Vern Evans
Whether you call them bark burners, tree rats, or limb chickens, squirrels are good for more than frustrating you during deer season. They make delicious table fare when properly skinned, cleaned, and cooked.
The flavor and texture of squirrel meat falls somewhere between rabbit and chicken. It has a super mild flavor that isn’t at all gamey. The best squirrel recipes make it almost impossible to tell you’re eating squirrel at all. Squirrel meat can be used as a substitute for chicken in many popular dishes, especially in soups, stews, and casseroles. So, if you want to introduce game meat to picky eaters, squirrels are one of the best ways to do it.
How to Skin and Cut Up a Squirrel
It can be hard to envision getting dinner out of a passel of squirrels. They don’t look like the shrink-wrapped meat most people pick up from the grocery store on their way home from work. However, there’s no reason to be intimidated. Cleaning and butchering a squirrel is a reasonably straightforward process.
If you aren’t sure where to begin, we break it down here into 9 easy-to-follow steps.
There are about as many ways to skin a squirrel as squirrel hunters. Here’s another step-by-step video that does a fantastic job of breaking down exactly how to break down a squirrel.
Classic Chicken-Fried Squirrel Recipe
As a lifelong Southerner, I live and breathe the notion that chicken-fried anything is the most delicious food on the planet. This is doubly true when it comes to fried squirrel. Like with most chicken-fried dishes, this one pairs perfectly with country gravy.
Ingredients
- 4 medium squirrels, skinned and quartered
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco (or hot sauce of your choice)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Poke holes all over squirrel pieces with a fork.
- Marinate squirrel in buttermilk and Tabasco for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
- Mix flour and seasonings in a large zippered storage bag.
- Remove squirrel pieces from buttermilk and allow excess to drip off.
- Drop two pieces of squirrel into the seasoning bag at a time and shake until well coated.
- Remove coated pieces to a wire rack and allow to rest for five minutes to allow the coating to adhere to the meat properly.
- Heat ½ inch of oil in a large cast iron frying pan over medium heat until hot.
- Fry squirrel in small batches in the oil with enough space between them that the meat doesn’t touch.
- Cook on one side until golden brown (about 10 minutes), then flip and cook on the opposite side. The internal temperature should be at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove cooked pieces to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.
Squirrel and Dumplings
Aged squirrels can be pretty tough from years of skittering about on tree limbs. A nice long bath in a slow cooker is one of the best ways to keep it tender.
Homemade dumplings are the best, but you can substitute a can of jumbo biscuits if you want to go the super easy route. Just cut each biscuit into quarters before dropping them into the broth.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 whole squirrels, skinned and cleaned
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
Homemade Dumpling Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup melted butter
- ¾ cup milk
Instructions
- Mix soup and chicken broth.
- Place squirrels in a slow cooker and cover with chicken broth mixture. (If there isn’t enough to completely cover the squirrel, add more broth or water until the pieces are submerged.)
- Add bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or high for 3 to 4 if you’re pressed for time).
- Remove squirrels (and bay leaf) from broth and allow them to cool enough that they won’t burn your fingers.
- Pick the meat from the bones and return to the slow cooker.
- Add mixed vegetables.
- Mix dumpling ingredients while cooking squirrel and broth on high until bubbly.
- Drop heaping tablespoons of dumpling mixture into hot broth.
- Simmer covered until dumplings are cooked through (about 20 minutes)
Carolina Squirrel Brunswick Stew
“Brunswick stew is what happens when small mammals carrying ears of corn fall into barbeque pits,” Georgia humorist Ray Blount, Jr. once quipped. While traditional Brunswick stew features chicken or pork, it turns out that Blount was probably onto something. It tastes utterly delicious when made with squirrel meat.
Ingredients
- 4 whole squirrels, skinned and cleaned
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, and green beans)
- 2 cups frozen lima beans
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Cook onion and garlic in a large stock pot over medium heat until tender.
- Add squirrel, broth, and seasonings.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a low simmer and cook for two hours.
- Remove squirrel from the pot and allow to cool.
- Using your fingers, debone the squirrel and return the meat to the pot.
- Add vegetables and barbecue sauce to the pot.
- Simmer for at least 20 minutes before serving (1 to 2 hours for best flavor).
Other Great Squirrel Recipes
If you need more inspiration, here are some other delicious recipes that turn regular limb chickens into culinary masterpieces:
Read Next: Squirrel Hunting Tips and Tactics
Final Thoughts on Cooking Squirrel
Squirrel meat is a versatile, mild-flavored game meat perfect for hearty, home-cooked meals. These recipes showcase the culinary potential of this often-overlooked and under-appreciated game animal. Once you taste these dishes, you’ll be making regular excuses to grab a .22 rifle and head to the woods.
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