West Virginia Squirrel Gravy
Contributed by The Outdoors Chef
A lot of people are quick to dismiss squirrel meat. Allow us to change your mind with this recipe. If you’ve never had it, squirrel meat tastes a bit like dark chicken or wild boar which means that it’s perfect for punching up a gravy. Make a big helping of this then smother it over our Buttermilk Thyme Biscuits and we can guarantee that you will never look at these critters the same way. In fact, maybe you’ll even want them to start eating all of the feed from your bird feeders so they’ll be extra tasty when their turn comes.
Recipe written by The Outdoors Chef. For more great recipes, hunting live streams, and cooking shows follow The Outdoors Chef on Facebook.
INGREDIENTS
- Whole Squirrels – skinned, cleaned, and trimmed- 4pc
- All Purpose Flour- for dusting
- Water – room temperature- 6cups/1500ml
- Unsalted Butter- 1tbsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 1tbsp
- Flaked Sea Salt- to taste
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper- to taste
- All Purpose Flour- 1/3cup or 75g
- Unsalted Butter- 1/3cup or 75g
TECHNIQUE
- Heat a large Dutch oven, slow-cooker, or pressure-cooker over medium-high heat, add butter and olive oil
- Dredge squirrel in flour, knocking off any excess flour, season with salt and pepper
- Gently place the squirrels into the pan, sauté until golden brown, turn and repeat
- Deglaze the pan with water, cover and braise over medium heat for 60 minutes or until meat falls off the bones
- Remove the squirrels, set aside to cool, turn the remaining liquid on medium-high to reduce
- Add roux whisking to incorporate, continue to reduce until desired consistency
- Remove all of the squirrel meat from the bones and return to the finished gravy with any resting liquids
- Serve the squirrel gravy on top of biscuits, garnish with fresh thyme
Roux Technique
- Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, add butter, heat until bubbling and fragrant, add flour
- Whisk to incorporate, continue to cook until slightly browned, remove and cool
John Taylor
April 4, 2020Ate many a squirrel when I lived in West Virginia. Never thought to make gravy out of them. I will tuck this receipe away and, hopefully, get a chance to try it one day.
Torn
September 16, 2020Squirrel gravy is the best, although haven’t hunted them in quite awhile. Saving the ones in my neighborhood for when they are really needed.
Richard Thornton
October 15, 2020In your recipe would substitute white wine for the water!! One thing with cleaning squirrel: Was taught to remove four glands during cleaning. They are BB size. Two in the front arm pits and then you know what they look like!! Other two close to the spinal column inside the carcass about 1/3 way down from the neck area. One person said they soak squirrel for four hours in milk to get out the “gamey taste!!” Squirrel has no gamey taste so she may have been a victim of the four glands. Many ways on internet for skinning squirrel!! Important because the hairs are loose and will end up on the carcass hard to wash off!! “Hair….its what’s for dinner!!”
James Chapman
August 16, 2020Thank you for the squirrel recipe. Don’t see many squirrel recipes here in Colorado like we did in East Texas. Can’t wait to try it.
Quinilty Bob
September 16, 2020In south Louisiana we use onions ,bell peppers ,and garlic using Cajun spices to season and eat over rice.
Richard Chapman
September 16, 2020use hunt and eat squirrels when I was in college up in ND. I’d fry em to brown add mushroom soup, little chunks of raw potatoes and corn. Then simmer for about 45min-hour. Ate a lot of wild game and fish when I was in school.
Torn
September 16, 2020Having shot a couple in Colorado you better add a couple more Squirrels to that recipe, the ones I’ve seen in Colorado are smaller than the Red squirrels we have here
william edward sager
September 16, 2020You got me thinkin, never tried it before !
JBENTON Mason
September 16, 2020We used to eat squirrel dumplings
John Couey
September 16, 2020it sounds good to me
Johnny Nicholas
September 16, 2020I take ny cleaned squirrel. Dip it in milk–roll it in floor–mixed with a little salt and pepper and fry it.
Verlyn Scheerhoorn
September 16, 2020I haven’t had squirrel for quite a while. When I was young my Mom always said ” You clean it. I’ll fix it”. We ate a lot of squirrel, wild rabbit, pigeon, and pheasant. We milked cows at that time, so we had the luxury of fresh cow’s cream on a daily basis. My mother would pan fry, and then in the blue roaster it went, with cow’s cream. We never had to remove the meat from the bone. She got it so tender that even if you grabbed a bone, that is all you got. The meat literally fell off the bone. Of course, with the cream, we always had gravy.
Thanks for the memory.
Edward Duff
September 16, 2020Do you know of any videos on how to clean a squirrel
Fig Newton
September 16, 2020Take your pick, Ed: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+skin+and+clean++squirrel
Sheila Simonson
September 16, 2020I must try this recipe over rice. I am still trying to learn my neighbors recipe for squirrel egg rolls. they are fabulous
MB
September 16, 2020There is a lot of stuff off the land where one can scrap a meal besides squirrels on depending where you live and the environment during the 4 seasons
Steven Hudson
September 16, 2020Great recipe suggestion and here’s one I like.
Squirrel Carnitas
Ingredients: 4 dressed squirrels, i cup chicken broth, 1 jar green salsa, salt, pepper, real butter.
Directions: Quarter squirrels, season with salt and pepper then brown in a hot skillet with plenty of butter.
Place browned pieces in a slow cooker and add the salsa and chicken broth and slow cook for 6 hours.
Shred and de-bone the meat and add back to a buttered skillet, stir frying until the meat crisps a bit and add some of the liquid from the slow cooker and cook off the excess liquid.
Serve with guacamole and sour cream on flour tortillas, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce.
Jonathan Stark
September 16, 2020Great recipe
Roy Arnold
September 16, 2020I cooked fried squirrels with onion gravy, buttermilk biscuits, turnips and sassafras tea for the missionaries in 1975.
Stan Caldwell
September 16, 2020My Mom, Grandmother and Aunt (all from West Virginia) used to cook them with a more simple recipe and they would melt in your mouth. They would simply boil them in a large pot with salt and pepper. When they got tender, they would make a slurry of corn starch and water in coffee cup. Pour the slurry in the boiling water and instantly it makes a very nice gravy. Serve the meat and gravy over biscuits.
ROGER P VANDER LOGT
September 16, 2020This email came at the right time. Sept. 19th is my club’s squirrel contest. I plan on using this recipe if it’s okay with you guys. Thank You very much.
Charles W McBee
September 16, 2020I live in West Virginia, been there all my life. I love squirrel gravy a
Charles W McBee
September 16, 2020I live in West Virginia and I love squirrel gravy and pot pie. Can’t wait for this fall with my new Henry!
Brian Beckett
September 19, 2020I pressure cook them as soon as I get them cleaned. I always add the livers and hearts as well. Once cooked, the organs can be smashed with the side of a knife and added back to the broth. Microwave a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and add to the broth. Add picked over meat and thicken. Buy frozen pie crusts and there you have it. Squirrel pot pie. Appalachian cuisine at its finest.
Mitchell Armstrong
September 26, 2021Thanks so much. I have been looking for a good recipe.