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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Pan Fried Pheasant Breasts in a Creamy White Wine Sauce

    Published: Feb 8, 2022 · Modified: Nov 24, 2022 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    An easy pan-fried pheasant breast recipe in a creamy white wine sauce with sliced chestnut mushrooms and smoky pancetta. Pheasant recipes don't need to be complicated, this simple pheasant recipe proves that!

    It's a rich and meaty dinner party classic that's sure to impress your guests! Serve with carrot and swede mash and roasted Tenderstem broccoli!

    Pheasant breasts in a pan.

    I was always a bit scared of cooking pheasant in the past but after a bit of research (and a lot of trial and error!), I found out you treat pheasant breasts in exactly the same way as boneless, skinless chicken breasts (albeit the taste is richer and more game-like)! Easy peasy right!

    👩‍🍳 Why not try my garlic butter chicken recipe next!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
    • 🛒 Ingredient notes
    • 🔪 How to cook pheasant breast
    • 💭 Expert tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ Frequently asked questions
    • 😋 More recipes you might like
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!

    • Easy pan-fried pheasant breast recipe.
    • Perfect for fuss-free entertaining.
    • Rich, gamey, and meaty.
    • Delicious with mash and green vegetables.

    🛒 Ingredient notes

    Ingredients for pan fried pheasant breasts.
    • Pheasant Breasts - four skinless pheasant breast fillets are needed for this recipe.
    • Butter and Olive Oil - for pan frying.
    • Garlic - finely chopped.
    • Chestnut Mushrooms - or swap for closed cup mushrooms.
    • Pancetta - this can be substituted for smoked bacon if you prefer.
    • 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 (or continue to cook for another minute).

    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.

    Pheasant breasts in a frying pan.

    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.

    Pheasant breasts in a creamy white wine sauce.

    💭 Expert tips

    • If your pheasant breasts are particularly small, turn them after 4 minutes.
    • Pheasants are very low in fat so it's essential you don't skip on the olive oil and butter. Otherwise, you will end up with dry pheasant!

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    Serve the pheasant breasts with creamy mash, roast sweet potatoes, air fryer broccoli, and slow cooker red cabbage.

    Pan fried pheasant breasts in a creamy sauce with mashed potato and green vegetables.

    📖 Variations

    • Don't like mushrooms? Add spinach instead.
    • Try using a dry cider instead of white wine.
    • Flavour the sauce with tarragon instead of parsley.
    • Try oven roasting the pheasant instead of pan frying.
    • Use chicken breasts or pork steaks when pheasant isn't in season.

    🥡 Storage

    • To Store: Place the cooked pheasant breasts and sauce in an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
    • To Reheat: Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.
    • To Freeze: Allow the dish to cool down, place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
    Pan fried pheasant breasts in a creamy mushroom sauce.

    ❓ Frequently asked questions

    Why is my pheasant tough?

    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.

    Can you eat pheasant medium rare?

    It's best to cook it thoroughly so there is no pink remaining.

    What does pheasant taste like?

    It's fairly similar to chicken and turkey in texture, but a little more gamey in taste.

    Is pheasant meat healthy?

    Pheasant meat is lower in fat and higher in protein than chicken. It's generally considered a lean meat.

    😋 More recipes you might like

    • Chicken in Creme Fraiche Sauce
    • Pork Stroganoff
    • Roast Beef Stroganoff
    • Sherry Braised Pork Cheeks

    Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

    Recipe

    Pheasant breasts in a creamy white wine sauce.
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    4.86 from 7 votes

    Easy Pan Fried Pheasant Breasts Recipe

    An easy pan-fried pheasant breast recipe in a creamy white wine sauce with chestnut mushrooms and pancetta.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine British
    Keyword pan fried pheasant breasts, pheasant breast recipe
    Prep Time 8 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 28 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 531kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Knife
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Measuring Jug
    • Frying Pan

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 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.

    Notes

    Expert Tips:
    • If your pheasant breasts are particularly small, turn them after 4 minutes.
    • Pheasants are very low in fat so it's essential you don't skip on the olive oil and butter. Otherwise you will end up with dry pheasant!
     
    Variations:
    • Don't like mushrooms? Add spinach instead.
    • Try using a dry cider instead of white wine.
    • Flavour the sauce with tarragon instead of parsley.
    • Try oven roasting the pheasant instead of pan frying.
    • Use chicken breasts or pork steaks when pheasant isn't in season.
     
    Storage:
    • To Store: Place the cooked pheasant breasts and sauce in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
    • To Reheat: Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.
    • To Freeze: Allow the dish to cool down, place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
     
    Nutrition:
    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Pan Fried Pheasant Breasts Recipe
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    531
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    41
    g
    63
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    15
    g
    94
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    17
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    137
    mg
    46
    %
    Sodium
     
    918
    mg
    40
    %
    Potassium
     
    666
    mg
    19
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    6
    g
    2
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    32
    g
    64
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    661
    IU
    13
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    8
    mg
    10
    %
    Calcium
     
    54
    mg
    5
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. sherry M

      February 09, 2022 at 5:28 am

      i'm not sure we can get pheasant here in australia but you could use chicken i guess!

      Reply
      • Beth Sachs

        February 09, 2022 at 8:12 am

        Hi Sherry! Yes chicken breasts would work well, although they would need a few minutes longer cooking as they are thicker than pheasant breasts.

        Reply
    2. Heidi Reed

      May 18, 2022 at 3:59 am

      5 stars
      I made this recipe tonight and it turned out five star! I did find that I had to use extra oil for pan frying the pheasant breasts. Also, I substituted bacon for the pork belly that was included in the recipe.

      Reply
    3. Kevin

      October 09, 2022 at 6:36 pm

      4 stars
      Possibly breasts needed slightly less cooking time.

      Reply
    4. Becky

      October 19, 2022 at 11:48 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent. We usually get grouse but happened to have pheasant. Will definitely try this again with grouse. The only modification I made was a little more cream and 1/2 tarragon 1/2 parsley. Turned out great! Love that the ingredients to each step were included with the step, made it so easy!! Every recipe should be like that!

      Reply
      • Beth Sachs

        October 20, 2022 at 6:27 am

        Glad you enjoyed it Becky!

        Reply
    5. Chris wheeler

      January 07, 2023 at 9:18 pm

      Absolutely lovely.
      We re in our 70s but still do one new recipe a week. This was supposed to be New Year’s Eve but covid took over and just had it tonight, its gorgeous, rich without being sickly!loved it. Followed recipe exactly? Def do it again.

      Reply
    6. Rod

      January 08, 2023 at 10:00 pm

      I found myself home alone with a couple of Pheasant breasts, short of mushrooms and garlic, used bacon and onion. Brilliant way to get breast meat cooked without drying it out. Delicious. Thankyou

      Reply

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    Beth Sachs Food Blogger

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

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