Smoked Beer Can Pheasant

Poultry doesn’t have to be boring. Smoked pheasant is a unique, flavorful and easy dish to smoke and will blow your guests away. We cooked it on a beer can chicken holder for a unique flavor infusion. You can also use an actual beer can and a sheet pan. Pair it with wine, a few delicious sides, and fresh bread for a memorable BBQ feast.

This isn’t a common dish so it makes an excellent choice if you’re looking to make something special for your guests. They will be intrigued and excited to try it!

As long as pheasant is readily available where you live, smoking it is as easy as smoking a chicken, and a really nice change of pace if you are tired of that bland white meat.

I used a 24-hour brine to tone down the gaminess of this meat. The beer in the can also adds a unique flavor to the bird and keeps it moist as it smokes.

🍗 Ingredients

Pheasant – You can purchase farm-raised pheasant in some grocery stores and can also use wild-caught pheasant. If you can’t find it in the stores, check your farmer’s market.

Seasoning – Use your favorite dry rub! We used McCormick’s Grill Mates Garlic Crushed Herbs with Salt and Pepper.

Beer – Whatever you have in the fridge will work. If you don’t have any beer and don’t want to run to the store you can use soda. Read about how the beer can process works in our Delicious Beer Can Chicken Recipe.

Brine

Bay Leaves – These leaves are used for seasoning and flavor in the brine, but are not meant to be eaten.

Salt – Brining poultry meat with salt greatly improves the flavor and texture. Your bird will need roughly 24 hours in the brine to reach a state of equilibrium where the salt is evenly distributed in the meat and water. Brines use more salt than you might expect because so much is lost in the water. Read how brining works here.

Brown Sugar – A little sweetness is great for brining as well. Brown sugar is the perfect balance for this meat’s flavor. I do prefer to use dark brown sugar for the intensity, but whatever you have on the shelf will work fine.

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

Beer Can Chicken Holder. This handy device can be used for chicken, pheasant, or other game birds like a Cornish Hen.

Smoker. We use the Big Green Egg or a Traeger. You need a smoker that will allow you to use direct heat, so some electric models will not work.

🔥 Instructions

Step One: Mix the brine. Place all of the ingredients in a plastic zipper bag and mix it all up really well.

Step Two: Place the brining bag in a large bowl for support and in case of leakage.

Step Three: Place the pheasant in the bag and seal it up. Refrigerate overnight.

Step Four: Pour your beer of choice into the beer can holder.

Step Five: Cover the pheasant with the dry rub or seasoning of your choice. We used McCormick’s Grill Mates Garlic Crushed Herbs with Salt and Pepper. Any seasoning will work though and you can go a lot of different directions with this and have great results. Lower the pheasant cavity down over the beer holder.

Step Six: Smoke your pheasant over direct heat at 275-300ºF for a light smoke with wood chips. We used pecan wood. The pheasant needs an internal temperature of 165ºF before you remove it from the smoker.

❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks

You can pour out 3-4 ounces of beer into the beer can holder, or you can just use a can of beer or can of soda. Your choice. Just don’t forget to open it before using it to cook the pheasant!

Placing a bowl under your brining bag will help prevent messes in your refrigerator as it catches leaks and spills. No matter how secure I think the bag is without a bowl, it often makes a mess.

We used pecan wood. Apple, cherry, or any mild wood chips will work well.

Rest your meat. All smoked or grilled meat should be rested for at least ten to fifteen minutes after it is cooked so that you don’t lose too much juice and moisture when you slice the meat.

🧑‍🍳 Storage and Reheating

You can keep pheasant just like you keep any other poultry meat. Place it in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated for a couple of days. Freeze it if you won’t use it quickly. Frozen, cooked pheasant will keep for at least a few months.

Reheat the pheasant differently depending on how it will be used as a leftover. It can be microwaved, heated in a skillet, or heated with the other ingredients you will eat it with.

Pheasant is a lean meat and can dry out quickly. Keep a close eye on it when reheating leftovers. A fast, direct heat method is best as it will get the meat back up to 165ºF quickly without turning the meat to rubber like a microwave can.

Meal Prep

Cooked pheasant can be chopped up and used in any way you would use chicken. It can be made into a soup, a sandwich, a wrap, added to salad or tacos. Pheasant can be added to quesadillas or enchiladas, or used for a quick stir fry.

Remove all leftover pheasant from the bone, dice it up into bight size pieces, and seal it in zipped plastic bags meant for the freezer or use a vacuum sealer. You can separate it into portion sizes or one pound increments, or however it would best be used. Freeze these bags for up to three months, maybe longer depending on the quality of your freezer.

Additions and Substitutions

If you don’t want to use beer or don’t have beer in the house and don’t want to run to the store you can also use soda. Dr. Pepper or root beer are common choices.

Any dry rub you love for smoking is going to work well with this meat.

Use this same smoked pheasant recipe to cook chicken, cornish hens, or a small turkey with similar results. Cooking times may need adjusted.

Serving Suggestions

You might be wondering what to serve with smoked pheasant. If you want a really simple meal, serve it with a fresh salad and crusty bread or hot biscuits. Add side dishes like Grilled Mexican Street Corn Elote {10 Minutes}, Smoked Baked Potatoes or Grilled Peach & Arugula Salad if you want a more elaborate meal.

❓ Recipe FAQ

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