10 of the Best Wild Game Recipes to Try this Hunting Season

Aside from the hunt itself, one of the best, most rewarding aspects of hunting is the meal you’re able to make with your harvest. Ethical hunters know the importance of using as much of the game meat as possible, and throughout the years, people everywhere have come up with some delicious wild game dishes that make it easier than ever to use as much meat as possible.

We’ve compiled a list of ten of our favorite wild game dinner ideas that we think you’ll love to try out, regardless of your hunt of choice. Check them out!

Wild Game Recipes that Are Simple and Delicious

Are you looking to create a delicious wild game meal that’s simple and easy to make? These ten dishes are some of our personal favorites — they use up plenty of wild game, they are simple enough to cook and they are certain to leave your tastebuds satisfied!

1. Sloppy Does

Courtesy of AllRecipes, this sandwich is served best with venison meat — preferably from a female. It’s quick and easy to make and is great for picnics, barbeques, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 lb ground venison
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced and seeded
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 clove diced garlic
• 2 teaspoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• Sesame buns

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Brown ground venison with a jalapeno pepper in the hot oil. Stir often until the meat is crumbly and no longer pink.
3. Mix in ketchup, molasses, and yellow mustard. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes.
5. Serve on sesame buns.

2. Elk Meatballs

This recipe from Stacy Lyn Harris provides you with a simple way to serve elk meat in a bite-sized portion!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground elk meat
• 1 teaspoon Five Spice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon sliced thin green onions
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup sweet chili sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients except for the sweet chili sauce. Mix by hand for 2-3 minutes.
2. Use an ice cream scoop to make 1-ounce meatballs. Place each meatball onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
3. When done, carefully put the cooked meatballs into a mixing bowl. Add the sweet chili sauce and carefully toss or stir to fully coat the meatballs with sauce.
4. Garnish if desired and serve hot.

3. Wild Duck Gumbo

Are you looking to serve duck in a delicious, flavorful bowl? If so, this wild duck gumbo from Taste of Home is exactly what you need!

Ingredients:

• 1 wild duck, cut up
• ½ cup canola oil
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 lb sliced smoked sausage
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1-½ cups chopped green pepper
• 1-½ cups sliced celery
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1-½ teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ⅓ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 quarts water
• Cooked rice

Instructions:

1. Using a Dutch oven, brown duck in batches of oil over medium heat. Remove and set aside. Discard all but ⅔ cup of drippings. Add flour to the dippings, cook, and stir over medium heat until brown.
2. Add sausage, onion, green pepper, celery, parsley, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the next eight ingredients. Add duck, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 60-75 minutes or until the duck is tender.
4. Remove the duck. Cool. Debone and cut into chunks, return to pan. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Remove bay leaves and serve with rice.

4. Grilled Dove Pizza

Who doesn’t love pizza? Pizza is a universal food, and with this grilled dove pizza recipe from Field and Stream, you can add a wild touch to each slice.

Ingredients:

• 4 dove (or any other gamebird) breasts
• 2 slices bacon
• 1 lb wild mushrooms (shiitakes or a blend)
• 9 tablespoons of divided olive oil
• 6-8 chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1-½ cup grated fontina cheese
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 round uncooked pizza dough
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Season the dove breasts with salt and pepper and wrap each with a half slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick that has been soaked in water for 30 minutes.
2. Set up your grill for two-level cooking, with one side high and one side medium.
3. Grill the dove breasts over the medium side until the bacon is cooked.
4. Stem the mushrooms and put the caps in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and gently toss to coat. Arrange them on the grill over medium heat and cook until tender (about 3 minutes per side).
5. Remove the toothpicks from the dove breasts and chop them — bacon and all — into small pieces. Put them in a bowl. Slice the mushrooms and add these to the dove and bacon. Add the sage. Put the cheese in another bowl.
6. Sprinkle the flour on a large cutting board and dust your hands with it. Divide the dough in half. Flatten each half into a ¼-inch thick disk. Slather the tops and bottoms with 1 tablespoon olive oil per side.
7. Drape the dough rounds onto the hot side of the grill. Once they puff up, use tongs or wide spatula to slide the crusts to the medium side and cook until the bottoms are browned. Flip back over to the hot side and cook for one minute.
8. Move the crusts back to the medium side. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and divide the cheese between the crusts. Do the same with the dove and mushroom mixture.
9. Cover the grill to melt the cheese, and cook for 3-5 minutes.
10. Transfer the pizza to a platter, add salt and pepper and enjoy.

5. Pheasant Stir Fry

Pheasant stir fry (especially this one from Taste of Home) is a delicious meal for a cold day.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1-⅓ cup water
• 1 boneless skinless pheasant breast, cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 1 cup celery
• 1 cup onion
• 1 cup frozen snow peas
• Hot cooked rice

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, cornstarch, bouillon, and ginger until blended.
2. Add water and set the bowl aside.
3. In a skillet or wok, stir-fry pheasant in 1 tablespoon of oil for 3-4 minutes or until the pink is gone. Remove and keep warm.
   Add remaining oil to pan. Stir-fry carrots and broccoli for 2 minutes.
4. Add onion, celery, and peas, stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender for 5 minutes.
5. Stir soy sauce mixture and add the skillet. Bring to a boil.
6. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Return meat to pan and heat through. Serve with rice.

6. Wild Turkey and Dumplings

Who said you have to wait until Thanksgiving to have some turkey? With this delicious wild turkey and dumplings recipe, courtesy of Timber 2 Table, you can make this treat year-round!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs of turkey breast cut into chunks
• 1 quart of chicken stock
• 1 quart of water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Dumplings
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons shortening or lard
• ¾ cup buttermilk or water

Instructions:

1. Season the turkey meat well with salt and pepper. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter together. Brown the turkey on both sides over medium heat.
2. Once the meat has been browned, add chicken stock and water to the pot. Add the bouillon cubes and poultry seasoning and reduce the heat and cover the pot. Simmer the turkey slowly for 2-3 hours until the meat is tender.
3. Prepare the dumplings. Combine baking soda, flour, and salt. Cut the lard or shortening with two forks or a dough cutter.
4. Add the buttermilk, stirring with a fork until moistened. Knead the dough 4-5 times and roll into a round about ¼ inch thick.
5. Cut into dumpling-sized pieces with a sharp knife. Toss each dumpling into flour to prevent sticking.
6. Once the turkey has simmered remove it from the broth and set it aside to cool. Turn up the heat and bring the pot to a boil. Add the dumplings to the pot one at a time, stirring as you go. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
7. Add the turkey meat to the dumpling pot and stir well. Simmer for 10-15 more minutes and serve. Add salt and pepper when needed.

7. Roast Wild Boar

Wild boar is a delicacy that everyone should try out once in their life. This roast wild boar recipe from Food 52 is a great place to start.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• ½ bulb fennel, roughly chopped
• ½ cup divided olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1-½ lbs wild boar roast
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• ½ cup water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Throw all the chopped vegetables in ¼ cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put them in the bottom of a small roasting pan and set aside.
3. Heat a skillet on high heat.
4. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and sear the roast on all sides.
5. As the meat sears, take half the fresh herbs you have and chop them finely. Place them in a small bowl, then add the remainder of olive oil and minced garlic. Stir to create a loose paste.
6. Once the boar has been seared, rub it all over the paste and set atop the vegetables in the pan.
7. Use butcher’s twine to tie the remaining herbs together and throw into the roasting pan.
8. Add water to the pan, cover it and roast for ½ hour, or as long as it takes to reach an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees.
9. Allow to rest for five minutes before slicing and serving. Serve alongside roasted vegetables.

8. Quail with Rice

Quail is a favorite fall dish for hunters everywhere. Check out Taste of Home’s take on this dish with their quail with rice recipe!

Ingredients:

• 4 bacon strips, halved
• 8 quail (about 2 lbs)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• ½ cup minced fresh parsley
• 2-½ cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until partially done. Remove the bacon and drain the grease, reserving 2 tablespoons of dripping.
2. Brown quail in drippings. Remove and keep warm.
3. Saute carrots, onions, and parsley in drippings until tender.
4. Add broth, rice, salt, and lemon-pepper, and bring to a boil.
5. Place quail over rice, and place one bacon strip on each.
   Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender and the quail is cooked.

9. Hawaiian Duck Poppers

Want to add a tropical twist to your wild game? Try out these Hawaiian Duck Poppers, courtesy of Field & Stream!

Ingredients:

• Breast meat of two ducks, skinned
• 1 lb thick-cut bacon
• Pineapple chunks

Instructions:

1. With a knife, slice the duck breasts lengthwise into ¼-inch strips. Cut the bacon in half crosswise. Put a slice of bacon on the counter and top it with a piece of duck breast. Add a pineapple chunk and roll the popper up tightly. Secure with a toothpick.
2. Set up your grill with a two-zone fire — one side on medium-hot and the other with no heat.
3. Grill the poppers over the hot side, turning often until the bacon is crispy. If the dripping bacon fat flares up, move the poppers to the cool side of the grill until the fire subsides.

10. Three Cheese Venison Burger Pasta

Are your meals missing some carbs? If so, this three-cheese venison burger pasta from Delishably has you covered!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground venison
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ⅓ of a large minced onion
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and sliced
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce
• 6 cups of tube type or spiral pasta, cooked and drained
• 1-1/2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a 12-inch skillet, saute the onion in cooking oil on medium until the onion is tender. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add ground venison to the pan until browned. Break up the meat by stirring. Add the zucchini and cook until tender. Stir in the sauce.
3. Mix the mixture, pasta, ½ cup mozzarella, ricotta and parmesan cheese in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Add any remaining mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.

Improve Your Odds of Bringing Home Dinner This Season

Do these wild game dinner ideas have your stomach rumbling and your mind racing on when your next hunt will be? In order to create any of these wild game dishes, the first step is to secure the game with a successful hunt.

That’s where Silencer Central comes in. We have all sorts of silencers, silencer accessories, and services that can increase your chances of success on your hunt. Whether you want a silencer, barrel threading, or anything else, rest assured that Silencer Central will help you perform at your best so that when the moment comes, you’ll be ready.

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