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Wild Pheasant In Mushroom and Wine Sauce

Wild Pheasant in Mushrooms and Wine Sauce is a delicious dinner with moist tender, flavorful meat. This amazing recipe features a variety of mushrooms and a delicate Wine sauce.

What a wonderful way to enjoy your wild caught bird.

This pheasant recipe was developed by Heather (our daughter in law). She is an avid Hunter. As is Bill, our oldest son.

They love game meats and are experienced in cooking them.

I was visiting them recently and Heather shared this recipe. I sat her down and wrote the recipe out.  She let me know simple pheasant recipes like this one are very hard to find.

Creating a recipe that results in moist tasty Pheasant can be a challenge.

Pheasant meat tends to cook up dry. Heather’s recipe creates a beautiful wine sauce. Add in the mushrooms and onions for a scrumptious wild pheasant dinner.

She is an excellent cook. I’m so happy to have this recipe to share with you.

Wild Pheasant In Mushroom Wine Sauce
Wild Pheasant In mushroom Wine Sauce

A bag of frozen Pheasant came home with me too. All prepped and ready to cook up. 

Heather Bill And Henry- Pheasant  Recipes

Bill , Heather and Henry

We are So blessed in our family <3

More Game meat recipes:

Heather JUST shared her Pheasant Marsala Recipe! so if you are looking for yet another Pheasant recipe from one of the best cooks on the planet… Check out Heather’s Wild Pheasant in Creamy Marsala Recipe!

In the sidebar and at the bottom of our recipe card is a video demonstration of the Pheasant Marsala Recipe. Find the complete Printable Recipe here!

Bill and Heather hunt all the time. You just never know what they may run into. Duck Hunting season is here so Bill might deliver a duck to my door one day…we’ll see.

Heather also made a domestic Rabbit Mushroom Stew recipe that is excellent. AND… these are not our family’s only hunters!

For Christmas my brother gave me MOOSE meat. I created Smoky Moose meat skillet dinner for a quick N Easy dinner.

It’s SO good. Moose meat is also used in Brigitte’s German Cabbage rolls. Moose meat is very similar to beef but extra lean. Such a healthy meat.

My sister Susie does not hunt herself but she helps hunters put up game meat during hunting season.

She gave us a jar of canned venison and I made a delicious Crock Pot Venison stew.  

If you have game meat recipes and ideas PLEASE share them in the comment section. We would love to hear from you!

Wild Pheasant In Mushrooms And Wine Sauce
Wild Pheasant In Mushrooms and Wine Sauce

Back to our recipe. This is a hen that Bill hunted up a few weeks ago right at the end of the season. Where we live in Western Washington State it is legal to hunt wild pheasant hens.

Apparently that is not the case in all areas. Here’s a link to a Washington state Pheasant hunting guide that has the rules for our state.

A drake will work for this recipe if that is what you have.

I followed Heather’s recipe exactly and Dave and I both enjoyed it very much! It’s made all in one skillet or dutch oven on the stove top.

Wild Pheasant In Mushrooms And Wine Sauce
Wild Pheasant In Mushrooms and Wine Sauce recipe produces a moist flavorful bird.

There is a wonderful variety of mushrooms in the recipe. I was worried when I looked around the store. I am not a mushroom connoisseur. I learned quite a bit. The Porcini mushrooms were in a package dried.

Dried Porcini Mushrooms
Dried Porcini Mushrooms

The store was completely out of fresh Chanterelles so I went with colorful dried Homard Lobster Mushrooms (also in a package) instead. They worked wonderfully well in this recipe.

Dried Homard Lobster Mushrooms
Dried Homard Lobster Mushrooms

The mushrooms were so good with the Wine sauce. The Shiitakes were fresh.

Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms

I like the white mushrooms rather than brown so that’s what I used. Heather says you can use any mushroom combination you can find. These are my picks this time.

Fresh Crimini Mushrooms
Fresh white Crimini Mushrooms

 Wild Pheasant in Mushrooms and Wine Sauce Recipe:

  • Prepare the Pheasant:
Wild Pheasant
Wild Pheasant prepared to cook.
  • Cut the bird from neck to bottom or it’s ribs (AVOID cutting into the bowel or stomach). Pull the skin apart.
  • Cut off the breasts (breast out the bird).
  • Cut off the skin around the leg from hip joint. Remove the legs at the hip joint. Remove remaining feathers from breasts and legs. Rinse and pat dry.
  • Wild Pheasant
    Our Wild pheasant hen prepared to cook with other ingredients.

    Instructions for the Recipe:

    1. Preheat a dutch oven (OR cast iron combo skillet or other heavy bottom skillet with a lid) on your stove to medium heat.
    2. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    3. Add 2 Tablespoons butter and stir until melted.
    4. Put in the pheasant legs first and sear two minutes on each sides. After one minute add pheasant breasts. WATCH them. It’s easy to overcook the breasts. Just sear until lightly brown but NOT cooked. (about 2 or three minutes) Scrape pan and stir in the bits. Deglaze with water or a bit of wine as necessary.
    5. Remove the pheasant from pan and set aside.
    6. Add the remaining butter. When butter is melted add in the mushrooms. Stir occasionally and cook 5 minutes, covered, until partially cooked.
    7. Add onions and garlic. Stir together with partially cooked mushrooms.
    8. Turn the heat to high and Add the wine. Reduce the wine by half.
    9. Reduce heat to medium high.
    10. Add chicken, turkey (or either poultry bone) broth, breasts and legs and cover them.Wild Pheasant In Mushrooms And Wine Sauce
    11. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 20 minutes until pheasant is done. (Check a leg)
    12. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce thickens.
    13. Add fresh parsley until wilted.Wild Pheasant In Mushrooms And Wine Sauce
    14. Serve from the pot.

    This recipe will also work great with Rabbit or chicken.

     NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

    449 CALORIES/ Serving

    • Fat               38%  25 g
    • Carbs            7%   22g
    • Protein      52%  26 g
    Wild Pheasant In Mushroom Wine Sauce
    Yield: 4 servings

    Wild Pheasant In Mushrooms and Wine Sauce

    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour

    Pheasant breasts and legs make an impressive delicious dinner with a medley of mushrooms in a wine reduction sauce.

    Ingredients

    • 2 Whole skinless legs and skinless breast of Pheasant., 2 of each-legs and breast.
    • 4 Tablespoons butter-divided
    • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive Oil
    • 3/4 Cup whole pearl onions, Or 1/2 diced yellow onions
    • 5 cloves garlic, minced
    • 5 or 6 whole Shiitake mushrooms , roughly cut
    • 1 pint Crimini mushrooms (Or white), Sliced
    • 1/2 oz. about 1/2 Cup volume wt. Dried Lobster Homard mushrooms or 5 fresh Chanterelles, chopped or sliced
    • 1 oz. about 1/2 Cup dried Porcini Mushrooms, chopped
    • 1 Cup White wine (I used Sauvignon blanc)
    • 1 Cup chicken broth
    • 1/3 Cup fresh curly leaf parsley , finely chopped
    • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 2 Tablespoons water
    • 2 Tablespoons Water
    • 1 tsp. salt , as needed to rub the meat
    • 1 tsp. pepper, as needed to rub the meat

    Instructions

    1. Prepare the Pheasant:
    2. Cut the bird from neck to bottom or it’s ribs(AVOID cutting into the bowel or stomach). Pull the skin apart.
    3. Cut off the breasts (breast out the bird).
    4. Cut off the skin around the leg from hip joint. Remove the legs at the hip joint. Remove remaining feathers from breasts and legs. Rinse and pat dry.
    5. Preheat a dutch oven (OR cast iron combo skillet or other heavy bottom skillet) on your stove to medium heat.
    6. salt and pepper all sides of the meat.
    7. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    8. Add 2 Tablespoons butter and stir until melted.
    9. Put in the pheasant legs first and sear two minutes on each sides. After one minute add the Pheasant breasts. WATCH them. It’s easy to overcook the breasts. Just sear until lightly brown but NOT cooked. (about 2 or three minutes) Scrape pan and stir in the bits.
    10. Remove the pheasant from pan and set aside.
    11. Add the remaining butter. When butter is melted add in the mushrooms. Stir occasionally and cook 5 minutes, covered, until partially cooked.
    12. Add onions and garlic. Stir together with partially cooked mushrooms.
    13. Turn the heat to high and Add the wine. Reduce the wine by half.
    14. Reduce heat to medium high.
    15. Add chicken broth, breasts and legs and cover them.
    16. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 20 minutes until pheasant is done. (Check a leg)
    17. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce thickens.
    18. Add fresh parsley until wilted. Wild Pheasant In Mushrooms And Wine Sauce
    19. Serve from the pot.

    Notes

    I have allowed time to prep the bird in the prep time if you are a fast prepper. Allow more time if you need it to prepare the bird. Or less time if the bird is ready to cook.

    Use whatever mushrooms you prefer or are in season.

    Pheasant is VERY easy to over cook. Please follow Heather's directions exactly for best results.

    Below is our recipe demonstration video for Heather's Pheasant Marsala Recipe.

    Nutrition Information

    Yield

    4

    Amount Per Serving Calories 449

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    Wild Pheasant in Mushrooms and Wine Sauce is a delicious dinner with moist tender, flavorful meat. This amazing recipe features a variety of mushrooms and a delicate Wine sauce. What a wonderful way to enjoy your wild caught bird.

    Tracey

    Tuesday 30th of January 2024

    Wow!! Tried for 1st time using only pheasant legs and was really surprised at how tender they cooked, serving it with baby new potatoes and broccoli was amazing. Going to try it next time with the wild rice suggestion. Pleased I've found another delicious recipe as I've a freezer full of pheasant.......

    Diane

    Tuesday 30th of January 2024

    Hi Tracey, We are thrilled you enjoy this pheasant recipe. If your looking for another way to prepare it try our Pheasant in a creamy Marsala Sauce and Thanks so much for reviewing this recipe! Have a wonderful day!

    Ken

    Friday 17th of November 2023

    Thank you! The recipe was delicious and easy to follow. I added a side of wild rice that paired perfectly. Only comment is that I’m glad it was only for my wife and me. The two of of finished all of it!

    Diane

    Friday 17th of November 2023

    Hi Ken, We are so happy you enjoyed Heather's recipe. It's a favorite for sure. Thanks for the great review and the wild rice side dish suggestion. That does sound like a fantastic combo. Happy Holidays!

    matt

    Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

    i added some whole fat greek yogurt as well gave it a nice creamy tang

    Diane

    Friday 24th of March 2023

    That is a fantastic change up Matt. Thanks so much for sharing it with us and our cooks that enjoy enjoy this recipe. We always enjoy new ideas. Have a wonderful Day!

    Jim Lowther

    Saturday 15th of October 2022

    My neighbor took me to his hunting preserve and I used this recipe for our birds. I boned the meat and made broth from the bones. I used fresh lobsters and dried morels I had from Springtime, and purchased oyster mushrooms and portobellos. Served over penne pasta, it was magnificent!

    I had some fresh chanterelles I could have added, but I never serve more than one new variety at a time to a wild mushroom novice. I wondered if mirepoix might have been a rightous addition, but decided to stick to the recipe. My only criticism of this recipe is that the individual identity of the several mushrooms gets confused in this rich medley. While it was delightful, I think it would have been just as good with only one variety of mushroom, perhaps the lobster.

    Diane

    Wednesday 19th of October 2022

    Hi Jim. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and tips for this recipe. It's great to have new ideas for this popular pheasant recipe. Glad to know you enjoyed it!

    E

    Sunday 30th of January 2022

    it's chanterelle. don't forget to spellcheck otherwise it looks sloppy

    DP

    Wednesday 21st of December 2022

    @E, Don’t forget to scroll on and accept typos, or you look like a complete loser.

    Diane

    Sunday 30th of January 2022

    Thanks for catching that. I'll go fix it. Have a wonderful week!

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