Delicious Air Fried Pheasant
With the increasing popularity of air fryers we explore how to roast your next pheasant recipe
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 whole rooster preferably plucked
- Olive oil for coating pheasant
Brine
- 1 gallon water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup whole black peppercorns
- ½ cup whole anise stars
- ¼ cup coriander seeds
- 1 garlic bulb smashed
- 8 oz fresh ginger smashed
Instructions
Brining and Pheasant Meat Preparation
- Add all of your brining ingredients to a large pot. Use only a half gallon of water to start. Turn the heat to low and stir it for 20 minutes. Remove your brine from the heat and add the other half gallon as cold water. When it’s safe to add it to the fridge (the pot bottom is cool to the touch), do so. Once the brine is cold, add in your pheasant and brine it for 12 to 16 hours.
- Remove the pheasant from the brine and thoroughly rinse it under cold running water. Pat dry, and let it dry in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Twenty-four hours is preferred—dry skin results in crispy skin.
- Pull out the pheasant two hours before cooking and lightly coat it with olive oil. Truss the bird. Using kitchen twine, I make sure the base of the legs are tied tightly together, then take a separate length of twine and tie the wings close to the body. Nothing fancy. Allow the pheasant to sit at room temperature for two hours before cooking.
Cooking Air Fried Pheasant
- To cook, set the air fryer to roast at 375 Fahrenheit. Once ready, insert the trussed pheasant and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use rotisserie spit. Hit the rotate feature and roast for 40 minutes.
- When it’s done, remove the bird and let it rest, uncovered, for ten minutes before carving.
Notes
Enjoy! Reach out to me on Instagram (@WildGameJack) with any questions or comments.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!