Quail is a small and plump game bird that is a common part of several cuisines around the world. It’s not as popular in the United States, but it makes for a delicious meal thanks to its delicately flavored meat.
As quails are so small and their bones are so easy to chew and digest, they’re often eaten without many of the bones removed!
Removing the bones can be more hassle than it’s worth and this makes quail a very unique dish that is sure to impress family and friends if they haven’t eaten it before!
But how do you make a meal out of quail? In this article, we will introduce you to the 15 best quail recipes to try today (see also “Best Pheasant Recipes To Try“). All of these recipes are delicious and will give you wonderful ways to serve quail and make it part of your mealtimes.
1. Oven Roasted Quail
For our first recipe, we’ve chosen something very simple. If this is your first time cooking quail, then you may not want to get complicated and might instead just be looking for a straightforward way to cook the bird well.
This recipe will show you how to roast a quail and what seasonings you can use to get the most out of the bird. It will also teach you how to prepare the bird for being roasted so this is definitely the recipe to start with if you are new to quail!
2. Roasted Quail With Orange, Tarragon, And Garlic Glaze
This is another option for roasting quail and shows just how versatile this small bird can be. It’s another good recipe for beginners as it talks you through how to prepare the bird although it doesn’t do this in quite as much detail as our first recipe did.
After the quail is roasted, it is served with a delicious glaze. This glaze is very easy to make as you simply put the ingredients together in the right quantities and microwave until the glaze is well-mixed, hot, and at the consistency you want.
The glaze works both when it’s liquid and when it’s more like a jam.
3. Greek Braised Quail
If roasting quail isn’t for you or just want to try something different, then why not try braising your birds? Quail is more commonly eaten in Greece than in the United States and there are many delicious Greek dishes that use quail, such as this one.
It’s a one-pot recipe so you can make everything in the same pot. The quails are cooked with celery, yellow onion, artichoke hearts, and black olives and are seasoned with a variety of different herbs. There’s a little lemon in there too, for some extra flavor.
4. Sweet And Sticky Roast Quail
This is a delicious way to cook and serve quail and it looks great on the plate as well. There is a lot of color in this recipe and a lot of flavors as well.
The quail is first marinated in a sauce made from pomegranate molasses, coriander seeds, cumin, ginger, and saffron. These flavors combine perfectly to complement the delicate taste of the meat. Once cooked, serve on a bed of rocket leaves and flatbreads.
5. Teriyaki Quail
Teriyaki is a popular sauce used throughout Japanese cuisine and is most commonly served with chicken. In this recipe, teriyaki sauce is used for another type of poultry and you’ll find it matches quail just as well as it does chicken.
You can use store-bought teriyaki sauce, but with the right ingredients it is pretty simple to make at home and the recipe gives you instructions on how to do this. The quail are fried in a frying pan and served with chives, sesame seeds, and rice.
6. Cajun Roasted Quail
This is a quick recipe to make as it can be on the dinner table in only 20 minutes! Cajun spices are always delicious and can be used with a wide variety of different meats so it’s no surprise that they work with quail as well.
The quails are roasted in a coating of cajun seasoning for around 15 minutes. What really makes this dish special, however, is the homemade andouille sausage cream sauce that the quails are served with.
7. Peach Barbecued Quail And Smoked Cheese Grits
Just the title of this recipe is enough to make us run to the kitchen and start cooking! It’s such an interesting-sounding dish and we can confirm that it tastes as good as it sounds.
The first step is to make the peach barbecue sauce and this is made from fresh peaches and peach preserves, as well as some of the ingredients you’d expect in a barbecue sauce such as ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and dark brown sugar.
The grits are deliciously creamy and are the perfect accompaniment.
8. BBQ Quail Southwest Style
From one barbecue recipe to the next! This is more of a traditional barbecue sauce, however, as there are no peaches in sight. So fire up the grill and let’s get cooking!
The recipe includes instructions for the barbecue sauce and this is a particularly interesting and spicy sauce as it has tequila and hot chiles or hot sauce in the ingredients list (see also “Differences Between California And Guajillo Chiles“).
When your quail is on the grill, baste it with the sauce and let it cook for around 30 minutes.
9. Honey Pecan Butter Braised Quail Recipe
This is another recipe for braised quail but it uses very different ingredients and flavors from our previous recipe. You can easily use this recipe as a main but it will also double as an appetizer due to the size of the quail and the lack of side dishes made with it.
After searing the quail with the seasonings, place them in a baking dish and top them with crushed pecans and honey (see also “Best Pecan Recipes To Try“). Bake for around 15 minutes and then serve.
10. Buttermilk Fried Quail
This may look like a dish of fried chicken wings, but your guests will be very surprised when you tell them that it is quail! It tastes similar to fried chicken but is smaller, making it a versatile dish you can serve as an appetizer or even a party snack.
If you’ve ever made your own fried chicken before you’ll be familiar with the procedure. Let the battered quail fry gently in oil for around five minutes and serve.
11. Rosemary Lemon Grilled Quail
Rosemary and lemon are one of our favorite combinations for white meats and it works so well with quail as well. It’s very easy to make the marinade for this recipe as it only requires six well mixed ingredients.
Baste your quail in the marinade and then grill for around eight minutes on each side. Make sure the quail reaches the appropriate temperature before you remove them from the grill.
12. Greek Quail Kebabs With Creamy Basil & Feta Sauce
Here’s another Greek-inspired quail recipe that the family is sure to love. Skewers are always a great idea for a casual lunch, party, or barbecue, and adding some quail will make these stand out from the crowd.
The quail is seasoned with mint, garlic, and lemon and threaded onto skewers with halloumi, capsicum, and onion.
13. Salt & Pepper Crispy Fried Quail
This is another option for frying quail. It’s a Chinese-inspired dish and uses Sichuan pepper dry rub mix to season the batter. You can make this mix from scratch by following the link in the recipe.
Once the quail are coated, fry for two to three minutes on each side. Serve with a garnish of lime wedges, cilantro, and jalapenos.
14. Instant Pot Quail
If you have an Instant Pot and are looking to prepare quail, then this is the recipe for you.
You will need to season the quail with salt, pepper, and thyme before placing it in the Instant Pot with the other ingredients. This is a quick way to cook quail but remember to flip the quail when you add the broth!
15. Roast Quail With Apples & Pecans
We will finish this list as we started, with a recipe for roast quail!
The quail in this recipe is roasted alongside apples, carrots, celery, shallots, and pecans, to give you a delicious roast meal full of wonderful flavors.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we listed the 15 best quail recipes to try today (see also “Best Meat And Poultry Recipes To Try“). We picked a variety of different recipes that can make use of quail, ranging from easy dishes to more complicated ones.
They all take advantage of quail’s delicate flavors, however, to create meals that are delicious and are sure to be big hits with anyone who tries them.
We hope that whatever quail recipe you were looking for, you were able to find something for you in this list.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like our post ‘12 Best Barley Recipes To Try Today‘.
