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You are here: Home / Hunting / Buttermilk Fried Woodchuck (Groundhog)

Buttermilk Fried Woodchuck (Groundhog)

September 12, 2017 by Ashley Adamant 8 Comments

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If you’ve finally bagged that woodchuck that’s been plaguing your garden all summer, this is a great way to honor the little guy on your table.

Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, are vegetarians and they’re not too much different than rabbits. A bit slower running, and solitary, but they’re basically just big wild rabbits.

Buttermilk Fried Woodchuck (Groundhog)

This buttermilk fried groundhog recipe is based on my extra crispy buttermilk fried chicken recipe, but I’ve added in a few herbs to complement our grass-fed friend.

If you’ve never processed your own wild game, or you’re just looking for a few pointers specific to groundhogs, head over to my article on how to clean and skin a groundhog. 

How to cook a woodchuck

It’s surprisingly quick and easy if you have the right tools.  The main thing to keep in mind is that woodchucks have scent glands that need to be removed to keep the meat from tasting musky.

 

This recipe involves an overnight marinade in buttermilk, along with a number of spices including garlic, paprika, and thyme.

How to cook a woodchuck

Once you’ve marinaded your groundhog, the marinade doubles as part cooking dredge.  Take the woodchuck and dredge it in flour, and then place it back in the marinade one more time before dredging it in flour again. 

This double coating results in the extra crispy flavorful fried meat that we all love.

Buttermilk Fried Woodchuck

Buttermilk Fried Woodchuck (Groundhog)

Our woodchuck was 7lbs whole, but only about 2.5 pounds of meat when cleaned and skinned.  Scale the recipe up or down depending on the size of your animal.

2 to 3 lb Groundhog/Woodchuck meat, quartered and skinned
2 cups buttermilk
1 Tbs. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic granules or powder (or several cloves fresh garlic, pressed)
1 tsp. onion granules or powder
1 tsp. each of thyme, oregano and parsley
1/2 tsp. salt

Once you’ve parted up your groundhog you should have front legs, saddle (hips and loin) and hind legs.  You can save the spin and ribcage for stock.  Place it in a Tupperware or Ziploc bag, along with the remaining ingredients above and marinade 12 to 24 hours.  To bread and fry, you’ll need:

2 cups flour (approximate)
2 cups canola oil (approximate)

When you’re ready to cook, heat 2 inches of oil in a deep thick bottomed pan.  I use an enameled cast iron dutch oven.  

Dredge the woodchuck pieces in flour to coat, and then dip them back into the marinade before you dredge them in flour a second time.  (The double dredging is key to a good crispy coating.)  

Fry, turning once until the coating is cooked to a deep brown color.  Remove to drain on paper towels.

Have you ever had groundhog?  What’s your favorite way to cook it?  Leave a note in the comments.

Buttermilk Fried Woodchuck (Groundhog) - Homemade Recipe #woodchuck #groundhog #recipes #friedchicken #friedfood #recipe #howtocook #wildgame #hunting #survivalist #prepper #homesteading

 

 

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Filed Under: Hunting, Scratch Cooking, Wild Game

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ron Cook

    October 18, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    Thank you for posting this recipe, I really enjoyed it!

    Reply
  2. Jill Shaffer

    April 23, 2020 at 2:08 am

    We made woodchuck quesadillas that were really tasty. We pressure cooked the woodchuck for 20 min, deboned the meat, then added garlic, cumin salt pepper, some shredded Mexican blend cheese. and diced onion and tomato and put in a tortilla, then browned on a griddle. , Served with guacamole and sour cream.

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      April 25, 2020 at 12:22 pm

      That sounds amazing!

      Reply
  3. Rush Howe

    September 3, 2020 at 10:41 pm

    I once made groundhog stroganoff. Quite tasty!

    Reply
    • Admin

      September 9, 2020 at 10:41 pm

      Yummy!

      Reply
  4. Home boy

    November 20, 2021 at 6:52 am

    I par boil for one to two hours on low simmer with one tho so baking soda . Rinse well dredge in seasoned flour and pan fry in bacon grease or lard. Delish!!!home boy

    Reply
  5. Laura Preston

    June 11, 2022 at 2:14 pm

    I like to cook them over an open fire in a cast iron dutch oven. I lay down a bunch of sliced onions and pour a couple dark beers over them. I then lay the woodchuck on it and cook it up. A couple weeks ago I smoked one and that was incredible too.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      June 14, 2022 at 5:57 pm

      Sounds great! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

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I’m an off-grid homesteader in rural Vermont and the author of Practical Self Reliance, a blog that helps people find practical ways to become more self-reliant. Read More…

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