50+ Moose Recipes (for Wild Game Hunters)

Moose meat can fill a hunter’s freezer quickly, but how do you make the most of your wild game harvest? These moose meat recipes will keep you cooking, from nose to tail.

Anybody who’s ever seen a felled moose knows these magnificent creatures can provide quite the score of meat. Accordingly, moose meat recipes are a valuable collection to have.

Moose are massive creatures. In fact, one moose can yield several hundreds of pounds of meat — that’s enough meat to last a family a year, provided they have apt freezer space to store it. As a result of the beastly amount of meat these animals can provide, you may find yourself gifted some of this rare cut.

Those who are bestowed with this gift are truly fortunate. Moose meat cannot be sold commercially in the United States, most who eat it have to hunt it (or know someone that does). Consequently, moose meat remains an exclusive ingredient for many, one that is even considered a delicacy in some locales.

Referred to as elk meat in Europe, it can be sold in certain countries like Sweden. Moose, however, can only be found in a few parts of the world including the Northern reaches of the U.S., Alaska, Canada, Russia, Poland, Sweden and Finland.

The Best Moose Meat

High in protein and low in fat content, moose meat is a lean and healthy protein. As these large creatures can weigh a half-ton or more, they provide a great deal of meat.

Technically, moose meat is venison, as moose are the largest members of the deer family. Moose belong to the deer subfamily Capreolinae also known as the New World Deer family. An adult moose (Alces alces) can range in size from 800 pounds to 1,600 pounds, depending on its sex. Their color ranges from golden brown to black, changing both with age and the season.

Spring and summer are two of the best seasons to hunt moose as this is the time in which these creatures will be well-fed. Moose are herbivorous creatures with a diet typically consisting of bark, leaves, twigs, pond weeds and grasses.

Their diet, along with their age, will be the strongest factors affecting the flavor of the meat. Moose feeding on willow buds are said to have a slightly floral taste to those who can pick up such nuances. Additionally, younger animals will also possess a more mild flavor than older, more muscled moose.

The meat should look similar to other cuts of red meat, just with a deeper and richer hue.

The legs and hooves are inedible, but the shank, rib, sirloin, brisket, and chuck are splendid cuts. Some individuals also eat the liver and heart, but generally, the consumption of moose organs is not recommended due to the potential for metal content like cadmium.

Moose Recipes

Those who eat this unique meat regularly will tell you that moose meat tastes most similar to beef or bison, although the flavor is stronger and gamier. This is because moose are leaner animals, characterized by thick skins and a body adapted to moving throughout colder environments. Moose meat can be a tougher meat due to the tightly connected muscles and lower fat content, and flavor will depend on several additional factors such as age, season and diet.

Since moose meat has a lower fat content than other types of domestic meat, it is easy to overcook. To reduce the risk of this, some of the preferred ways to cook moose meat include adding it to crockpots and soups or simply cooking it low and slow.

It can be a delicate balance preparing moose meat — cook too long or at too high a temperature and your meat will be chewy and tough, cook too little and you risk foodborne illness. Luckily, there are plenty of recipes that provide helpful instructions on how to cook moose meat just right.

Moose Breakfast Recipes

For a hearty and filling breakfast, moose meat can be ground up and blended into a breakfast sausage with pork, brown sugar and spices. For the best moose sausage, try to use cuts from the chest or shoulder of the moose. Serve those sausages alongside eggs and potatoes or crumble pieces up for adding to frittatas and scrambles.

Ground moose can also be added to quiches or wrapped into a satisfying breakfast burrito. Looking for a brunch dish with some spice? Sample moose burger meat in huevos rancheros embellished with eggs, beans, sour cream and Mexican cheeses.

Moose Burger and Sandwich Recipes

Looking to slide a little moose meat into your lunchtime routine? Sandwiches are a perfect way to incorporate moose meat into midday meals. Take some ground moose and blend with Italian sausage to make a juicy meatball sub slathered in homemade marinara sauce. Moose meat sloppy joes are another quick sandwich made atop your stove with the help of ground moose, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and a few additional condiments.

For more meaty (and bready) ideas, consider classic moose burgers. Blend ground moose with bacon to help retain moisture and cook to an internal temperature of 160°F. Top with cheddar, fontina or your cheese of choice. Last but not least, don’t forget about moose bologna. Slice up your bologna and stack a few pieces between some bread for a quick snack with mustard and mayo.

Moose Savory Main Courses

If you’ve wrangled yourself an entire moose, you’ve likely got a lot of moose dinner dishes in your future. Fortunately, the courses available to you are plentiful and versatile enough. To start, enjoy some moose steaks topped with mushrooms and a nice sauce. Moose rouladen and moose meatloaf are some more sensational choices.

As moose is such a lean meat, it lends itself to many slow cooker recipes that cook the meat “low and slow.” Smoking is another option — try a smoked moose roast with a cranberry mint sauce, green beans and baked potatoes for a flavorful feast.

For more exciting plates that feature this lean and meaty protein, consider slow-cooked moose ribs with barbecue sauce, stir-fried moose, or Mongolian-style moose served with rice. Even Greek and Italian cuisines can make use of this multifaceted meat — sample moose lasagna or moose moussaka to taste the proof!

Moose Stew Recipes

When searching for ways to utilize those tougher moose cuts, turn to soups and stews. A moose stew loaded with vegetables and decadent gravy is a spectacular dish paired with nothing more than simple bread for soaking up all those flavorful juices. Combine moose with bone broth, turnips, potatoes and carrots for another filling slow cooker stew recipe.

Cabbage, green beans, peas, celery and carrots are also incredible vegetable companions for moose stew. For more creative mixes, savor a taco soup with ground moose, beans, corn and tomatoes or build a moose chili enriched with pumpkin spice. For a European twist on this classic, consider Swedish moose stew enhanced with juniper berries and chanterelles, or a creamy Norwegian moose stew with lingonberries and brown cheese.

Moose Snack and Appetizer Recipes

Having friends or family over who’ve never tasted this seldom-seen meat? Tantalize their taste buds with some moose-based appetizers to charm their palates. For an exciting starter to a meal, try a noodle salad featuring seared moose. Moose satay is another opportunity to utilize this meat in a tempting appetizer crafted with a teriyaki marinade.

For more ideas, turn to Norwegian-style moose meat cakes or Russian-themed moose piroshkies. Relish minced moose in a meaty biscuit roll and canned moose in moose poutine for topping starchy french fries. In search of a snackable nibble? Bust out that dehydrator and crisp up some moose jerky for backpacking and hiking trips.

Noodle Salad with Moose
Moose Satay
Moose Meat Cakes
Moose Piroshkies
Moose Biscuit Roll
Canned Moose Poutine (made with canned moose)
Moose Jerky

Moose Pie Recipes

Bake your moose meat into crispy pies, quiches and tarts for golden, flaky results that will fill your kitchen with warmth. Incorporate ground moose meat into a quiche with eggs and Swiss cheese for a filling slice that serves up to six people. A moose tourtiere is a French Canadian meat pie — sample one with ground moose and pork for a flavorful morsel.

Feature moose in a gravy-laden shepherd’s pie topped with mashed potatoes or savor these wild flavors in a meaty moose pocket for a handheld pie. A filo tart with dried chanterelles, bell peppers and canned moose is another comforting baked dish to relish any time of the year. And to brighten dark nights during the holidays, consider a rustic moose crostata crafted with pie dough, squash, leeks and lingonberries.

Moose Quiche
Moose Tourtière
Moose Shepherds Pie
Moose Pockets
Moose and Dried Chanterelle Tart (made with canned moose)
Moose Crostata

Moose Muffle Recipes

What is moose muffle? Moose muffle is simply moose noose, and a colossal nose it is. Moose muffle recipes are enjoyed in many cultures from indigenous and Native people to modern Alaskans and Canadians.

Did you know that jellied moose nose is a Canadian delicacy? This jelly-like loaf boasts a complex flavor and a varied texture. To make jellied moose nose, the fur must be removed by singeing it off or peeling from the boiled nose. The meat of the nose is then sliced and simmered with fragrant spices, cooled and refrigerated to solidify into a gelatinized loaf.

Moose nose has also been used to flavor soups and stews. To make moose muffle stew, the muffle must also be cleaned, skinned and sectioned into chunks. Occasionally, some moose bones, say from a moose jaw, are also thrown in for some added flavor. Round off the recipe with rice, dumplings, potatoes, beans or other veggies for a more robust meal.

Cured Moose

If jellied moose nose isn’t of particular interest to you, there are a few other ways to preserve and cure this mighty meat. You can cure moose meat corned beef-style in a smoky corned moose recipe made with moose brisket. Cured moose sausage mixed with pork and spices is another option for moose meat.

Finally, you have moose jerky made with ground moose, liquid smoke and curing salt. 12 hours in a dehydrator and you’ll have snack-sized moose strips opportune for noshing!

Preserving Moose

Given the massive size of moose and the avalanche of meat that can befall you after hunting one, preservation methods may be the first item on your mind. Moose meat can be frozen like any other meat, although you may need to purchase a second freezer to store it all!

Moose meat is more susceptible to freezer burn than other red meats like beef due to its lower fat content. To reduce the risk of freezer burn, vacuum sealing moose meat is a viable solution.

Moose meat can also be canned with the help of a pressure canner. Be sure to read up on the basics of pressure canning if you’re new to this method. It’s different from regular water bath canning.

Finally, moose meat can be dehydrated in the form of jerky strips, although this is a time-consuming method with a smaller end result that won’t keep as long as other preservation methods. Regardless, it’s still pretty darn tasty.