How to Cook Game with Air Fryers

Air fryers have taken the kitchens by storm, and for good reason. They’re quick to use, relatively cheap to run and offer a healthy cooking style that requires very little oil. However, with new technology, there’s very little guidance on how to use them for game meat, which is why our in-house chef Richard Mayhew has been testing and perfecting air fryer techniques as well as developing some new recipes for cooking game so you can try them at home.

An introduction to air fryers: benefits and drawbacks

The benefits

Air fryers work by using a hot air circulation to cook quickly and evenly. Ultimately, they are like a mini, portable fan oven. Because of their small size, the fan is closer to the food, meaning it cooks quickly and you get the most beautifully crispy textures.

A healthy benefit to cooking with air fryers is their use of little to no oil. The air is key to crisping up food, giving it that fried-like result that a conventional oven can’t achieve as easily without using excess oil.

The drawbacks

Of course, no kitchen gadget is perfect. Air fryers are compact by design, which means smaller portions - great for individuals or couples but potentially frustrating when cooking for large numbers. You might find yourself cooking in batches rather than getting everything done in one go.

There are a few other quirks too - the perforated baskets require more intensive cleaning than a single pan from an oven, the windowless design of most air fryers mean it’s harder to judge when your food is done and they can be noisy too - some reach the same noise levels as a vacuum cleaner!

Cooking Game in an Air Fryer: Tips for Success

Game meat is naturally lean, which makes it prone to drying out - especially in an air fryer. But don’t worry, we've been busy testing a variety of game meats, and have compiled some foolproof tips to help you achieve tender, flavourful results every time.

Baste during cooking

Just like a conventional oven or hob: coat with oil or fat (such as beef dripping) whilst it cooks. This works perfectly for a whole roasting joint or game bird.

Extra tip: have a pot of oil or melted dripping to one side to brush the joint or bird with every 10-15 minutes for extra moisture and flavour.

Bard the meat

Wrap the meat with fat to allow it to baste itself whilst it cooks - for example, fatty bacon, which will also add so much to the flavour too. Alternatively try smothering your game bird/joint in free range pork fat to help self-baste and retain moisture.

Brining the meat

Brining before cooking is another great way of keeping moisture as the brine alters the meat’s cells, allowing it to retain more moisture. To brine meat, place it in either a wet (mixture of water, sugar and salt) or a dry (salt and sugar) brine mix for a duration suitable for the meat’s size before washing off and air frying.

For example: to brine some venison loin steaks, soak for an hour in 2L of water, 110g salt and 55g sugar. Remember that there is no need to season further after brining and prior to cooking!

Marinating Meat

Marinating meat is a great way of adding flavour and reducing the chance of it drying out when cooking. The best marinade requires some kind of fat (usually oil) to add moisture, an acid (e.g. citrus juice or vinegar) to help break down muscle fibre, and salt to retain moisture. Marinades are best made and used ahead of time and the meat should be soaked in the marinade for at least 12 to 24 hours in the fridge.

Always probe

Don’t skip probing the internal temperature of the meat with a thermometer to ensure that it’s not over cooked. You can find our guidance on probing and temperatures here. For most game meats, they should be rested and served medium rare or medium to avoid drying out the meat.

For example: a venison steak or joint can be taken out of the air fryer when probed at 47° C (before being allowed to cook further during resting) to be enjoyed rare.

Rest the meat

Rest the meat before serving by covering with silver foil and leaving in a warm place to allow it to continue cooking slowly. As a guide, rest for around 50% of the cooking time.

All air frying cook times are based on a preheated, standard air fryer cook setting

Recipe Inspiration

If you’re looking for further cooking inspiration, you’ll find the following air fryer-friendly recipes are a great starting point for building your confidence for cooking your favourite game cuts in the air fryer:

• Eat Game’s Teriyaki Partridge recipe delivers beautiful Japanese flavours and is ready in just under 20 minutes.
• Homemade Pheasant Kievs oozing with garlic butter are deliciously crisped up in the air fryer until the breadcrumb coating is golden brown.
• For something a little more gourmet, Venison Loin Steak with Peppercorn Sauce offers a medium rare, tender steak that pairs beautifully with the creamy sauce.

Final Thoughts

While air fryers won't tackle your largest joints or feed the whole family in one batch, they're brilliant for quick, economical meals for one or two. So our verdict after plenty of testing is that air fryers can be excellent for cooking game - they offer a no-mess alternative to pan frying, or an energy-saving swap for the oven. And if you follow our tips to baste, brine, bard or marinade as well as getting your timings and temperatures spot-on, you can look forward to beautifully tender, flavoursome game every time.