10 Best Wild Game Recipes (For Newbies & Experienced)

After being on a carnivore diet for over a decade, I’ve gotten tired of switching between chicken, beef, and pork day after day. That's when I started introducing game meat into my weekly meal plans.

Wild game is more challenging to cook compared to traditional meat so it took me a while to perfect the recipes for different game meats.

To make it easier for you, I’ve compiled a list of my 10 best wild game recipes.

10 Best Wild Game Meat Recipes

1. Fried Rabbit

 

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: overnight for the marinade
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes and marinade overnight
• Number of Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients for the rabbit:

• Vegetable oil
• Lemon cheeks
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 rabbit, jointed into 8 pieces
• 150gm Korean hot bean paste

Ingredients for the crumb coating:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cornflour
• 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Mix rabbit, buttermilk, and hot bean paste in a large bowl.
2. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight so that the marinade can tenderize the rabbit.
3. Heat oil in the deep-fryer or a saucepan.
4. Mix all the ingredients for the crumb coating in a large bowl.
5. Drain the rabbit pieces.
6. Cover the rabbit pieces in the crumb coating. Make sure all pieces are evenly covered.
7. Deep-fry the rabbit in batches, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.
8. Drain the rabbit on paper towels after frying.
9. Serve rabbit with lemon cheeks.

Read More: How to Cook Rabbit?

2. Char-Grilled Quail

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: marinate overnight
• Cook Time: 32 minutes
• Total Time: overnight marinade and 32 minutes
• Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 peaches
• Hazelnut oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup hazelnut
• 4 quail, cut butterflied
• 2 oz red wine vinegar
• 6 slices of prosciutto
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix olive oil and garlic and pour over quail.
2. Place in the fridge so the quail marinades overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 356 degrees.
4. Take out a tray and spread hazelnut. Roast the hazelnut in the oven for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the hazelnuts don’t burn but turn golden brown. Once hazelnuts are roasted, remove them from the oven and cool on the tray.
5. When hazelnuts have cooled, wrap them in a tea towel and rub to get rid of their skins.
6. Turn up the barbecue on high heat. Cook the quails skin-side down for up to 4 minutes. Then turn and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes, until it becomes brown.
7. Leave the quails to rest for 5 minutes.
8. Mix extra-virgin oil and red wine vinegar, and add seasoning to taste. Add peaches and hazelnuts.
9. Serve quail on a plate with the mixed salad with prosciutto. Drizzle hazelnut oil on top.

3. Wellington Venison

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients:

• 1 oz bacon
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 venison backstrap
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon water
• 10 oz pack of mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground thyme
• 1 pack of frozen puff pastry

Instructions:

1. Preheat the dutch oven to 230 degrees
2. Melt most of the butter in a pan over medium heat.
3. Brown venison in butter for 2 minutes per side.
4. Melt the rest of the butter. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, and Worcestershire sauce. Saute until mushrooms become soft, up to 7 minutes. Then move from heat and let cool.
5. Take out a cutting board, and spread thyme, salt, and pepper. Roll backstrap halves to make a coating of herbs. Wrap each piece in bacon.
6. Place each piece of backstrap into the center of puff pastry. Pinch together the sides to seal the pastry.
7. Mix egg yolk and water and brush the tops of the pastry.
8. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 220 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes.

4. Roast Pheasant

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours and 25 minutes
• Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 whole pheasant
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 rosemary sprigs, without leaves, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
2. Mix rosemary and thyme into the oil.
3. Rub the pheasant with salt and pepper and palace in a roasting pan. Put the herb with oil on top.
4. Bake the pheasant for about an hour. Cover it with aluminum foil after an hour, and bake for one more hour. Baste the meat with oil and juices from the pan every half an hour. The pheasant game meat is ready when the meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees.
5. When the pheasant is cooked, cover with a double sheet of aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

5. Game Pie

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 2.5 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 3.5 oz prunes
• 19 oz stout
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 12 oz chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 17 to 18 oz mixed diced wild game meat

Pastry ingredients:

• 7 oz flour
• 3.5 oz shredded suet
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a casserole and fry the vegetables until they turn golden. Place the fried vegetables onto a plate.
2. Place the game meat into the flour and brown in batches, then transfer onto a plate.
3. Pour the stout into the casserole and scrape all the bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add stock and prunes, browned meat and veggies, and cook for 2 hours on lowered heat. Then transfer into a pie dish and cool.
4. Make the pastry. Mix the flour and suet in a large bowl. Add salt and water, and work the dough by hand until it comes together. Then wrap and let chill for half an hour.
5. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Roll the pastry onto a floured surface. First drape over, then crimp to seal. Brush with a lightly beaten egg, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until you have crusty bread.

6. Wild Boar Sausage Toad in the Hole

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 65 minutes
• Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 5 oz flour
• 8 oz whole milk
• 3.5 oz sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 8 wild boar sausages (or venison)
• Redcurrant jam or mustard for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees. Pour the sunflower oil into a baking dish and place it in the oven, so it gets hot.
2. Whisk the flour, milk, eggs, horseradish, and thyme with seasoning until it turns into a smooth batter. Leave it for 5 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry sausages.
4. Remove the baking dish from the oven and pour in the batter. Place in the sausages and bake for about 25 minutes until they become golden.
5. Serve with redcurrant jam, mustard, or some mashed potatoes.

7. Grilled Wild Duck Breast

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/4 black pepper
• 2 tablespoon garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 8 duck breast halves, skinned, boned

Instructions:

• Mix olive oil, hot sauce, garlic, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add duck breast to the mixture and coat well. Cover the duck meat and marinate in the fridge overnight.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill the duck breast 5 minutes per side for medium-well.

8. Venison Pot Roast

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours and 35 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 8 oz baby carrots
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 oz venison roast
• 1.5 oz beef stew seasoning package
• 1 oz diced tomatoes or tomato paste 

Instructions:

1. Turn on a pressure cooker, and choose saute option. Add oil and heat for one minute. Put the venison roast in the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes, then flip and sear for two more minutes. Turn off saute mode.
2. Pour water into a bowl, add beef stew seasoning and whisk until it dissolves, then pour over the venison meat.
3. Close the pressure cooker, and choose high pressure. Set the timer for 2 hours.
4. Wait 10 minutes for pressure to build, then carefully release it using the quick-release method for 5 minutes.
5. Add carrots and potatoes, then close the lid again. Choose high pressure and set for 10 minutes. 
6. Release pressure for 15 minutes, then transfer the food to plates.

9. Rabbit Stew

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 80 minutes 
• Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 sprig thyme
• 4 rabbit legs
• 1 cup flour
• 7 oz mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 4 cups chicken stock

Instructions:

1. Season rabbit legs with salt and pepper, then coat in flour and set aside.
2. Place the butter and oil into a large pan over medium heat and wait until the butter melts and the oil becomes hot. Add rabbit legs, brown them on all sides, then remove them from the pan.
3. Add onion, mushrooms, and celery, and cook until they start to caramelize.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and wine and return the rabbit legs. Pour in the rest of the vinegar and stock. The rabbit game should be submerged.
5. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for up to 60 minutes, so the wild game turns tender [1].

Note: Remove the lid after 30 minutes so the liquid can reduce.

10. Guinea Fowl Tagine

Recipe overview:

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Number of Servings: 3

Ingredients:

• 2 apricots
• 1 onion
• Pinch of ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 lemon juice
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 guinea fowl
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 squash, peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Instructions:

1. Season guinea fowl with salt and pepper.
2. Sear guinea fowl in a pan with oil until it becomes brown on all sides, then take out.
3. Add onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add spices, saffron, honey, chickpeas, stock, and lemon juice.
4. Put the guinea fowl back in, and add apricots. Simmer for an hour.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Related Articles:

• How to Cook Game Meat?
• Most Popular Venison Dishes
• Most Popular Wild Game Meat Deliveries

FAQs

What are the Best Wild Game Recipes for You?

I’ve included a mix of easy wild game recipes and some that are slightly more complicated so there’s something for wild game newbies and experienced cooks.

I don’t recommend buying wild game meat from supermarkets, though. Instead, buy during the hunting season for delicious meals, and always go for verified sellers.

That’s why we’ve compiled the list of the six best wild game meat delivery services to get your supply of wild game. These companies provide premium quality meat that is sustainably raised without any hormones, GMOs, or antibiotics, ensuring wild game meat stays natural.

---

References:

1. https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.cce.cornell.edu/attachments/19032/Game