24 Wild Game Recipes to Knock the Stuffing Out of You

So you're back from your weekend hunting trip loaded up with game meat, and you need to cook it. Or your freezer is filled to its icy brim. (Maybe you went a little wild for a big-or little-game sale online) Not to worry: We've got the wild game recipes you need, from venison to dove, wild boar to quail. These recipes are impressive, but easy to execute. Here are 24 of our favorites.

Venison

1. Venison Stuffing

Can you start planning for Thanksgiving too soon? We don't think so, either, so knock your family's argyle socks off with this venison stuffing. It'll use up a full pound of your venison, and features mushrooms, onions, zucchini, butter and fresh sage, to boot. Get the recipe here.

2. Cheesy Venison Dip

Because venison is so lean, it can handle (and benefit from) the addition of fat-a lot of it. Enter: cheese. Whether it's a knockout queso dip fit for game night (get it?!) or this cheddar-packed, chili powder-spiked dip, there's a venison dip out there for you.

Get the recipe here.

3. Easy Venison Sloppy Joes

Don't feel like shellacking your gorgeous venison with fat? Not a problem; consider sauce! Venison sloppy joes slathered in a homemade ketchup-BBQ sauce are the comfort food you didn't know you need.

Get the recipe here.

4. Sweet and Savory Bacon-Wrapped Tenderloin Recipe

Bacon. Wrapped. Tenderloin. (You heard us.) This tenderloin gets extra, well, tender thanks to a slow marinade in brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, and mustard. Wrapping anything in bacon ensures that it bastes itself while it cooks. This dish is precisely as good as it sounds.

Find the recipe here.

5. Venison Heart Bulgogi

A riff on the Korean classic-bulgogi-featuring venison heart? Sign us up. This incarnation of the dish features ponzu, grated pear, and fresh ginger. You can fry it up in a skillet, stovetop. Yum, yum. Get the recipe here.

6. Venison Chili

This deer chili (venison chili) recipe is half store-bought and half homemade - one of our favorite combinations, especially after a long day outside hunting. Top this chili with sour cream for optimal results.

Find the recipe here.

7. Campfire "Surf and Turf" Foil Packets

It's such an unexpected delight to have something like "surf and turf"-usually the territory of white linen tablecloths, steaks and lobsters-while camping. We love the combo of shrimp and venison, nestled into foil squares with potatoes, butter, corn and herbs. Aromatic and delicious, they're ready in about half an hour. Get the recipe here.

Bear

8. Cheesy Wildgame Burger Jalapeño Poppers

Got bear? If so, well, first, we want to hear the story, because those guys are fast. Second, maybe make cheesy jalapeño poppers with its meat to feed us while you tell the tale? We're sure it's a wild one. Get the recipe here.

Duck

9. Duck Gumbo

A rich gumbo is a good way to keep a game bird moist without letting it get greasy. Mix up your gumbo game by adding duck instead of andouille sausage, and you'll be in for a treat.

Get the recipe here.

10. Pulled Duck with Plum Sriracha

Step aside, pork: You're not the only wonderfully fatty meat that's excellent pulled. A sweet, spicy topping puts this pulled duck over the top.

Get the recipe here.

GOOSE

11. Jalapeño Cheddar Goose Meat Snack Sticks

Duck, duck... goose! If duck can be a jalapeño-and-cheese buddy, so can its plump pal, the goose. This recipe doesn't stint on luxe: It's got cheddar, pork butt, and goose, plus two full jars of jalapeños. (Talk about a filling snack while you're out hunting!)

Get the recipe here.

12. Goose Jerky

Teriyaki-Sriracha goose jerky spiked with liquid smoke. Need we say more? Get the recipe here.

Turkey

13. Whiskey-Glazed Wild Turkey Breast

Its fans would argue that whiskey makes everything better-right down to turkey. A sweet-and-savory glaze makes this turkey melt-in-your-mouth good; you need this recipe in your wild game recipe box ASAP.

Get the recipe here.

14. Turkey-White Bean Chili

Lighter than beef and arguably more filling thanks to plenty of cannellini beans, this turkey chili comes together in a snap. It's extra-delicious if you have homemade turkey broth kicking around, but it'll shine with plain old chicken broth from the pantry, too.

Get the recipe here.

Dove

15. Green Chile Dove Enchiladas

Dove gets a Tex-Mex makeover in this Hatch green chile enchilada dish. (New Mexicans would argue that yes, you need to find those Hatch chiles online!) This author used corn tortillas, rather than flour, and didn't dip the tortillas in the salsa, for a slightly crunchy effect.

Get the recipe here.

16. Dove Nuggets

If you have dove, you must try it fried. And when you fry it, you must fry bite-sized pieces. Little ones will be more inclined to eat them, and you're never too old to enjoy a nugget!

Get the recipe here.

Wild Boar

17. Wild Boar Carnitas

Yes, the meat has to cook for a couple hours, but once the simmering is complete, you'll have tender meat to crisp up in a pan for hearty carnitas.

Get the recipe here.

18. Wild Boar Ragu

We have yet to meet a ragù we don't love, and this dish is no exception. Hearty red wine such as Chianti, tomato paste, tomatoes and spices mingle for a full two-and-a-half hours, until the meat is dreamily tender.

Get the recipe here.

Quail

19. Fig and Balsamic-Glazed Quail

Wild game can be all over the place in terms of refinement. Consider this glorious dish of fig and glazed quail, which looks worthy of a four-star fine-dining establishment. (Unlike, perhaps, fried squirrel!) This is a dish to make when figs are in season near you, or the fresh imported ones are looking fabulous at the supermarket.

Get the recipe here.

21. Stuffed Quail Gumbo

"Gumbo-stuffed quail."(We'll give you a minute to collect yourself.) A more elegant riff on gumbo has never been seen.

Get the recipe here.

Frog

22. Kung Pao Frog Legs

Frog legs aren't strictly the territory of French cuisine, you know! They're simply fantastic in this take on kung pao chicken.

Get the recipe here.

23. Southern Style Frog Legs

A little bit of heat never hurt anybody, and the same rings true with these frog legs. Roast them to perfection with all the right amount of spices and Louisiana hot sauce and serve with a creamy Creole dipping sauce.

Get the recipe here.

24. Swampfire Frog Legs

Any wild game recipe list wouldn't be complete without the hunter's "guilty" pleasure: fried frog legs. Just a Pinch takes these bad boys up a notch with the addition of Sriracha. Mm-mm good.

Get the recipe here.

Elk

24. Baked Elk Meatballs

As is true of German rabbit stew, some game meat dishes just scream "autumn." Elk meatballs, mixed with plenty of store-bought barbecue sauce and amped up with garlic, onions, breadcrumbs, and parsley, are a surefire party conversation-starter. Serve with toothpicks, make the rounds, and be sure to tell the tale of how you got the elk. Give the people what they want.

Get the recipe here.

This article was originally published on January 19, 2018.