Unctuous slow cooker pheasant casserole recipe

Name: Unctuous slow cooker pheasant casserole recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 7 h
Total time: 8 h 15 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 large oven-ready pheasants, cut into four portions (see Tip); 2 tbsp. plain flour, plus extra to dust; 50 g butter; 4 rindless streaky bacon rashers, halved; 2 onions, chopped; 2 celery sticks, chopped; 1 tbsp. dried juniper berries, lightly crushed; 2 1/2 cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped; 150 mL hot pheasant or chicken stock; 350 mL dry cider; 150 mL double cream; 4 crisp eating apples, such as Granny Smith; 1 tbsp. lemon juice; Handful parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Pheasant makes this a luxurious casserole with incredibly tender meat.

By The Good Housekeeping Cookery TeamUpdated: 15 May 2025

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Claudia Totir//Getty Images

If you've never cooked with pheasant before then you're in for a treat with this slow cooker casserole recipe.

Pheasant is a game bird and has a similar taste to chicken and turkey, and works brilliantly in this casserole dish for it's light and subtly sweet taste.

Pheasant is very lean and the meat benefits from being slow cooked. Plus, it's been paired with streaky bacon, onions, herbaceous dried juniper berries, fresh ginger, cider and apples for a sweet and tart finish.

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Yields:

8 serving(s)

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

7 hrs

Total Time:

8 hrs 15 mins

Cal/Serv:

478

Ingredients

2
large oven-ready pheasants, cut into four portions (see Tip)
2 Tbsp.
plain flour, plus extra to dust
50 g
butter
4
rindless streaky bacon rashers, halved
2
onions, chopped
2
celery sticks, chopped
1 Tbsp.
dried juniper berries, lightly crushed
2 1/2
cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
150 ml
hot pheasant or chicken stock
350 ml
dry cider
150 ml
double cream
4
crisp eating apples, such as Granny Smith
1 Tbsp.
lemon juice
Handful parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Step 1
  Season the pheasant portions and dust with flour. Melt 40g (11/2oz) of the butter in a large pan and brown the pheasant portions, in batches, over a high heat until deep golden brown on all sides. Transfer pheasant to a slow cooker (don't turn the cooker on at this point).
2. Step 2
  Add the bacon rashers to the empty pheasant pan and fry over a high heat for 4min, turning once during the cooking time, until golden. Turn the heat to medium, add the onions, celery, juniper berries and ginger and cook for 8-10min until the vegetables have softened.
3. Step 3
  Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2min, then gradually stir in the hot stock and the cider and bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Carefully pour the mixture over the pheasant pieces in the slow cooker, season well, then cover and cook on Low for 6-7hr until the pheasant is tender.
4. Step 4
  Lift out the pheasant and put into a warmed dish and cover loosely to keep warm. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a pan. Stir in the cream, bring to the boil and bubble for 10min or until syrupy.
5. Step 5
  Quarter, core and cut the apples into wedges, then toss in the lemon juice. Melt the remaining butter in a small pan and fry the apple wedges for 2-3min until golden. Put the pheasant back into the sauce, along with the apples, warm through and check the seasoning. Scatter with parsley, is using, before serving.

Any good butcher should have pheasant available and you'll need two birds, each cut up into four portions. If you're not sure how to do this, ask your butcher to do it for you.

We recommend browning the pheasant first, before adding into the slow cooker and cook for up to seven hours until meltingly tender.

Serve with a crusty baguette and a fresh, crisp cider to compliment the flavours of the dish.