Quail are like small chickens, made of delicate white meat and thin, flavorful skin. They take to marinades and rubs well and are fairly simple to cook, especially over an open fire. Typically, two to three birds will satisfy a person.
Quail are meant to be cooked and enjoyed whole. Their size dictates it. Bite into a whole bird that’s been grilled or smoked over wood, and tell me it’s not better than the little bits of breast meat and jumble of legs that have been slipping and sliding inside a zip-top bag.
The mild, white meat would get lost in a popper, and you’d have a hard time shooting enough birds for stir fry. Instead, ripping into a juicy bird with bare hands and teeth is much more satisfying. Also, bone-in, skin on meat gives you more cooking options. The skin and fat are where you get the bird’s true essence.
How to Pluck Quail Like pheasant, quail can be frustrating to dry pluck because the skin can rip easily. However, this task becomes easier after birds have aged a few days—three days is my sweet spot. I leave the birds in the refrigerator, which helps to slightly dry and toughen up the skin for much easier plucking.
However, if you’re not interested in aging game meat, the easiest and fastest way to pluck a quail is to scald it. To do this, heat a pot of water—enough to immerse an entire bird—until it’s scalding and steamy, but not boiling. Holding the bird by its feet, fully dunk the quail into the hot water and hold it there for 5 seconds. Next, lift it out of the water and allow most of the water to drip off. Then do this twice more so that the bird has been dunked for a total of 15 seconds. Finally, pluck the quail while it’s still warm.
Scald and pluck birds one at a time. Be careful not to keep birds in the hot water too long because you risk cooking them. Gut birds as usual. After, cook them right away or vacuum seal to freeze and enjoy later.
Jamaican jerk tail on the grill. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Grilled Quail Over the fire is where quail shine best. I always recommend marinating or brining them first to not only inject flavor, but also to help tenderize and to safeguard them from dryness when cooking over an intense, dry heat.
When grilling any wild game, I typically build my fire on one side of the grill, leaving the remaining side of the grill without direct heat underneath. Once the grates are hot, grill the birds skin side down on the hot side to build a nice crust, color, and flavor. Then, move birds to the “cooler” side breast side up to cook through over indirect heat.
Keep the lid closed only for a short while, because quail don’t take long to cook when grilling over high heat. Look for an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F in the breast area.
Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Qail Recipe
Recipe: Quail and Grapes Recipe
Grilled quail and grapes. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
Barbecued or Smoked Quail Barbecuing is different than grilling in that you’re cooking with a lower, indirect heat. This method allows you time to build flavor, especially if you plan on basting meat with a sauce, which would burn and a make a mess of your grill grates had you cooked the birds over a rip-roaring hot flame. Whole quail can be barbecued up to 1 hour.
To barbecue quail, build your fire like you would for grilling, coals on one side and nothing on the other. Close the lid and allow the grill to reach its highest temperature and then cool off slightly—you’re looking for a cooking temperature of 275 degrees Fahrenheit inside the grill. Keep an area open where you can drop in extra coals if the temperature drops too much throughout the hour.
Place quail on the cool side for indirect heat cooking and brush them with whatever sauce you intend to use. Brush the quail again 30 minutes into cooking. At the end of the hour, move quail to the hot side of the grill for some color—just for a few minutes. Brush them with more sauce if desired.
The bonus of keeping the skin on quail is that it helps smoke to adhere, because smoke needs fat to stick. Smoked quail is quite similar to barbecuing in that you’re also cooking over low, indirect heat. While smoking is an art form among true pit masters, for all intents and purposes, I barbecue and “smoke” quail the same way. One, I’m a cheat with a pellet smoker. Two, smoking quail is much less nuanced than smoking a brisket, for example, which requires a lot more time and care.
Recipe: Lemon-Paprika Smoked Quail Recipe
Recipe: Peach and Jalapeno Quail Recipe
Barbecued quail with basted with peach and jalapeno sauce. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
Deep Fried Quail One of my favorite wild game bites is deep-fried quail. It’s like fried chicken, but in a smaller package. Use your favorite coating—whatever you like—and deep fry whole quail the same way you would chicken in 350° Fahrenheit peanut or canola oil.
Remember to follow the basics of dredging meat to make sure the coating adheres. If you’re soaking quail in buttermilk, it can go straight into the dry seasoned batter afterward. If you want to use breadcrumbs, make sure to lightly coat meat in flour first, then in egg, and then in the breadcrumbs. Similarly, if you’re using a wet batter, lightly coat meat in dry flour first. These steps are important.
Recipe: Quail and Waffles
Deep fried quail with waffles and syrup. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
Oven Roasted Quail Though not my favorite method to prepare quail, because grilled is much more flavorful, roasting has its place—especially when it’s 0 degrees, the wind is howling outside, and there’s no way you’d get a fire going.
The best way to build as much flavor as possible is to try to get your oven as hot as possible. Try to get some color on the skin. I find that a little dusting of paprika can help.
Recipe: Rosemary-Orange Roasted Quail
