Field-to-Table Squirrel: Recipes Worth the Effort

Squirrel meat lands somewhere between rabbit and chicken in both flavor and texture, and the flavor stays mild rather than gamey. That quality makes it one of the best game meats for winning over picky eaters: in soups, stews, and casseroles, it substitutes for chicken so cleanly that most people cannot tell they are eating squirrel at all. If you have a freezer bag of bushy tails and no plan for them, the recipes below cover the methods that consistently produce good results.

The one variable you cannot ignore is age. Young squirrels are tender enough for quick cooking such as frying. Older animals that have spent years scrambling across tree limbs turn tough, and those need low, slow, moist heat to break down. Match the method to the squirrel and you will not go wrong.

Getting the Squirrel Ready to Cook

A whole squirrel does not resemble the shrink-wrapped meat from the grocery store, but butchering one is straightforward. There is no single correct method — as the saying goes, there are about as many ways to skin a squirrel as there are squirrel hunters. Once you know the technique, gutting a squirrel takes under a minute, and from there most recipes call for parting the animal into pieces or cooking it whole and picking the meat off the bone afterward.

If you plan to grill or roast, spend extra time removing silver skin, the white or cloudy film covering the pink meat. According to grilling advice cited by Practical Self Reliance, “silverskin tightens up and becomes chewy when exposed to heat, and will make the rest of your squirrel meat tough.” You will not get all of it, but take as much as you can without sacrificing meat. Do not forget the organ meats, which are worth cooking too.

Chicken-Fried Squirrel, the Southern Standard

Frying is the classic preparation, and for good reason. The oil adds richness to what is otherwise very lean meat, and it helps the flesh hold moisture. Fried squirrel pairs naturally with country gravy and biscuits.

The Outdoor Life method starts with tenderizing: poke holes all over the pieces with a fork, then marinate four skinned and quartered squirrels in three cups of buttermilk and a tablespoon of hot sauce for at least two hours, preferably overnight. Dredge the pieces in two cups of flour seasoned with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika, shaking two pieces at a time in a zippered bag. Rest the coated pieces on a wire rack for five minutes so the breading adheres, then fry in about half an inch of oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat. Cook roughly ten minutes per side until golden, keeping the pieces from touching, and pull them at an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

The main hazard is speed. Fried squirrel cooks very quickly, and it is easy to overcook the meat while burning the breading, so watch the pan closely. For variety, fried squirrel takes well to sauces after cooking — buffalo, honey bourbon, garlic parmesan, or a sesame sticky glaze all work, an idea Realtree runs with in its crispy fried squirrel variations.

Squirrel and Dumplings for Tougher Animals

When you are working with older squirrels, comfort food is the answer, and few dishes handle tough meat better than a pot of dumplings. A long, moist cook in a slow cooker keeps the meat tender and pulls it cleanly off the bone.

For the Outdoor Life version, combine two cans of cream of chicken soup with four cups of chicken broth, submerge three to four whole cleaned squirrels in the mixture, and add a bay leaf plus salt and pepper. Cook on low for six to eight hours, or on high for three to four if you are short on time. Remove the squirrels, let them cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones, and return it to the pot with two cups of frozen mixed vegetables.

Homemade dumplings are worth making from two cups of flour, a tablespoon each of baking powder and sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, half a cup of melted butter, and three-quarters cup of milk. Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough into the bubbling broth and simmer covered for about twenty minutes until cooked through. If you want the fast route, quartered jumbo canned biscuits stand in for scratch dumplings. This method works especially well for fox squirrels or older grays too tough for other approaches.

Carolina Brunswick Stew

Brunswick stew traditionally features chicken or pork, but squirrel is arguably the original protein. Georgia humorist Ray Blount, Jr. once quipped that “Brunswick stew is what happens when small mammals carrying ears of corn fall into barbeque pits,” and the dish does taste excellent made with squirrel.

Start by cooking a chopped onion and three cloves of minced garlic in butter until tender in a large stock pot. Add four whole cleaned squirrels, six cups of chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer low for two hours. Pull the squirrel, let it cool, debone by hand, and return the meat to the pot along with a can of diced tomatoes, two cups of frozen mixed vegetables, two cups of frozen lima beans, and a cup of barbecue sauce. Simmer at least twenty minutes before serving, though one to two hours delivers the best flavor.

Branching Out: Cajun, International, and Braised

Squirrel is versatile enough to carry far beyond Southern staples. Its mild flavor makes it a strong base for Cajun cooking — gumbo, dirty rice, and squirrel with sausage in red gravy all lean on the meat well. That same mildness makes it a good carrier for spicy Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes such as green chile empanadas or slow cooker tacos.

Because any recipe that calls for rabbit works with squirrel, the international options are broad. Realtree points to squirrel and mushroom ravioli, Thai green curry, and a squirrel version of coq au vin, while braising remains the most reliable way to tame an ancient tree dweller. A slow braise in a flavorful liquid — apple cider, hard cider with mushrooms, or a red wine base with bacon — will tenderize even the oldest animal. Practical Self Reliance notes that adding a good bit of salt to the slow cooker helps the lean meat stay moist through the long cook.

Where to Start

If this is your first squirrel dinner, fry a couple of young animals to learn how mild the meat really is, then move to dumplings or Brunswick stew when you have older squirrels or a bigger haul to work through. Sort your freezer by age when you can, save the tender ones for quick cooking, and route the tough ones to the slow cooker. From there, treat squirrel as a rabbit or chicken substitute and the whole catalog of stews, pastas, and braises opens up.

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