Christmas or Thanksgiving celebration traditional dinner roasted duck setting meal on rustic wooden vintage table. Concept top view
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54 Holiday Recipes for Wild-Caught Food

Go gourmet with your favorite wild game meat or foraged plants, herbs, and fungi this holiday season.

The holiday season's festive feasts are upon us. It's during these special occasions, as friends and family gather to share meaningful meals, that our efforts as hunters, foragers, and wild-cuisine enthusiasts truly shine. Wild game meat like quail, venison, and of course, turkey, along with edible wild plants decorate a holiday table like nothing else.

We've gathered more than 50 of the best wild game meat holiday recipes that celebrate the spoils of hunting, seasonal vegetables and herbs, and delicious flavors straight from nature. Whether you're hosting Christmas dinner or looking for the perfect contribution to a holiday potluck, this collection, sourced from our own catalog and chefs around the world, has it all: easy appetizers, show-stopping desserts, wild twists on time-tested classics, and inventive ways to enjoy garden finds, from rabbit to dandelions.

From elk to elderflower, the ingredients in these holiday recipes come together to make dishes that are as delicious as they are delightful. Your loved ones will be begging for more next year!

Appetizers

From bite-size wild game to foraged finger foods, these apps will get your holiday meal off to a delicious start.

Main Dishes

The main course is when the labors of hunting and gathering turn to labors of love. From prepping your hard-won ingredients to watching your loved ones dig in, these wild game meat holiday recipes, featuring venison and wild turkey, fill the stomach and soul.

Veggies and Sides

From stuffing to salads, these sides feature a wide variety of wild game, vegetables, and herbs to wow guests and delight every sense. Featuring elk and venison cuts, dandelions and squash blossoms, mushrooms and more, these fresh field-to-table recipes elevate any holiday meal.

Desserts

Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla—nothing brings the holidays home like our favorite dessert flavorings wafting in from the kitchen. From foraged fruits to chewy cookies to a centerpiece-worthy cake, these desserts are worth leaving room for.

READ MORE: What's the Best-Tasting Wild Game Meat?