An easy roast pheasant recipe with bold, balanced flavor. If you want a simple yet impressive way to cook pheasant, this roast pheasant with honey mustard glaze is the perfect place to start. The brine keeps the lean meat juicy, the spatchcock method ensures even cooking, and the sweet-tangy glaze brings everything together.
TL;DR
This recipe gives you everything you want in a dependable pheasant dinner: moist, tender meat, golden crispy skin, and an irresistible sweet-savory glaze. Spatchcocking helps the bird cook evenly, the brine locks in moisture, and the honey-mustard combo caramelizes beautifully in the oven. It's straightforward, impressive, and perfect for a cozy weekend meal or holiday gathering. Try this smoked pheasant recipe next!
Ingredients
- Pheasant: A bone-in, skin-on pheasant works best for roasting. Because pheasant is a naturally lean game bird, the skin helps lock in moisture while the brine and glaze add flavor. You can use a whole pheasant with the skin removed, but just know the final result will turn out a little differently. If you have a skinless pheasant, this pheasant noodle soup is a great choice.
- Brine: A simple mix of kosher salt, water, and brown sugar seasons the meat all the way through and helps lock in the juices during roasting. It also gently enhances the bird's natural flavor without overpowering it. I like to use the same brine for this roasted duck recipe.
- Honey Mustard Glaze: A blend of spicy brown mustard, stone ground mustard, honey, white balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper creates a sweet-tangy glaze that caramelizes beautifully in the oven and complements the mild flavor of pheasant. If you love the honey mustard combo, try this homemade honey mustard dressing.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make this Roast Pheasant Recipe
Here's a quick walkthrough to guide you from prepping the bird to roasting it perfectly.
Spatchcocking and Brining
- Step 1: Place the pheasant breast-side down on a cutting board so the backbone is facing up. Using sharp kitchen shears or poultry shears, cut along one side of the backbone from neck to tail.
- Step 2: Repeat on the other side and remove the backbone.
- Step 3: Flip the bird over and press firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until it cracks and the pheasant lies flat.
- Step 4: Gently pull the legs outward so they extend fully.
- Step 5: In a large stockpot, combine the water, salt, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then let it cool slightly before transferring it to a nonreactive container.
- Step 6: Allow the brine to cool to room temperature, then submerge the whole pheasant. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Step 7: Remove the pheasant from the brine, rinse under cold water, and place on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Pat dry thoroughly with a paper towel, then refrigerate uncovered for 2-12 hours to help the skin dry out.
Roasting and Glazing
- Step 8: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with olive oil. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the honey mustard glaze. Set aside.
- Step 9: Place the pheasant, breast-side up, on the prepared pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and rub it all over the skin.
- Step 10: Roast for 10 minutes.
- Step 11: Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (use convection if available). Brush the pheasant with half the honey mustard glaze and roast for another 10 minutes.
- Step 12: Brush with the remaining glaze and continue roasting for 10-15 minutes, or until the thickest part of the pheasant breast reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Step 13: Let the pheasant rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Dry the skin well: Leaving the pheasant uncovered in the refrigerator helps create beautifully crisp, golden skin.
- Don't skip the brine: Pheasant is very lean. Brining ensures it stays juicy, not dry.
- Use convection if available: It helps the glaze caramelize and the skin crisp up.
- Check temp early: Every pheasant is different in size and fat content, so begin checking around the 25-30 minute mark.
- Save the carcass: Make pheasant stock for soup!
Serving Suggestions
This roast pheasant pairs beautifully with cozy, earthy sides that complement its sweet-savory glaze. Try serving it with rosemary roasted potatoes, roasted carrots, roasted delicata squash, a wild rice pilaf, or a medley of roasted root vegetables for a hearty, well-balanced meal.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Pheasant roasts beautifully and develops incredible flavor in the oven. Because it's a lean game bird, roasting at a moderate temperature first and finishing at high heat (as in this recipe) helps keep the meat tender while still crisping the skin.
You don't have to brine it, but it makes a big difference. Brining adds moisture and seasoning, helping the pheasant stay juicy and flavorful, especially since pheasant is naturally lean. If you have time, don't skip it.
For the best results, cook pheasant breast meat to 160°F and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. The temperature will rise slightly as it rests, keeping the meat tender without overcooking it.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Thank you!
Annie
📖 Recipe
Roast Pheasant with Honey Mustard Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
Pheasant + Brine
- 1 whole pheasant, bone-in, skin on
- 2 quart water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Honey Mustard Glaze
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- pinch kosher salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
Spatchcock the Pheasant
- Place the pheasant breast-side down on a cutting board so the backbone is facing up. Using sharp kitchen shears or poultry shears, cut along one side of the backbone from neck to tail. Repeat on the other side and remove the backbone.
- Flip the bird over and press firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until it cracks and the pheasant lies flat. Gently pull the legs outward so they extend fully. Optional: Flip the bird back over and secure the legs and wings by threading two skewers across the back of the bird in an "X" pattern: through a thigh, then under the opposite wing, and repeating on the other side.
Brine the Pheasant
- In a large stockpot, combine the water, salt, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then let it cool slightly before transferring it to a nonreactive container. Allow the brine to cool to room temperature, then submerge the whole pheasant. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Remove the pheasant from the brine, rinse under cold water, and place on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Pat dry thoroughly, then refrigerate uncovered for 2-12 hours to help the skin dry out.
Roast the Pheasant
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with olive oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the honey mustard glaze. Set aside.
- Place the pheasant, breast-side up, on the prepared pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and rub it all over the skin. Roast for 10 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (use convection if available). Brush the pheasant with half the honey mustard glaze and roast for another 10 minutes.
- Brush with the remaining glaze and continue roasting for 10-15 minutes, or until the thickest part of the pheasant breast reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Let the pheasant rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Enjoy!
Notes
- A bone-in, skin-on pheasant works best for roasting. Because pheasant is a naturally lean game bird, the skin helps lock in moisture while the brine and glaze add flavor. You can use a whole pheasant with the skin removed, but just know the final result will turn out a little differently.
- A simple mix of kosher salt, water, and brown sugar seasons the meat all the way through and helps lock in the juices during roasting. It also gently enhances the bird's natural flavor without overpowering it.
- A blend of spicy brown mustard, stone ground mustard, honey, white balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper creates a sweet-tangy glaze that caramelizes beautifully in the oven and complements the mild flavor of pheasant.
- Dry the skin well: Leaving the pheasant uncovered in the refrigerator helps create beautifully crisp, golden skin.
- Don't skip the brine: Pheasant is very lean. Brining ensures it stays juicy, not dry.
- Use convection if available: It helps the glaze caramelize and the skin crisp up.
- Check temp early: Every pheasant is different in size and fat content, so begin checking around the 25-30 minute mark.
- Save the carcass: Make pheasant stock for soup!
Gary N says
With a little bit of time and planning this recipe is delicious. I finally harvested a pheasant without the breast and other parts having shot in it! First time spatchcocking a bird and it was pretty easy. This recipe will not disappoint! Nice to prepare pheasant with a tasty honey mustard flavor! I also cooked it with roasted potatoes and rosemary that Annie has on file! Very good!
Thank you for the recipes!!!!
Gary Nofer says
With a little bit of time and planning this recipe is delicious. I finally harvested a pheasant without the breast and other parts having shot in it! First time spatchcocking a bird and it was pretty easy. This recipe will not disappoint! Nice to prepare pheasant with a tasty honey mustard flavor!
Thank you for the recipe!!!
Annie Weisz says
Thanks so much, Gary! I'm so glad it worked out for you!!
Annie Weisz says
The pheasant I used for testing this recipe had spent quite a while in the freezer, and its skin was torn in several spots. Thanks to the brine, it still cooked up incredibly juicy, and the glaze helped disguise any imperfections. A great reminder that an imperfect bird can still make an outstanding meal!