old days. My father used to go hunting with his peers every other weekend and would always bring back a pheasant or two.
My mom’s pot-roasted pheasant was among the best things I ate growing up. I’ve learned to appreciate gamey meat over the years, and pheasant is in the top three.
The pot-roast method allows for succulent meat that melts in your mouth. The surrounding broth can be thickened into a gravy and enjoyed with rice.
2. Pheasant Cacciatore Recipe
My grandma was an expert at making curries and stews. She always added a ton of tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, which resulted in a rich and aromatic bisque.
This Pheasant recipe inspired by French, Spanish, and Italian cuisine reminds me of my grandma’s cooking. Thus it is something remarkable indeed.
The Cacciatore can also be prepared with chicken, but pheasant should always be your first choice. It pairs nicely with crusty bread and mashed potatoes.
3. Smoked Pheasant with BBQ Glaze
If you enjoy honey barbeque seasoned chicken wings, you’ll like the smoked pheasant with honey BBQ glaze even better. The contrast of the sweet and smoky flavors is the highlight of this dish.
For this pheasant recipe, we use a whole plucked bird; the skin is left on as it helps keep the meat moist. However, the skin is high in fat, so weight watchers may prefer to remove it.
Other ways to retain the meat’s moisture include brining and basting. These steps take a little extra time and steps, but the results are totally worth it.
4. Pheasant Recipe Orange Chicken Style
The famous Chinese orange chicken was always my first choice whenever my colleagues and I debated over takeout from some Asian place nearby. Manchurian and Szechwan-style gravies are great, but orange chicken is like none other.
When I tried Pheasant Recipe Orange Chicken Style for the first time, I realized that I was wrong because this is the advanced version of the original. Not to mention, it is healthier and lighter due to the nutrient-dense and leaner meat of the pheasant.
The freshly squeezed orange juice adds a vibrant freshness to the meat that is out of this world. I always serve this with Chinese-style vegetable egg fried rice.
5. Roasted Pheasant with Herbs
Game bird roasts look exquisite as the centerpiece of the dinner table on special occasions. Whether an enormous turkey or a glistening chicken, it outshines everything else.
The roasted pheasant with herbs looks ornamental and tastes just as impressive. This pheasant recipe takes effort and technique, which is expected from an upscale dish like this.
I recently made this roast for my sister’s baby shower, which was a big hit among the guests. Memorable events demand remarkable food, and this recipe delivers.
6. Pheasant and Dumplings Recipe
This is a twist on the classic chicken with dumplings soup that many of us have grown fond of eating, especially those in the southern U.S.
The first thing you must know about this peasant recipe is that it is not a quick, easy dish. Creating this dish to perfection requires time, dedication, and patience.
The wild bird surely elevates the taste of the soup, but it also depends on how you make the dumplings. Follow the recipe accurately to achieve light, airy dumplings that will take your breath away!
7. Pheasant Breast Recipe with White Wine and Mushroom Sauce
Just by reading the name of this pheasant recipe, you can tell that dish is as fancy as a bird-wearing PRADA. If you are up to putting together a five-star restaurant-quality meal course at home, this recipe will not disappoint.
Pheasant Breast with White Wine and Mushroom Sauce is a dish having its roots in Great Britain. Since game bird meat is typically low in fat, it can quickly dry from cooking.
The rich and creamy elements of the dish are ideal since they keep the meat moist and tender. You must serve this pheasant recipe with mashed potatoes and leafy greens; I like it best with sautéed spinach leaves.
8. Garlic-Wine Pheasant
If you’re looking for something relatively easy, this pheasant recipe should be more your speed. This grilled meat recipe uses wine, garlic, and citrus as base flavorings.
Marinating the cut-up pheasant allows the meat to tenderize, ensuring that it cooks through when grilling. The marinade should be discarded once you’ve removed the meat for cooking.
This simple and delicious garlic wine pheasant is high in protein and very nutritious. It pairs well with grilled vegetables like green beans, carrots, and baby corn.
9. Honey Baked Pheasant Breasts
Are you expecting guests and wish to prepare something impressive yet uncomplicated? Honey Baked Pheasant Breasts is a dish that requires minimal effort but leaves the audience in awe.
This pheasant recipe only requires six easily available ingredients in every household. I believe that the combination of honey with lean meat can never go wrong.
This recipe does not list garlic as an ingredient, but you can add freshly ground or powdered garlic to enhance flavor. You can also use basil, chives, or cilantro instead of parsley.
10. Baked Pheasant and Rice Recipe
Baked Pheasant and Rice is a hearty one-pot meal that defines simple and clean cooking. The luscious pheasant meat and fluffy rice are a harmonious, filling, and delicious duo.
This pheasant recipe has ample room for adjustment and personalization. You can always add more ingredients for seasoning the pheasant and create an irresistibly complex flavor.
You can plate the baked pheasant with plain rice, but I prefer fried rice with mixed spice powder and seasonal vegetables. I also serve this dish with fresh mint sauce and Greek yogurt.
11. Oven Roasted Pheasant
This pheasant recipe is the perfect lunch or dinner on any cold winter day. Baking a bird in the oven warms up the house, and the delicious aroma that fills every nook and corner comforts the senses.
You do not necessarily need to brine the pheasant beforehand, but an overnight soak helps keep the meat moist and flavorful. If you are using a frozen store-bought pheasant, bring it to room temperature before stuffing and baking it.
The pheasant is roasted with parsnips in this recipe, but you may use traditional vegetables such as carrots and potatoes.
12. Greek Style Pheasant Pasta Recipe
Why cook your pasta with chicken whenever you have pheasant? This game bird is just as versatile so you can incorporate it into many recipes.
This pasta dish is inspired by the cooking of a famous Greek-American chef named Michael Psilakis. If you’re familiar with and love his work, you have to try this one!
The recipe contains a long list of ingredients, but I hope that does not overwhelm you. There’s a lot going on in this dish, which gives it a medieval vibe in the best way possible.
13. Roast Pheasant Masala with Indian Spices
If you’re a fan of spicy Indian food, this pheasant recipe will make your day! It’s amazing how game bird blends with various flavors, so it’s a great excuse to showcase your culinary creativity.
This dish is unlike the usual pheasant recipes you’ll find on the internet, so try it if you like unconventional food. Indian spices like cumin and ‘garam masala’ gives this dish a distinctive aroma and taste.
This Indian-style pheasant roast is traditionally served with rice, curries, and vegetables, but you don’t have to go by any rule book. I think it goes great with flatbread and yogurt-based sauces.
14. Pheasant in Mustard Sauce
Mustard is not my favorite dipping or seasoning choice, but it somehow fuses seamlessly with this pheasant recipe. It’s super easy to make and quite enjoyable over a plate of hot rice.
Mustard has anti-inflammatory properties and aids digestion, so this dish is an excellent option for anyone with acid reflux.
Pheasant in Mustard Sauce also contains dried marjoram, a perennial herb that tastes like citrus and sweet pine. This herb is known to reduce anxiety, so it’s good for people with a habit of nail-biting or teeth-grinding.
15. Pheasant Normandy
Normandy is a stew that belongs to French cuisine. It is typically made using chicken or pheasant legs, but you may also use other parts of the bird.
Apples are the obvious star of the dish, as it incorporates apple fruit, apple cider, and apple brandy. Granny Smith apples work best for this pheasant recipe as they can withstand high heat without crumbling.
If you want to make a non-alcoholic version of this dish, consider using unsweetened apple juice with apple cider instead.
16. Pheasant Thigh Tacos With Mango Salsa
Believe it or not, everyone loves tacos. No matter what the filling in the taco, people will eat it as long as it tastes good.
If you like experimenting with different contrasting flavors, tacos are a nice place to start. Pheasant thigh tacos with mango salsa are probably the most innovative recipe I’ve tried this year, and I loved it more than I’d like to admit!
We use the bird’s thigh for this pheasant recipe, as this meat is tougher than the other parts. A long, slow braise produces incredibly juicy meat, and bones can be removed easily.
17. Pheasant and Apple Casserole
Here’s another recipe made from pheasant and apples; the combination is outstanding, so let’s maximize the potential. This sweet and savory meal is pleasant to look at and oddly satisfying when consumed.
The sweet and tart notes of the apples nicely complement the earthy, gamey flavors of the pheasant. This pheasant recipe is all about comfort, warmth, and nourishment, which makes it perfect for cozy family meals.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, whereas pheasant and apple casserole will give you strength on a cold and gloomy day!
18. Grilled Pheasant Poppers
One thing I’ve learned from hosting house parties over the years is that everybody adores bite-sized treats, especially meaty ones.
Whenever I make Grilled Pheasant Poppers, guests cannot get enough of them; they disappear quickly regardless of how any I prepare.
This pheasant recipe only requires a little time or ingredients, which makes it all the more convenient to prepare for a small crowd. Pheasant breast meat, a jar of pickled + sliced jalapeno peppers, and bacon slices are all you need.
19. Smoked Pheasant Breasts
Lean gamey meats, such as that of the pheasant, are ideal for cooking with smoking. Furthermore, cherry wood is the best option for smoking pheasant meat.
This pheasant recipe utilizes the Wild Game Hunter’s Blend, a spice mix specially designed to season wild game meat. If you frequently hunt or cook with game meat, you should have this at home.
The Wild Game Hunter’s Blend adds the right amount of heat and elevates the flavor of gamey meat without overpowering it.
20. Pheasant Stew with Chestnut Dumplings
Soups and stews are my favorite things to make during the winter. I choose meat for the base and experiment with different vegetables, nuts, spices, and herbs to achieve the perfect balance of flavors.
The Pheasant Stew with Chestnut Dumplings is a recipe I discovered last winter, and it left a lasting impression. This dish has a profound flavor profile and contrasting textures of all the different elements.
If you’re craving a rare rich, nutritious meal, this pheasant recipe is exactly what you need. I mostly serve it with egg noodles and roasted Brussels sprouts.
21. Roast Pheasant with Orange and Onion Marmalade
For an ultimate gourmet dining experience at home, try the Roast Pheasant with Orange and Onion Marmalade (and Juices). This unusual dish is a lovely blend of savory, sweet, and tangy notes in each bite.
The addition of orange in the marmalade brings out a refreshing citrusy persona. It serves as a zesty and vibrant element that enhances the overall appearance and taste of the dish.
The orange and onion marmalade prepared for this pheasant recipe can also be utilized in various other culinary creations. I’ve used it as a seasoning with different kinds of proteins, and it never let me down.
22. Creamy Pheasant and Noodle
Do you have a bunch of wild pheasants piled up in your freezer from hunting season? If yes, call upon your friends and family for a Creamy Pheasant and Noodle feast.
This pheasant recipe is effortless and scrumptious. You just have to load all the ingredients (except the noodles) into a slow cooker and then forget about it.
Once the creamy pheasant is ready, spread it over a plate of hot noodles and serve immediately. You may add or subtract supplementary ingredients from the recipe to your liking.
23. Barbecue Grilled Pheasant Breast
The Barbecue Grilled Pheasant Breast can be prepared in minutes. The grilled pheasant meat makes an excellent side dish with any main dish and staples.
For this pheasant recipe, we only need the bird’s breast pieces that should be dried properly before coating them with seasonings. I prefer adding herbs to the mix, such as oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
The grilled pheasant breasts are perfect for putting between buns or making a sandwich with mayo and fresh salad. If you are on a strict protein diet, you may savor it with barbeque sauce.
24. Herb Roasted Pheasant Breasts
Like chicken breasts, pheasant breasts can be grilled, smoked, pan-fried, or baked to prepare a delicious and juicy piece of meat. Seasoning with a few basic herbs and spices turn a humble piece of meat into phenomenal food.
In this pheasant recipe, we keep the bird’s skin on so that the garlic, spices, and herbs can be trapped between the layer of skin and meat. The pheasant skin is rich in unsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
If you have pheasant breasts without the outer layer of skin, you can still pursue this recipe by applying the seasonings directly to the flesh.
25. Creamed Pheasant Skillet
This recipe is a safe bet if you’ve cooked with pheasant several times, but it usually turns out dry. Coating, frying, and then simmering the meat in a creamy sauce does the trick!
This pheasant recipe is nostalgic, as it will surely remind you of your grandma’s cooking. Many of us have grandmas that love stuffing us with rich and comforting foods; we might complain, but we truly enjoy being spoiled.
The Creamed Pheasant Skillet holds a generous amount of calories, but it’s still healthy and nutritious, given that you consume it wisely. Add a side of sautéed vegetables for a more balanced and satisfying meal.
26. Pheasant Nuggets
Chicken nuggets are so basic, right? Have you ever thought of making nuggets from a different kind of meat? Probably not! Luckily, I’m here to give you all sorts of amazing ideas!
Since pheasant is similar to chicken in taste and texture, it’s a wonderful option for making your favorite fried snack. Follow this recipe to achieve appetizing pheasant nuggets that are juicy and tender inside but crispy and crunchy on the surface.
Pheasant nuggets taste great with regular ketchup, but I like them best with a cheesy sauce drizzled on top.
27. Emeril’s Favorite Roast Pheasant
This celebrated pheasant recipe was created by renowned chef Emeril Lagasse. This is a complex savory dish that requires the preparation of multiple elements and employs sophisticated techniques.
If you consider yourself a culinary enthusiast, I suggest you try this dish to challenge yourself and assess your skill level. Recreating this recipe perfectly requires ample time and patience, so do not make this when you’re in a hurry or distracted.
I’ve tried this awe-inspiring dish quite a few times, and it’s true that practice makes you perfect!
28. Wild Scottish Pheasant Pithivier Recipe
Pithivier is a traditional French puff pastry that encases a filling. It has a buttery and flaky texture that complements the soft meaty center nicely.
This pheasant recipe is impressive in terms of presentation and tastes divine. The way the pastry melts in your mouth and gives way to the complex savory flavors of the filling is too wonderful for words.
I recently made these for my best friend’s birthday bash and received high praise from everyone. I have lost count of the requests for this recipe, so I am sharing it with all of you.
29. Red Pheasant Curry
Red Pheasant Curry comes from Thailand and is very popular among locals. It is famous for its vibrant red color, piquancy, and distinct fragrance.
The dish features pheasant as the main protein source, supplementing the curry with a pleasant gamey flavor. This pheasant recipe requires a handful of aromatic herbs and spices, so you should visit the grocery store first.
This spicy and flavorful curry pairs well with naan or crusty bread, but you can have it with rice or noodles.
30. Pheasant Ragu for Pasta
Make your own Pheasant Ragu today, and you’ll never look back at the Ragu jars being sold everywhere. This pheasant recipe will show you that stuff you make at home always tastes better (and that it’s economical).
Commercial Ragu sauces have nothing on the Pheasant Ragu you make at home. This recipe will change the way you look at store-bought condiments.
With this pheasant Ragu, your pasta will taste like it was ordered from an elite bistro, and you won’t be able to control the tears of joy. Last but not least, don’t be a miser when it comes to garnishing with parmesan.
31. Wild Pheasant In Mushroom and Wine Sauce
Preparing Wild Pheasant in Mushroom and Wine Sauce reflects a culinary heritage that celebrates the use of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. It pays homage to traditional hunting and foraging practices and the art of transforming simple ingredients into a flavorsome dish.
This pheasant recipe is commonly associated with autumn and winter when pheasant is more readily available. The choice of mushrooms in the dish can vary, but popular options include wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, porcini, and cremini.
Red wines are the primary choice for making this dish; nonetheless, it all comes down to what is popular in your region and your preference.
32. Pressure Cooker Pheasant
If you’re looking for a decent time-savvy dish, this pheasant recipe is a perfect match. The pressure cooker significantly reduces cooking time, so it is often chosen over traditional methods.
Being lean meat, the pheasant can be cooked in under 30 minutes using the pressure cooker. This modern cooking technique also helps lock in moisture, preventing the meat from drying.
The high-pressure atmosphere inside the pressure cooker allows the flavors of the ingredients to meld together seamlessly. As a result, the pheasant is nicely infused with aromatic herbs, spices, and seasonings.
33. Pheasant Pot Pie
Did you know pot pies were called ‘coffins’ in prehistoric times? The coffin was essentially a container made of pastry, and food was cooked inside it. The use of the word coffin as a box to enclose a corpse appeared much later (around the 16th century).
This pheasant recipe is popular in regions where pheasant hunting is prevalent. Pheasant Pot Pie represents a fusion between rustic comfort food and gourmet dining.
If you want to make a rich and indulgent pot pie, use chicken broth and whole milk. If you’re going to cut down on calories, use vegetable broth and skimmed milk instead.
34. Pleasant Pheasant Recipe
This pheasant recipe is the product of someone’s culinary creativity, and I thought it deserved a place on this list. The creator calls it ‘Pleasant Pheasant, ’ which suits this dish’s overall persona and taste.
It is a modest recipe that involves pan-frying pheasant breasts after marinating them overnight. The preparation and cooking time adds up to 40 minutes, which is convenient and doable most days.
The recipe showcases a clever way to cook the pheasant meat and make gravy without doing too much. Pour the meat and gravy over a plate of rice or noodles to enjoy a fulfilling meal.
35. Koji-Fried Pheasant
Koji-Fried Pheasant is an innovative twist on traditional fried chicken, where pheasant meat is soaked in a special marinade and then caked in a unique mixture for frying. Koji is a fungus commonly used in Japanese cuisine to ferment and enhance the flavors of various foods.
The marinade inoculated with the Koji fungus tenderizes the meat and infuses it with an umami-rich essence. Afterward, the pheasant is coated in a batter made of Koji rice, flour, and seasonings.
During the frying process, the Koji rice in the coating undergoes a fermentation process, which results in a unique and complex flavor profile.
36. Pheasant Noodle Soup
Noodle soup brings back so many awesome memories from my childhood. It was a much-loved meal, particularly during the colder months of the year.
The noodle soup from childhood was essentially chicken-flavored instant noodles from the store accentuated by adding sautéed vegetables; it’s still a dish I love to have, but with better culinary knowledge, I can refine it further.
In this recipe, we make a broth out of pheasant meat along with a couple of vegetables, herbs, and spices. Egg noodles work best with this pheasant recipe, and it tastes better than any Asian takeout you’ve had to date.
37. Slow Cooker Pheasant with Mushrooms and Olives
Any meaty dish prepared with the slow cooker method turns out amazing. This is because the prolonged cooking method brings out all the natural juices of ingredients, resulting in rich and flavorful food.
The slow cooker method also seals in the natural moisture of ingredients to bestow a melt-in-your-mouth experience. This pheasant recipe features Crimini mushrooms that are known to comprise useful bacteria; these bacteria aid digestion and boost the body’s immune response.
This dish also contains black olives full of beneficial antioxidants and fatty acids. The nutrients in black olives keep us hydrated, protect us from ultraviolet radiation, and prevent premature aging.
38. Bacon Wrapped Pheasant
Do you want to know the secret to an easy-peasy crowd-pleaser? The answer is bite-sized treats wrapped in bacon!
Bacon-wrapped pheasant is visually enticing; the golden-brown and slightly charred bacon enveloping the tender, juicy pheasant is hard to resist. The bacon wrap adds a crispy, smoky, and slightly salty layer, which is satisfying to bite into.
This pheasant recipe is relatively simple to prepare, and you can adjust the flavor by using seasonings of your choice. The bacon helps to baste the pheasant as it cooks, resulting in lusciously moist meat.
39. BBQ Pheasant Gouda Pizza
Do you need a reason to try this pheasant recipe? It’s pizza, which should be enough to get you on board. If not, I’ll try to convince you with more details.
This pizza features Gouda cheese, similar to cheddar but more sweet and creamy. It’s delicious and a good source of calcium, so don’t hesitate to put it on your pizza generously.
BBQ Pheasant Gouda Pizza is not your regular pizza – it’s the kind of pizza they serve at posh cafes for an outrageous price. It is one of the most beautiful pizzas you’ll ever see, so do not ignore this pheasant recipe.
40. Fiery Korean Style BBQ Pheasant Recipe
This pheasant recipe reminds me of Kpop – it’s so fresh, funky, and vibrant. The Fiery Korean Style BBQ Pheasant Recipe draws inspiration from Korean cuisine, highlighting spicy and bold flavors in most dishes.
Gochujang is a fundamental ingredient in this recipe. It is a fermented red chili paste that adds heat and a powerful kick of spice. The recipe involves grilling the marinated pheasant, which produces charred and caramelized meat.
Honey is added to introduce a hint of sweetness, which also helps offset some of the heat from the chili and spice. Like most Asian-inspired dishes, this one is incomplete without a side of rice.
Pheasant Biryani
Ingredients
- 1 pheasant (with bones) cut into pieces
- 2 cups of basmati rice (1-1.5 lbs)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions (medium-sized) thinly sliced
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 4 tomatoes, chopped or diced
- 3-4 sliced green chilies (thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- A few Curry leaves
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp Garam masala (all spice mix)
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tsp Salt (or add to taste)
- Fresh bunch of coriander leaves (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Make a marinade by mixing the yogurt with all garam masala, cumin, and turmeric in a large bowl.
- Add the pheasant meat to the marinade and set aside for an hour or two.
- Wash the rice and soak them in water for 30-45 minutes.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook until golden brown.
- Remove one-third of the fried onions and set aside for garnishing.
- Add ginger-garlic paste to the pot and sauté for a minute until fragrant.
- Add chopped tomatoes and let them cook until they become soft and mushy.
- Next, add the salt, curry leaves, and red chili powder, followed by the marinated pheasant. The excess marinade will also go into the pot.
- Mix well and let the pheasant simmer on low to medium heat until tender.
- In a separate pot, boil the rice until 75% cooked. Drain the rice and set aside.
- Once the meat is cooked, it is time to layer the biryani. In a large pot, spread a layer of partially cooked rice. Top it with a layer of cooked pheasant and gravy. Repeat the layers until all the rice and pheasant gravy are used, ending with a layer of rice on top.
- Cover the pot tightly with a lid and place it on low flame for about 15 minutes. This allows the ingredients to meld together and the rice to fully cook.
- Once done, remove the pot from heat, sprinkle the coriander, fried onions, and green chilies, and let it sit for a few minutes. Gently fluff the rice with a large spatula and serve hot with mint and yogurt sauce.
