An easy pan-fried pheasant breast recipe in a creamy white wine sauce with sliced chestnut mushrooms and smoky pancetta.
It's a rich and meaty dinner party classic that will impress your guests. Serve with carrot and swede mash and roasted Tenderstem broccoli.
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I used to be a little intimidated by cooking pheasant. But after some research and a few attempts, I discovered that pheasant breasts can be treated much like chicken breasts-though they bring a richer, more distinctive gamey flavour to the table.
Try my garlic butter chicken recipe next.
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Pheasant offers a distinct taste that's both richer and more nuanced than traditional poultry.
- The rich, gamey flavour of pheasant complements the creamy white wine sauce.
- Pheasant breasts are lean cuts, providing a good source of protein with less fat compared to some other meats.
Best pheasant recipe I've ever made! Whole family loved it!
- Kathleen
🛒 Ingredient notes
Pheasant Breasts - four skinless pheasant breast fillets.
Butter and Olive Oil - for pan frying.
Garlic - finely chopped.
Chestnut Mushrooms - or use closed cup mushrooms instead.
Pancetta - this can be substituted for smoked bacon lardons or chopped streaky bacon.
Creamy Sauce - made with white wine, double cream, wholegrain mustard, and freshly chopped parsley.
Salt and Pepper - for seasoning.
🔪 How to cook pheasant breast
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan until foaming. Season the pheasant breasts with salt and pepper then place in the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
Two: Turn the pheasant breasts over and cook for a further 4 minutes until golden brown (check with a sharp knife to see if they are cooked through). Remove the pheasant to a plate to rest.
Three: Put the chopped garlic, sliced mushrooms, and pancetta in the frying pan (on a medium-high heat) and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
Four: Pour in the white wine and let the majority of the liquid evaporate off.
Five: Stir in the cream, wholegrain mustard, and parsley and simmer on a low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Six: Return the pheasant breasts to the pan and warm through for 2 minutes before serving.
Top Tips
- If your pheasant breasts are small, turn them after about 4 minutes.
- Once cooked, allow the pheasant breasts to rest for 5-10 minutes to let the juices redistribute, ensuring a moist, flavoursome bite.
- Pheasant breasts are very low in fat, so don't skimp on the olive oil and butter when pan-frying; otherwise, the meat can dry out quickly.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the pheasant breasts with creamy mash, roast sweet potatoes, air fryer broccoli, and slow cooker red cabbage.
📖 Variations
- Don't like mushrooms? Swap them for fresh spinach.
- Use a dry cider instead of white wine for a twist on the creamy sauce.
- Make a sauce with fresh blackberries, red wine, and balsamic vinegar-the sweet and tangy flavours pair beautifully with pheasant.
- Wrap the pheasant breasts in sage leaves and prosciutto before pan-searing for extra flavour.
- Try flavouring the sauce with tarragon instead of parsley.
- For a different cooking method, oven-roast or slow-cook the pheasant instead of pan-frying.
- When pheasant isn't in season, chicken breasts or pork steaks make a great substitute.
🥡 Storage
Store - Place the cooked pheasant breasts and sauce in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Reheat - Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.
Freeze - Allow the dish to cool down, place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Either the heat is too high or it has been cooked for too long. Pheasant breasts are smaller than chicken so need slightly less time to cook than a standard chicken breast.
It's best to cook it thoroughly so there is no pink remaining.
It's fairly similar to chicken and turkey in texture, but a little more gamey in taste.
Pheasant meat is lower in fat and higher in protein than chicken. It's generally considered a lean meat.
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Recipe
Easy Pan Fried Pheasant Breasts Recipe
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Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 4 Pheasant Breasts skinless
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Garlic Clove peeled and chopped
- 160 g Pancetta cubed
- 250 g Chestnut Mushrooms Sliced
- 60 ml White Wine
- 100 ml Double Cream
- 1 teaspoon Wholegrain Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan until foaming. Season the pheasant breasts with salt and pepper then place in the pan and cook for 5 minutes.4 Pheasant Breasts, 1 tablespoon Butter, 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper
- Turn the pheasant breasts over and cook for a further 4 minutes until golden brown (check with a sharp knife to see if they are cooked through). Remove the pheasant to a plate to rest (or continue to cook for another minute).
- Put the chopped garlic, sliced mushrooms, and pancetta in the frying pan (on a medium-high heat) and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.1 Garlic Clove, 160 g Pancetta, 250 g Chestnut Mushrooms
- Pour in the white wine and let the majority of the liquid evaporate off.60 ml White Wine
- Stir in the cream, wholegrain mustard, and parsley and simmer on a low heat for 2-3 minutes.100 ml Double Cream, 1 teaspoon Wholegrain Mustard, 1 tablespoon Parsley
- Return the pheasant breasts to the pan and warm through for 3-4 minutes before serving.
Adam says
AMAZING!!! FAVORITE MEAL! Works great with chicken too.