Twelve Favorite Upland Bird Recipes for the Grill
Cook these sizzling pheasant, quail, chukar, and grouse recipes on your grill this summer
I, for one, never tire of eating grilled hot dogs, but I understand not everyone feels that way. Plus, cooking upland birds on the grill is arguably one of the most satisfying ways to enjoy their meat. So, what better way to keep your family and friends’ tastebuds happy (and avoid collecting freezer fossils) than to keep the grill ripping through August?
If you’re looking for creative ways to cook upland game this summer, consider giving these recipes by Jack Hennessy and Tristan Henry a try. Just remember that the secrets to perfectly grilled upland birds are a good brine, dry skin, and a scorching hot grill.
“Brining does a few key things,” said wild game cook Jack Hennessy. “It sucks out residual blood, leaving you with a nice clean piece of meat. The salt in the brine binds to muscle fibers and helps the meat retain moisture while cooking. Lastly, a good brine imbues the bird with flavor.”
Make sure your bird skin has adequately dried post-brine. Otherwise, you’ll end up with soggy birds, not crispy ones. Let your birds dry out in your fridge, uncovered, the night before cooking them. When you’re ready to cook, get your grill to at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Temps this high will sear the birds’ exteriors without overcooking the meat’s interior.
Perfectly Grilled Quail
If you’re new to grilling upland birds, start at the beginning and perfect a simple grilled quail first.
Jack recommends spatchcocking quail when prepping them for the grill because it helps these small birds cook more evenly. The goal is to achieve crispy skin on the outside and tender meat with a blush of pink on the inside.
“How you choose to eat these birds and select foods to pair them with is entirely up to you,” Jack says. His directions will help make sure your quail come off the grill perfectly every time.
Grilled Quail with Chipotle Strawberry Sauce
Now that you’re grilling quail to perfection, ramp things up by making a chipotle strawberry sauce to go with it. In this recipe, Jack balanced out the extreme sweetness of fresh strawberries with pureed chipotle in adobo sauce. The spice and heaviness of the chipotles balances out the crisp tang of the strawberries, and you’re left with a rich, complex sauce that complements hot summer days beautifully.
Dove Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce
If you still have dove in the freezer or plan to take advantage of the dove season opener this year, add Jack’s recipe for dove skewers with peanut sauce to your repertoire. Not only is this recipe a fantastic way to enjoy a unique blend of flavors, it’ll get you out of your dove popper rut.
“If you find yourself folding more doves than you expected and want to try something new, you can’t go wrong with this recipe here,” said Jack. Whether you go the classic popper route or decide to venture into new territory, Jack always recommends aging dove meat.
“Generally speaking, the larger the game, the longer you age it,” Jack said. “I’ve aged roosters for as many as ten days. Five days seems to be the sweet spot for dove.” He mentions that when aged dove is served medium-rare, its flavor is enhanced. “It’s nutty, sweet, and deep. It’s a taste that makes you close your eyes and focus solely on what is happening between your molars.”
Upland Bratwurst with Beer and Cheddar
If complex flavor profiles aren’t your thing, try giving a midwestern grillmaster’s staple an upland twist. In this recipe, Jack grinds and stuffs his own upland bird meat into bratwursts alongside chunks of cheddar and beer.
“This upland bratwurst recipe is based on one shared with me by Joshua Smith, co-owner of the Barred Owl Butcher & Table in Columbia, Missouri,” said Jack. “I added beer and high-temp cheddar to this recipe.” He explains that even though it’s not cheap, high-temp cheddar is required. Any other type of cheddar will melt out of the sausage prior to serving. Additionally, he mentioned that the beer choice is up to you. “Just make sure it’s something you’ll enjoy drinking and that it’s ice-cold (almost frozen) when added to your sausage mix,” he said.
Grilled Pheasant with Colcannon and Guinness Onion Gravy
Another beer-centric recipe, Jack’s grilled pheasant with colcannon and Guinness gravy is a rich and savory dish. Although it’s inspired by traditional St. Patrick’s Day fare, it’s delicious any day of the year.
Jack’s secret to cooking perfect pheasant thighs and wings for this recipe lies in his use of a sous-vide. “A sous vide set to 150 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours tenderizes them immensely,” he explains. “I then followed up with a hot-and-fast sear for texture. This same sous vide technique can be applied to legs and wings, as the lower temps and extended cooking time break down tough protein structures.”
Seltzer Can Chukar
You’ve probably heard of beer can chicken. But have you heard of seltzer can chukar?
“Upland birds such as chukar and pheasant are too small to fit on your standard beer can, but they will sit snug on thinner White Claw or other hard seltzer cans. And yes, I made fun of hard seltzers until I finally tried them. I discovered I have no shame,” said Jack.
Its name might not have as good of a ring to it, but seltzer can chukar makes no sacrifices when it comes to flavor. Drink your hard seltzer with pride, and when you’re done, slap a chukar on it and roast it on the grill.
Honey and Lemon Grilled Quail
Perhaps pushing the culinary boundaries of blending upland birds with seltzer cans is a little much for you (or you’re still making fun of White Claws. It’s your loss, honestly). Let’s bring it back to simple and light upland bird grilling.
Honey and lemon grilled quail is a sweet and bright dish even picky eaters will enjoy. Just remember that adding sugar to a recipe will cause the dish to caramelize faster than normal, so watch your birds closely and make sure they don’t burn.
“These quail were very good, and the addition of honey and freshly squeezed grilled lemon created a perfect summer dish with bright, sweet, and savory tones,” said Jack. “By the way, grilling lemons intensifies their flavor and somewhat caramelizes the fruit, adding a bit of smoky depth, plus it looks pretty on the plate beside the grilled quail.”
Simple Grilled Chukar with Lemon, Savory, & Thyme
Another simple yet completely satisfying upland bird recipe is Tristan’s grilled chukar with lemon, savory, and thyme. “This chukar recipe, like most of my favorites, is all about letting the ingredients shine through,” said Tristan. And boy, do these ingredients shine.
This recipe’s lemon zest, garlic, fresh herbs, and crispy chukar come together in a classy and beautiful way. Plus, it’s versatile enough to be served alongside grilled veggies, a spring salad, roasted potatoes, and pretty much anything else you can imagine.
Grilled Quail Tabbouleh Salad
If health-conscious carbs are your jam, this grilled quail and tabbouleh salad recipe will rock your world.
Tabbouleh is also spelled tabouli or tabouleh. It originated in Lebanon and has been growing exponentially in popularity around the United States. It features parsley and bulgur, which makes it taste bright and hearty with strong Mediterranean vibes. In this recipe, you’ll grill the quail as normal and simply add it to the salad.
Maybe play “Free Bird” while you eat it. Then you can jam out while your tastebuds get rocked.
Firecracker Chukar Salad
If you played “Free Bird” during the last recipe, play “Party In The U.S.A.” and wear American flag swim trunks while you eat firecracker chukar salad.
Jack developed this recipe recipe when feeling inspired by a firecracker chicken salad that The Elk Public House served each year around the 4th of July. “The idea was simple: balancing heat with a strong dose of huckleberry sweetness, which at the time was only available from Montana during summer months,” said Jack. “With chukar being a popular game bird in this region, and with the Fourth of July this weekend, it made perfect sense to take this classic seasonal menu item and put a wild game spin on it.”
Grilled Pheasant with Smoked Jalapeño Chimichurri
Smoky? Spicy? Savory? And fresh? Count me in.
Grilled pheasant with smoked jalapeño chimichurri is a vibrant, punchy way to serve grilled upland game. Jack has two big tips for makers of this recipe: thoroughly dry your herbs after rinsing them, and mind how many jalapeño seeds end up in your chimichurri.
“The extra water from the rinse will dilute their flavor,” said Jack. “The heat of jalapeño peppers can vary by batch. Some are super spicy; some are milder. Taste a bite that includes seeds and pulp after smoking the peppers, then decide how many peppers you want to seed into the chimichurri blend.” He also mentioned that you can set aside all the pulp and seeds and gradually add them in until your preferred spiciness is reached.
Grilled Quail with Peach Chipotle Sauce
Jack’s grilled quail with peach chipotle sauce recipe is the perfect dish to serve as summer transforms into fall. “While peaches and heat are synonymous with summer, the autumn mix of roasted pumpkin and caramelized Granny Smith apples makes for the perfect union of seasonal flavors, helping this dish serve as the perfect segue into this time of year,” he said. Savory quail meat, sweet peaches, pumpkin, cinnamon, and the deep spice of chipotle peppers is a delightfully seasonal flavor combination.
