You don’t have to love sports to appreciate a good Super Bowl party. While many gatherings feature defrosted little smokes and uninspiring trays of ham and cheese, we prefer to serve wild game for the Big Game. If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to check out these 10 recipes. We have something for everyone, whether your freezer is full of venison, waterfowl, upland fowl, small game, fish, reptiles, or whatever else you may have harvested this year.
Venison Skyline Chili (for Bengals fans)
This Cincinnati-inspired dish is unlike any chili you’ve probably ever had. With unique ingredients like allspice, cloves, and chocolate, it’s so much bolder than the chili you’ll find in other parts of the country. If your Super Bowl party includes Bengals fans, they’ll appreciate this nod to their team’s local “delicacy.” Get the recipe here.
Best Fish Tacos (for Rams Fans)
These fish tacos are so delicious, you’ll think they came out of a food truck window in Santa Monica. Although this dish calls for perch or walleye, you can use the boneless fillets of any firm-fleshed fish. We won’t blame you if you use this recipe as an excuse to break out the boat or ice auger on Saturday. Get the recipe here.
venison negimaki
We’ve stuffed ourselves with bacon-wrapped jalapenos at Super Bowl parties. If you’re ready to switch it up with a new meaty vegetable-wrapped finger food, try the venison negimaki instead. This sweet and savory appetizer with Japanese roots is a great way to impress a crowd with just a roast or two of venison. Get the recipe here.
3 ingredient meatballs
Cancel your weekly trip to Ikea, no need for little spheres of frozen mystery meat this year. These meatballs require only three ingredients, yes three, so you really have no excuse not to whip up a batch for whatever party you attend or host. Baste them with your favorite sauce, stick them with a bunch of toothpicks, and when there’s only one left, take down possession like your team depends on it. Get the recipe here.
Parker Hall Famous Squirrel Rollups
Remember that time a squirrel went from end to end during the Kent State vs. Louisville of 2017? Or another who ran for a 40-yard touchdown during FIU vs. Marshall last year? Pay homage to these college greats by wrapping slow-cooked squirrel meat, bell peppers, onions, and cream cheese in the most delicious container of all time: the crescent roll. Don’t be surprised if the kids eat them all before halftime. Get the recipe here.
smoked fish sauce
This recipe comes from our good friend Jesse Griffiths, who doesn’t see many trout or frozen lakes where he lives and runs restaurants in Texas. Those of us in hard water country, however, often come across mounds of char and firm-fleshed trout this time of year that can receive no higher honor than hanging in a smoker for a few hours and then falling apart in a delicious dip. Let’s be honest: where there’s smoked fish sauce on a buffet line, all other dishes have their job to be a cut above. Jesse used white sea bass for his article, but almost any kind of fish will work, especially oily or more flavorful types. He saves walleye and perch for tacos and uses his lake trout or pike or just about any saltwater fish for this spread. Get the recipe here.
Copycat Chic-fil-A Turkey Nuggets
Love them or hate them, but fast food chains know how to mass-produce crowd-pleasing flavors. Make a note of that if you’re trying to come out strong on game day. Chick-fil-A takes popular dishes to an even higher level, which is why we removed their chicken nuggets recipe for wild bird applications. Tip: The little sugar in the breading caramelizes when fried for that extra kick. A pickle juice brine beforehand sure never hurts either. Watch a video of Sam making these delicious bites and the special sauce here, and you can get the recipe here.
Venison Smoked Cheese Dip
Cheese dip is easy, accessible, and hard to stop eating. Take this opportunity to step up your cheese game with hearty chunks of browned venison and a smoky flavor that will comfort you even if your team doesn’t bring home the big W. This make-and-forget recipe uses a smoker so you don’t need to occupy precious space on the stovetop or slow cooker this Sunday. Get the recipe here.
Duck and avocado tartare
If you are currently experiencing “duck pressure” with the end of waterfowl season, this one is for you. Prepare this simple recipe and impress your friends with something a little out of the ordinary. It’s basically beef pico de gallo: Serve it with fries, a toasted baguette, crackers, and lots of blind people’s stories. Get the recipe here.
Flamin’ Hot Pheasant Sticks
Wings are a classic game day dish. But, if you thought they could never get any better, have you considered adding Cheetos? In this recipe, marinating the pheasant in hot sauce before topping it with a crispy Flamin’ Hot Cheeto batter results in a succulent, spicy meat with a perfectly crispy coating. Don’t forget the ranch, blue cheese, carrots, and celery. Get the recipe here.