Smoked Quail

Written by Jenny and Rick Wheatley

Prep Time: 8-24 Hours - Cook Time: 1 hour

These smoked quails are marinated in Greek yogurt, which helped the birds stay moist. The acidity helped to tenderize the birds, while the longer marinating time allowed moisture and salt to penetrate. I’d marinate the quail for as long as 24 hours, but you can get away with overnight. The results were well worth the wait.

Ingredients

8 whole quail, skin on

2 lemons, cut in half

Yogurt Marinade

8 oz plain Greek yogurt

8 clove(s) garlic, minced

2 tsp dried oregano, separated

1 tsp dried basil

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus extra

Basting Sauce

1/4 cup(s) olive oil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Step #1 With kitchen shears, remove the backbone from each quail. Turn them breast-side up and flatten with the palm of your hand to break the wishbone, thus spatchcocking them. This preparation will allow the quail to sit flat on the smoker grates and also help them cook evenly.

Step #2 In a bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Transfer spatchcocked birds to a zip-top bag and pour in the marinade. Massage the bag to evenly distribute the marinade and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but no longer than 24. Flip the bag occasionally. Take the quail out of the refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking.

Step #3 Preheat smoker to 275° Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, brush excess yogurt marinade off each quail and lay them on a cookie sheet or large plate. Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the quail. In a small saucepan, combine the basting sauce ingredients and heat until warm.

Step #4 When your smoker is ready, brush each quail with the basting sauce. Lay the birds onto the smoker along with 2 halved lemons, close the lid and smoke for 1 hour at 275°. After the hour and before taking the birds off the smoker, baste them again with leftover sauce. Serve immediately with smoked lemons on the side.

Recipe Card

Smoked Quail

Written by Jenny and Rick Wheatley Visit : Visit authors website

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Prep Time: 8-24 Hours - Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

8 whole quail, skin on

2 lemons, cut in half

Yogurt Marinade

8 oz plain Greek yogurt

8 clove(s) garlic, minced

2 tsp dried oregano, separated

1 tsp dried basil

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus extra

Basting Sauce

1/4 cup(s) olive oil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Step #1 - With kitchen shears, remove the backbone from each quail. Turn them breast-side up and flatten with the palm of your hand to break the wishbone, thus spatchcocking them. This preparation will allow the quail to sit flat on the smoker grates and also help them cook evenly.

Step #2 - In a bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Transfer spatchcocked birds to a zip-top bag and pour in the marinade. Massage the bag to evenly distribute the marinade and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but no longer than 24. Flip the bag occasionally. Take the quail out of the refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking.

Step #3 - Preheat smoker to 275° Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, brush excess yogurt marinade off each quail and lay them on a cookie sheet or large plate. Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the quail. In a small saucepan, combine the basting sauce ingredients and heat until warm.

Step #4 - When your smoker is ready, brush each quail with the basting sauce. Lay the birds onto the smoker along with 2 halved lemons, close the lid and smoke for 1 hour at 275°. After the hour and before taking the birds off the smoker, baste them again with leftover sauce. Serve immediately with smoked lemons on the side.

About the Author

Jenny and Rick Wheatley

Visit authors website

Jenny and Rick Wheatley both grew up in Southern California and connected over a shared love of the outdoors. They started their wild game cooking blog Food for Hunters in 2011, where they share recipes, photos and thoughts on wild food. Today, Jenny and Rick continue to hunt, fish, forage and cook in the Cornhusker State of Nebraska. Their recipes have appeared in numerous publications, including Petersens Hunting, Game and Fish, Nebraskaland and North American Whitetail magazines.

The Nebraska Center for the Book awarded their book Hunting for Food: Guide to Harvesting, Field Dressing and Cooking Wild Game the Wildlife Honor Award in 2016.