Old Timber Outdoors
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Pheasant breast fillets

Campfire Pheasant Chilaquiles with Eggs

Diced pheasant breast browned with onion, simmered in red salsa, tossed with tortilla chips and topped with eggs cooked firm and melted cheddar, all in one skillet.

Serves
4
Hands-on
30 min
Total
40 min
Skill
Easy

Cooks on: Campfire or stovetop · Breakfast

Ingredients

  • ¾ lbPheasant breast fillets, about 2 breast halves, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 4Eggs
  • 1Onions, diced
  • 1 cupSharp cheddar, shredded
  • 1Lime, cut into wedges
  • 1 tspSalt, divided
  • ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 cups jarred red salsa
  • ½ cup water
  • 6 cups sturdy corn tortilla chips, about 8 oz
  • 1 large sheet heavy-duty foil
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

You'll need

  • Large skillet, ideally cast iron
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Campfire with grate or coals or Stovetop

Contains

Egg, Dairy, Gluten. Listed to be safe: most corn tortilla chips are gluten-free, but some contain wheat or are made on shared lines. Check the label. Tortilla chips and jarred salsa vary by brand. Check the labels.

Method

  1. Season the diced pheasant with ½ tsp of the salt, the pepper and the chili powder.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat on a grate over hot coals (or on the stove) until it shimmers. Add the pheasant in one layer and leave it 1 to 2 minutes to brown, then stir and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the largest piece, 3 to 5 minutes in all. Move it to a clean plate.
  3. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the onion to the skillet and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 4 minutes.
  4. Pour in the salsa and water, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes to thicken slightly. Stir the pheasant and its juices back in, then fold in the tortilla chips until they are coated.
  5. Move the skillet to a cooler part of the fire (or lower the heat to medium-low). Make 4 wells, crack an egg into each and sprinkle the eggs with the remaining ½ tsp salt. Scatter the cheddar over everything.
  6. Cover the skillet with the foil and cook until the egg whites and yolks are completely firm, 7 to 10 minutes. Top with the cilantro and serve straight from the skillet with the lime wedges.

When it's done: 165°F

The federal chart lists poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.

If it goes wrong

Chips turned to mush
Use thick, restaurant-style chips and serve as soon as the eggs are set.
Sauce scorching before the eggs firm up
The skillet is too hot. Pull it to the edge of the fire and add a splash of water.
Pheasant chewy
Cut the dice small and even, and take it out of the pan as soon as it reaches 165°F; it warms through again in the salsa.
Pheasant gray instead of browned
The pan was crowded or not hot. Brown it on its own before the onion goes in.

Leftovers. Keep the raw pheasant and eggs in a cooler at 40°F or below until cooking. Serve right away; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.