6 Wild Game Appetizers to Enjoy This Season

Sharing delicious meals using the wild game that you harvested (like venison) makes your contribution extra special and, hopefully, opens up the conversation about the hunt that produced the meat.

Ready to try something new this year? Here are six wild game appetizers from the HuntWise team that will surely be a hit at any holiday party or family dinner.

1. Wild Turkey Rolls

Do you believe that bacon makes everything better? Well, we do.

Wild turkeys are one of the most exciting animals to hunt. They are also great for people who are new to the sport of hunting!

This turkey roll recipe is our new favorite way to enjoy wild turkey. Wild turkey can be tough meat, and this is a great way to make it juicy and flavorful!

Ingredients
 

• 1 lb thick-cut pepper bacon 
• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs wild turkey breast 
• 3 jalapeños (15 slices)

Marinade
 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire
• 2 garlic cloves or 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp of ground pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

With your assembled ingredients, it's time to start cooking.

1. Cut the turkey into 1-1/2-inch cubes. Mix the marinade. Let the meat marinate for at least two hours. 
    
2. Cut each piece of bacon in half. Place one slice of jalapeno and one cube of turkey in the center of each bacon slice. Tightly roll the bacon over the turkey and hold it in place with a toothpick. 
    
3. Heat your grill to medium heat (around 300-350 degrees). Place rolls on their sides and cook slowly, turning every few minutes. Once the bacon is fully cooked, your turkey should also be fully cooked.

Let the rolls stand for 5 minutes before serving. Then, enjoy!

2. Duck Confit Crostini

Hunters like fancy food, too! This is a super simple way to show your fancier side and mastery of duck hunting.

Ingredients
 

• Thinly sliced duck breast
• Fig spread or preserves
• 1 French baguette
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• Fresh rosemary
• 8 ounces of parsnips (peeled and small-cubed)
• 1 cup of half-and-half
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Directions

This recipe starts by going waterfowl hunting and bringing home some ducks! The HuntWise app is the ultimate toolset for success in waterfowl hunts.

1. Make the parsnip puree by combining the parsnips, half-and-half, butter, garlic cloves, and sea salt and pepper to taste in a small pot. Cover the mixture and bring to a simmer, cooking until the parsnips are completely softened. You'll know they're done when a knife pierces through them easily. 
    
2. Uncover the pot and reduce some of the liquid if there is too much liquid after the parsnips are fully cooked.
    
3. Then, puree the mixture in a blender until it's smooth and creamy. 
    
4. Next, make the crostini. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then slice the baguette into even 1/4-inch slices. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil and season with pepper and sea salt. Arrange the pieces in an even layer on baking sheets and cook until golden, about 15-20 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through that timeframe. 
    
5. Assemble the crostini. Heat the duck breast or duck confit, then s the parsnip puree on the bottom of each crostini. Top each one with a slice of the duck confit.

Finish with a small dollop of fresh rosemary and fig preserves, then Enjoy!

3. Steamed Venison Dumplings

We believe these are the best dumplings!

This recipe is a great way to share your venison with friends and family. You can make these ahead of time so they are ready when you are! Make sure you make extras because these are going to go fast!

Ingredients
 

• 1 pound of ground venison
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger (finely minced)
• 2/3 cup diced garlic chives
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chicken stock or water
• 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 package round Chinese dumpling wrappers 

Directions

Like most wild game recipes, this one starts with hunting deer and bringing home the meat of your labors.

Venison is incredibly lean and tasty, so let's get into making these delicious dumplings.
 

1. Add your ground venison, ginger, and diced garlic chives in a large mixing bowl.
    
2. Next, mix the peanut oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, chicken stock, pepper, and salt in a separate bowl.
    
3. Mix the filling well, then hold the dumpling wrapper in your hand, dip your finger in water, run it around the edge, and add a spoonful of filling. Do not overfill any dumplings.
    
4. Once it's filled, fold the dumpling and seal the edges together by pinching them tightly.
    
5. Your dumplings are ready to cook! Add water to a wok and bring it to a boil. Coat a bamboo steamer with non-stick cooking spray, fill each tray with dumplings, then steam for 20 minutes.

Dip a dumpling in teriyaki or soy before eating, and enjoy!

4. Elk Poppers

This recipe by Eva Shockey puts a fresh spin on a party favorite: jalapeno poppers. We call them "Elk Poppers," but you can use any form of venison or wild game to make this delicious classic appetizer.

Ingredients
 

• 4 elk steaks (depending on how big they are). You can substitute elk steaks for dove breasts or other wild-game steaks.
• 20 strips bacon (cut in half)
• 1 cup of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup of lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1 cup of soy sauce
• 20 jalapeño peppers (fresh)
• 12 ounces of herb-garlic cream cheese
• Honey (to drizzle at the end, if you like)

Directions

Let's start poppin'!

1. Slice the venison steaks thinly into bite-sized pieces. They should be about the same length and width as the jalapeños.
    
2. Mix the marinade ingredients in a big bowl. Add the sliced steak, cover, and let it sit for at least two hours. You can also marinate it overnight. 
    
3. Preheat your oven or grill to 350 degrees.
    
4. Cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise. Be sure to remove the seeds and center membrane, then lay them on a platter with the cut side up. 
    
5. Spoon the cream cheese equally into each jalapeño half. Next, lay one slice of marinated elk meat on each jalapeño. 
    
6. Wrap each jalapeño popper in one piece of bacon. Place them on the grill with the cut side up for 10-15 minutes or until the meat is cooked and the jalapeños are tender and lightly charred.

Remove the poppers from the grill and drizzle some honey on them if you're feeling adventurous. This gives them a sweet kick to help cut the spice!

5. Venison Queso

This recipe is so simple yet so satisfying. It brings together two things you already love: queso and venison!

This is a great way for people who are sensitive to the sometimes "gamey" taste of venison to enjoy your deer meat.

Ingredients
 

• 32 ounces of Velveeta cheese (original block) 
• 15-1/2 ounces chunky mild salsa (Tostitos) 
• 2 bags of tortilla chips
• 1 pound of venison sausage

Directions

You guessed it: this recipe begins with a deer hunt for big bucks! Then, with the meat you bring home and the ingredients above, try this recipe.

1. Fry the venison sausage on medium-high heat until done (about 7 minutes), breaking it up as it fries. 
    
2. Slice the Velveeta cheese into tiny blocks and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. 
    
3. Pour the salsa on top of the cheese and heat for 4 minutes at a time, stirring until it's nice and smooth. 
    
4. Pour the cheese and salsa into the venison sausage and mix well.

Grab your chips, then dip and enjoy!

6. Smoked Duck

This is a simple and perfect way to smoke a duck! Once your ducks are smoked, they can be kept in the fridge for up to three weeks. Check out this recipe by hunter Hank Shaw.

Ingredients
 

• 1 large duck or small wild goose 
• Salt 
• 1/4 cup thick maple syrup

Directions

Be sure to shoot a lot of ducks, as people will surely ask for more of this delicious dish! 

1. Remove as much of the fat inside the duck's body cavity and around the neck as possible. Save it and render the duck fat for later.
    
2. Then, use a needle to prick the ducks' skin all over. Be careful not to pierce the meat, as this helps the rendered fat escape.
    
3. If you want to brine the duck, use a premade mixture or make your own. However, this recipe doesn't require brine. It's still delicious without it.
    
4. If you're skipping the brine, pat the duck dry and let it dry out for a few hours. Salt it well before smoking it. 
    
5. Boil down the maple syrup by half. This recipe doesn't need any other ingredients to be delicious, but you could also do a Cajun rub, something Indian, chiles, French quatre epices, etc. 
    
6. Then it's time to put the duck in the smoker! If you want the duck to be ready for dinner, set it at a hotter temperature so it cooks more quickly –  between 250 to 275°F. This renders fat well and gets you close to a crispy skin. Plan to cook the duck for 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours at this temperature. 
    
7. For crisp skin, your grill or oven must be piping hot – 500°F or so. Remove the ducks from the smoker and put them in the oven with a drip pan underneath for a few minutes until the skin crisps.

Check the ducks after five minutes, and don't let them sit at that temperature for more than 15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Use HuntWise to Bring Home More Meat for Wild Game Appetizers

We hope you try (and enjoy) all six of these wild game appetizers this season. However, the key to cooking delicious dishes with the meat you harvest is to get out and hunt – successfully.

The best way to bring home more meat is to work with the best tools in the game. HuntWise is the ultimate hunting app, with hundreds of map layers, markers, satellite imagery, predictive weather and animal movement algorithms, and more features you can use before and while you're in the field for more successful hunts.

If you don't have the app, get it before next season begins. Download HuntWise and explore every feature in the app for free for your first week!

Content reviewed and updated July 19, 2024.