If you’ve ever wondered how to cook pheasant in a way the whole family will love, this Easy Flatbread Pheasant Pizza Recipe is your answer. Topped with tangy Alabama White Sauce, this is our favorite flatbread pizza recipe - and it just might become yours too!
Why This Pheasant Pizza Recipe With Alabama White Sauce Works
Pheasant can sometimes be a challenge for home cooks, especially when it comes to the legs and thighs. Too often, they get discarded instead of used in a delicious recipe. That’s why I created this pheasant pizza. It’s a simple and tasty way to make the most of the whole bird, and it’s perfect for busy parents looking for an easy dinner option.
This flatbread pizza recipe was inspired by my family’s Friday pizza nights. I love BBQ Chicken Pizza, but my wife and daughter? Not so much. So, I swapped out the traditional barbecue sauce for Alabama White Sauce, and the results were an instant hit. Since then, friends and family have tried this pheasant pizza recipe and absolutely love it. Now, it’s your turn!
What Is Alabama White Sauce?
If you’ve ever spent time in the South, you know that barbecue sauce is a matter of regional pride. Alabama White Sauce is a tangy, mayonnaise-based BBQ sauce with vinegar and spices. It’s traditionally served with smoked or grilled chicken, but I’ve found it to be an incredible pairing for wild game like pheasant, venison, and duck.
If you attended the University of North Dakota, you might remember the legendary Red Pepper restaurant and its famous white sauce. That’s Alabama White Sauce! It’s creamy, zesty, and perfect for drizzling over this flatbread pheasant pizza.
What Is Pheasant?
Pheasants are game birds about the size of a small chicken. A whole bird typically weighs around 2 ½ pounds and yields about 1 pound of meat, including the breasts, legs, and thighs. While many hunters only keep the breast meat, the legs and thighs are packed with flavor and deserve a place on your plate. This recipe is a great way to use them!
How To Make Alabama White Sauce
- Stir together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
How To Cook Pheasant Legs In An Instant Pot
- Season pheasant legs with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add olive oil. Once hot, brown the pheasant legs for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Add chicken broth, secure the lid, and pressure cook for 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Remove the legs and reserve the broth for another use. Let the meat cool for 10 minutes, then pull it from the bones. Discard bones and tendons. Store meat in the fridge if making ahead (up to 2 days).
Cook The Bacon
1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy (7 to 10 minutes). Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
How To Make The Flatbread Pheasant Pizza
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place Naan flatbreads on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter on each and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
3. Divide the shredded cheese between the flatbreads and spread evenly.
4. Bake for 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and flatbreads are golden.
5. Remove from oven and top with shredded pheasant and crumbled bacon.
6. Drizzle with Alabama White Sauce and garnish with green onions.
How to Store Leftovers
This flatbread pizza is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
Why You'll Love This Pheasant Pizza
- Easy to Make: Uses simple ingredients and quick cooking techniques.
- Great Use for Pheasant Legs and Thighs: A flavorful way to avoid wasting parts of the bird.
- Family-Friendly: Even picky eaters will love the creamy, tangy Alabama White Sauce.
More Upland Bird Recipes
If you are looking for another great way to cook pheasant and other upland birds, check out all of our family's favorite recipes here.
Pheasant Hunting In North Dakota
In my opinion, North Dakota is home to the best pheasant hunting in the country. With plenty of public land hunting opportunities including PLOTS, pheasant hunters have access to some of the most amazing spots to chase birds and work their dogs. If you would like to visit North Dakota for some amazing pheasant hunting, check out the ND Game and Fish website here. You'll find all the information you need on the upcoming North Dakota pheasant season and how to obtain a North Dakota hunting license.
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Easy Flatbread Pheasant Pizza Recipe with Alabama White Sauce
Ingredients
Pheasant Pizza Ingredients
- 6 pheasant legs and thighs (from 3 birds)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 bacon slices
- 2 4-ounce Naan flatbreads
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- ½ cup your favorite shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheddar)
- 4 green onions, chopped
Alabama White BBQ Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon water
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce
Instructions
Alabama White Sauce
- Stir together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Serve immediately or keep in fridge for up to 3 days.
Pheasant Pizza
- Season the pheasant legs with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt.
- Set instant pot to sauté setting. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the pheasant legs, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until meat is nicely browned.
- Add chicken broth to the pressure cooker. Now secure lid on the instant pot and pressure cook for 30 minutes. Then allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Reserve all the liquid and transfer it to a bowl to use for a pheasant soup another day. Then allow the pheasant meat and bones to rest and cool for 10 minutes before pulling the meat off the bones using your fingers or tongs. Discard the bones and tendons and transfer the meat to a bowl and save for later. You can cook and shred the pheasant meat a day or two in advance, then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Pull out the bacon from the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking. At room temperature, bacon just cooks up better (just like steak).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a skillet over medium high heat, cook bacon over medium heat. Turn the strips of bacon as needed until they reach the desired crispness, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain well on a paper-towel-lined platter.
- Place the naan flatbreads onto a rimmed baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter on each flatbread and sprinkle each evenly with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder. Divide the shredded cheese between the two flatbreads and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven until the flatbreads are golden and the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.
- Take flatbreads out of oven and place on the cutting board. Spread pheasant and cooked bacon crumbles evenly between the 2 flatbreads. Drizzle the Alabama white sauce over each one, and garnish with chopped green onions.
