Have you gotten your hands on some small game, but aren’t sure how best to prepare and enjoy it? Well then, you’re in luck – because we’ve got some irresistible small game recipes for you today!
4 Most-Beloved Small Game Recipes
1. Barbecued Beaver
Because beavers are such active animals, some folks think the only way to cook one is to marinate it for up to 48 hours before sticking the meat into the crock pot.
But we’ve found the perfect recipe for barbecued beaver that only takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (excluding prep).
Just make sure you have a plump, young beaver. Otherwise, you’ll need the longer marinating and cooking time.
Ingredients:
- 1 beaver
- 1 apple peeled and halved
- 2 onions sliced
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 3/2 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Tabasco sauce (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Trim all of the fat from your beaver.
- Boil the meat over medium heat with the apple halves for 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, dry mustard, granulated sugar, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Drain and dry the beaver meat.
- Place the beaver into a roasting pan with the onions slices.
- Pour your sauce over the meat and bake for 2 to 2.5 hours.
- Use an oven-friendly mixing spoon to baste the meat with the sauce every 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add water as necessary so that the sauce stays at about the same consistency as a gravy.
Remember to let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before carving, so that it holds all its juices! Lather your barbecued beaver in its own gravy and serve with your choice of sides.
2. Barbecued Frogs Legs
Most people would say to fry your frogs legs, but if you want the perfect appetizer or side, barbecued is the way to go!
This recipe allows you to use your preferred store-bought barbecue sauce.
But if you prefer your own homemade barbecue sauce, be sure to have some at hand before you get started!
Ingredients:
- Frogs legs (aim for 2 to 4 per person)
- Olive oil
- Tabasco sauce (to taste)
- 1 and 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Toss your frogs legs in enough olive oil to coat, with a little extra for them to rest in.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper to taste. Us kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper gives the best flavor.
- Add your Tabasco sauce – the more, the better, but don’t make the marinade too hot. A finger-dip taste test will help you get it just right.
- Cover with foil and set to rest in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
- Before removing the frog’s legs from your fridge, mix your barbecue sauce with the finely minced garlic cloves and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to heat so the flavors blend perfectly.
- Get your barbecue white-hot and oil liberally before throwing your frogs legs on. Baste with your barbecue sauce mixture while cooking, for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the frog’s legs are just done. Be careful not to overcook them!
3. Maple Bourbon Glazed Grilled Raccoon
Whether you call them Trash Pandas or Masked Bandits, raccoons can be a real nuisance. Luckily, they’re a tasty nuisance – all you need to do is catch and prep them.
The best Maple Bourbon Glazed Grilled Raccoon is made with young raccoons that are about 3/4 full-grown and weigh about 5 to 7 Lbs. live. One of these can easily feed up to 5 people in a single sitting.
Ingredients:
- 1 young raccoon, skinned and quartered
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 2 tablespoons BBQ rub
- 2 tablespoons coffee rub
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
Instructions:
- Start by skinning and dressing your raccoon.
- Very importantly, you need to “musk” your raccoon by removing its pea-sized scent glands.
- You’ll find one on each joint between the thigh and lower hind leg, one on either side of the backstrap (rear part of the loin), one between the body and each of the front legs, and the final pair at either side of the neck.
- After rinsing away the blood and drying the meat, rub it down with a healthy coat of your BBQ rub and cover while you prep the sauce.
- In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the shallot. Cook until softened (about 3 to 5 minutes) before adding the syrup, bourbon, and coffee rub.
- Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer until it thickens (about 15 to 20 minutes).
- Grill your raccoon over medium heat for about 90 minutes, basting with your sauce every 15 minutes. Flip at the 45-minute mark.
If you’re feeling fancy (or want to make good use of any leftovers), shred the barbecued raccoon meat for sandwiches, tacos, nachos, or just about anything else you can imagine!
4. Bacon Fried Squirrel
Knowing how to hunt squirrels is a must-have survival skill – and practice makes perfect. But you don’t have to settle for SHTF squirrel meals in the comfort of your own home.
This recipe feeds 4.
Ingredients:
- 4 young squirrels, skinned and cut into 6 to 8 pieces each
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1/4 cup onion, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups chicken broth (homemade or store-bought)
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix your salt, pepper, garlic powder, and flour and roll your squirrel chunks in the mixture.
- Fry your bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
- Once the bacon is browned, add the squirrel to fry in the bacon grease until medium-brown.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, onion, celery stalks, and rosemary. Cover and allow to simmer for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until the squirrel meat is tender.
Bacon fried squirrel goes great with just about everything. A cup of warm rice drenched in the remaining sauce is just one way to enjoy this small game meal!
Which of these small game recipes are you most excited to try out with your family? Let us know in the comments section!
Up Next:
- 4 Easy And Tasty Elk Meat Recipes
- 5 Irresistible Venison Recipes You’ll Keep Craving For
- 7 Homemade Grilling Recipes & Ideas
