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    Peak to Plate » All Wild Game » Upland Birds

    Easy Crockpot Pheasant Stock

    Published: Feb 4, 2023 by Annie Weisz · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Jump to Recipe

    Pheasant stock is a great way to use parts of pheasants (and other game birds) that are often left in the field. You can get a lot of flavor out of a small amount of meat and bones if you give it plenty of time. This recipe uses a crockpot which makes hands-off for most of the cooking time! Once you try homemade stock in your recipes (like this pheasant noodle soup), you'll never want to buy storebought again!

    open jar of pheasant stock with feathers.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works:
    • Ingredient Notes:
    • Equipment Notes:
    • Step by Step Instructions:
    • What to Make with Pheasant Stock:
    • Recipe FAQ's:
    • Other Recipes to Try:
    • Recipe:
    • Crockpot Pheasant Stock

    Why This Recipe Works:

    Pheasant (and other game birds) legs and carcasses are often left in the field. The legs can be difficult to work with because of all the tiny tendons hidden inside the meat. But if you braise them until they're tender, it's easy to pull out the tendons and you're left with delicious, flavorful meat. The bones are full of flavor and nutrients as well. Stock is a great use for the parts you might not normally keep.

    This stock recipe simmers for 24 hours in a crockpot. It seems like a long time, but the flavor developed in that time is incredible! Using a crockpot instead of a stockpot makes this recipe a little more hands-off. Once the stock is done simmering, strain it, and you have a great base for lots of delicious recipes like this pheasant noodle soup recipe.

    Ingredient Notes:

    pheasant stock ingredients with labels.
    • Pheasant Legs: This stock recipe uses pheasant legs but any combination of pheasant breasts, legs, or carcasses can be used instead.
    • Mushroom Stems: Mushroom stems are optional but they add a great umami flavor to your stock. Next time you're cutting mushrooms up, put the stems in a bag and save them in the freezer for the next time you make stock!
    • Vegetables: This recipe uses whole vegetables, but you can save carrot peels, onion scraps, hearts and leaves from celery, etc. from other recipes too. Store your scraps in a zippered bag in the freezer until you're ready to make stock!

    Equipment Notes:

    • Crockpot: This recipe uses a crockpot but you can also use a stockpot on the stove or Instant Pot instead.
    • Nut Milk Bags: Nut milk bags are a great option for straining stock because they strain more quickly than paper towels but are just as effective at removing small grainy particles. They are also reusable so they can help reduce waste! You can also use paper towels or cheesecloth to strain the stock.
    straining pheasant stock with nut milk bag.

    Step by Step Instructions:

    How To Make Pheasant Stock:

    Making stock is mostly a hands-off process due to the long simmering time. But, there are a few important steps to take to ensure your stock turns out delicious!

    pheasant stock ingredients.
    Gather your ingredients: pheasant legs (or breasts, carcasses, etc.), carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, mushroom stems (optional), salt, and pepper.
    boiling pheasant legs in pot.
    Add pheasant legs to a large pot of boiling water. Boil for 20 minutes to remove off flavors, blood, etc.
    pheasant legs in crockpot.
    Remove legs from boiling water and add to crockpot.
    pheasant stock in crockpot before cooking.
    Add all other ingredients (except parsley) to crockpot and cover with water. Turn crockpot on to high and bring to a simmer, about 2 hours.
    cooked pheasant legs on plate.
    Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours or until leg meat is tender. Remove meat from bones.
    pheasant leg tendons in hand.
    All these little tendons hiding in a pheasant leg come out super easy with a little braising!
    shredded pheasant in bowl.
    Save shredded pheasant meat for another recipe like pheasant noodle soup!
    pheasant leg bones in stock in crock pot.
    Add skin, bones, and connective tissue back into the crockpot. Simmer for about 18 hours.
    pheasant stock in crockpot with parsley.
    Add parsley to crockpot for the last 2 hours of cooking time. Stock with simmer for 24 hours total.
    pheasant stock in glass bowl.
    Follow the instructions below for straining the stock!

    Pro Tip: You can use vegetable scraps instead of whole vegetables for making stock. Keep a large zippered bag in the freezer and add vegetable scraps to it over time. Once it's full, you're ready to make stock!

    How to Strain Stock:

    Stock can be strained to varying degrees depending on how "clean" you want the final product to be. You can strain it through a fine mesh strainer to remove only the big stuff, or you can use any of the methods below to remove more of the fine sediment for a smoother stock.

    straining pheasant stock in cheesecloth.
    There are several methods you can use to strain your stock. No matter which method you choose, it's helpful to use a fine mesh strainer to hold whatever you choose to strain with.
    cheesecloth with bits from pheasant stock.
    Cheesecloth is a popular option. It does collect some of the sediment in the stock, but other methods are more effective. If you only have cheesecloth, you can strain it a couple times to remove more sediment.
    straining pheasant stock with paper towels.
    Paper towels are another popular option. They strain the stock really well but it can take a while for all the stock to filter through and you'll probably have to change the paper towels out several times.
    straining pheasant stock with nut milk bag.
    My personal favorite for straining stock is nut milk bags. They're fairly inexpensive, reusable, effective, and efficient! A pot of stock strains through them fairly quickly and they catch a lot more sediment than cheesecloth.
    nut milk bag after straining pheasant stock.
    This is after stock was strained through cheesecloth. A lot of sediment was left but the nut milk bags catch just about everything!
    pheasant stock in jars on counter.
    After straining your stock, place it into glass jars for storage. You can pressure can it, freeze it, or use it immediately for a recipe.

    Pro Tip: If you plan to freeze your stock, cool it completely in jars in the fridge before freezing it. This will help avoid cracking of the jars.

    What to Make with Pheasant Stock:

    Pheasant stock is great to have on hand for any recipe that calls for stock or broth. You can store it in half-pint jars for recipes that only call for a cup, or freeze it in larger jars for recipes like pheasant noodle soup. Whatever you choose to add your stock to, it's sure to add a delicious richness to your dish that storebought broth won't!

    jar of pheasant stock with feathers.
    overhead view of jar of pheasant stock.

    Recipe FAQ's:

    What can I do with a pheasant carcass?

    Don't leave your carcasses in the field! Bring them home and make stock instead. You can use the stock for soups, pot pies, braising, or whatever you like to use broth for!

    What cooking method is best for pheasant legs?

    Pheasant legs are full of connective tissue and can be tough if not cooked properly. Braise them at a low temperature for several hours until the meat is tender and falls of the bone.

    Should I remove fat from pheasant?

    Pheasant fat is very rich and can add a lot of flavor to stock. There's no need to remove the skin and fat from pheasant before making stock unless the skin is not in good condition. Remove any bloodshot portions of skin but keep the rest!

    Other Recipes to Try:

    • dipping spoon into bowl of pheasant noodle soup.
      Classic Pheasant Noodle Soup
    • hand holding jar of wild game stock.
      Rich Wild Game Stock
    • spoon scooping out french onion soup.
      French Onion Soup with Wild Game Stock
    • pheasant tom kha gai in wood bowl with fresh toppings.
      Pheasant Tom Kha Gai Soup

    If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to me and fellow readers. And if you want more delicious, wild game recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram and Pinterest!

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    Recipe:

    open jar of pheasant stock with feathers.

    Crockpot Pheasant Stock

    Annie Weisz
    Flavorful homemade stock is a great way to fully utilize your game bird harvest. Keep this stock on hand for soups, pot pies, and more!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 1 d
    Course Ingredient, Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 cups
    Calories 36 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • crockpot
    • fine mesh strainer
    • nut milk bags optional

    Ingredients
      

    • 12 pheasant legs (or legs and breasts, or whole pheasant)
    • 6 large carrots
    • 6 stalks celery (leaves attached)
    • 1 medium onion
    • 3 bay leaves
    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 cup mushroom stems (optional)
    • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
    • ½ bunch Italian parsley

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pheasant legs and boil for 20 minutes to remove any off flavors, blood, etc.
    • Remove pheasant legs from water and place in a crockpot. Discard water.
    • Wash carrots, celery and trim as needed. You can leave the peels on the carrots as long as the peels are clean.
    • Wash onion and cut roots and top off. Cut into quarters.
    • Place carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mushroom stems, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and vinegar in crockpot. Cover with water, about 12 cups.
    • Turn crockpot on high until stock is simmering, about 2 hours.
    • Reduce heat to low. After 2-3 more hours, remove pheasant legs and remove the meat from the bones. Place meat in an airtight container and refrigerate for another use (like soup!).
    • Place bones, tendons, and skin (if you have it) back in the crockpot. Continue cooking on low for 20 hours (24 hours total cooking time).
    • Add parsley 1 hour before cooking time is completed.
    • Strain stock using a fine mesh strainer lined in cheesecloth or paper towels. You can also strain the stock with a nut milk bag (linked above).
    • Pour stock into jars and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
    • You can pressure can the stock or freeze it. If you're freezing the stock, let it cool completely in the fridge before freezing. This will help prevent jars from cracking.
    • Stock will also last up to a week in the fridge.

    Notes

    • If using whole pheasant, use 2 pheasants. Remove breast meat after 30 minutes of cooking or until breast meat is cooked through.
    • If using breasts and legs, use 4-6 legs and 4-6 breasts. Remove breast meat after 30 minutes of cooking or until breast meat is cooked through.
    • Mushroom stems are optional but they add a lot of umami flavor to stocks and broths. Next time you're cooking with mushrooms, remove the stems and store them in the freezer for future batches of stock.
    • You can use vegetable scraps instead of whole vegetables for making stock. Keep a large zippered bag in the freezer and add vegetable scraps to it over time. Once it's full, you're ready to make stock!
    • Nut milk bags are a great option for straining stock because they strain more quickly than paper towels but are just as effective at removing small grainy particles. They are also reusable so they can help reduce waste!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 36kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 248mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1047IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.3mg
    Nutrition Information Disclosure
    Love this recipe?Mention @peak.to.plate on Instagram and tag #peaktoplate

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    Hi, I'm Annie! I'm a wife, mom of 2 boys, Registered Dietitian, Wyoming native, lover of all things food, and the creator of Peak to Plate. I believe that preparing delicious meals and enjoying them mindfully is the best way to pay respect to animals harvested for our consumption. I hope to inspire you to take your cooking skills to new creative heights.

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