How to Cook Pheasants in a Row

Pheasants are small succulent birds that dry out easily when cooked.

Pheasant is associated with an expensive meal -- however, even though it is often seen on the menu at high-end restaurants, preparing the bird at home is actually quite affordable. Due to the small nature of pheasants, two can often be cooked in a row in the oven. This allows for more people to be fed, as one pheasant only generally serves one large eater or two regular eaters. However, always cook the pheasants for slightly longer than you would one, as added bulk in the oven will increase the cooking time overall. Does this Spark an idea?

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2 to 3 cleaned fresh pheasants
Paper towel
1 cup melted butter
Salt
Pepper
Cooked stuffing
Meat thermometer
Tinfoil

Instructions

- 1
  
  Rinse the pheasants thoroughly under running water. Dry them all over the skin, patting with the paper towels.
- 2
  
  Place the birds in the large baking pan, lining them up in a row breast-side up. Stuff the cavity of each of them full with the stuffing. This keeps the meat from drying out.
- 3
  
  Pour the melted butter over the top of the birds. Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the skin, using a pinch for each. Ensure the birds are not touching and there is room for airflow between them.
- 4
  
  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Insert the pan in to the oven.
- 5
  
  Roast the pheasants for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, removing the bird from the oven until this temperature is reached.
- 6
  
  Insert the birds back in to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in to the breast of each one, without touching the bone, reads 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 7
  
  Remove the birds and tent them with tinfoil. Let them rest for 20 minutes on top of the warm stove.

Tips & Warnings

Pheasants can also be roasted in a row on the barbecue, however, ensure that the heat is not too high as the meat will easily dry out.
Place bacon slices on top of the pheasants while cooking to add both flavor and moisture.