Feathered Fare: What Does Owl Taste Like?

Renowned for their predatory skills, almost traumatic looks, and eerie midnight hoots, owls are one of the most feared animals in the world.

But what does this nocturnal creature taste like? Owls are pretty disgusting.

Their diet revolves around rodents, reptiles, and birds– all of which are not the cleanest of animals.

That means owl meat is often infested with parasites, which doesn’t make for a pleasant dining experience.

Regardless of whether you’re here out of curiosity or you’re considering eating an owl, you might want to know what does owl taste like.

Wait, is it even legal or safe to eat an owl? Let’s dig deep into this write-up.

What is Owl?

Considered an evil omen by the Romans, owls are birds that belong to the Strigiformes order.

As such, they are closely related to other nocturnal predators such as hawks, eagles, and kites.

There are more than 225 owl species worldwide, and they can be found on every continent except for Antarctica.

The world’s largest and rarest owl species is the Blakiston Fish owl, with a massive wingspan of up to 6 feet.

Not many people are fond of eating the meat of an owl.

However, these nocturnal birds are popularly eaten in the Guangdong province of South China.

According to the countries’ laws, owls are a protected species in the US, UK, and even Canada.

Hence, killing or eating them is illegal.

So, you might have to pay a hefty fine if caught with owl meat or even go to jail.

So, proceed with caution.

What Does Owl Taste Like?

Owl meat tastes like chicken but with a more robust flavor.

It has a distinct smell that can draw away many people.

So, adding something like rice wine can help remove the smell.

While they aren’t the best meats to eat, you can enhance their taste depending on how you cook them.

Sometimes, the meat can come as too unpalatable to eat.

Owl meat doesn’t have any carbs but is high in protein.

In addition, it contains some minerals such as iron, calcium, and phosphorus.

These can help with muscle and bone health.

Nutrition-wise, owl meat is very much similar to chicken.

So, you can use these two types of meat interchangeably.

Although wild meat can be a delicacy to feast on, it is not the case with owls.

Why? Because there is nothing special about the taste.

One cannot help but imagine the various preys they must have fed on in the course of their lives.

The taste can be better or worse depending on what they’ve eaten.

Also, birds usually don’t have much meat on them.

So, you’ll need a few average-sized owls to extract all the nutrients your body needs.

As such, they don’t make a health-beneficial meal.

After all, the most they can provide is some protein and fat, which you can easily find from other food sources.

If you compare owl meat to others, the only thing that can sum up its profile is that there are better options.

How to Cook and Use Owl Meat?

Now that you’ve learned much about eating owl meat and its flavor, are you planning to try it? If yes, we can help you with some recipes and suggestions.

While looking for tips on the internet for cooking owl meat, you might not find much information.

It is not a popular dish; people don’t consume it often.

However, you can simply get creative and find a chicken-based recipe.

Since an owl is basically a bird, its meat would more or less fall under “poultry”.

So, you can use a recipe meant for chicken and substitute owl meat in its place.

For instance, you can make roasted owls, curry, owl soup, or fried owl meat.

Just use your imagination, and be open to trying new things.

One thing to take note of is cleaning the owl meat properly before cooking it.

Make sure to remove its feathers, skin, organs, and anything else that might not look or feel right.

It is also advisable to cook owl meat thoroughly.

This is because it might be infested with parasites, which can cause food poisoning.

To be safe, cook the meat until it’s no longer pink in the middle.

Check out this video on YouTube on how to thoroughly cook owl meat.

Final Thought

If you don’t like going on a wild goose chase about meat that is rare and not popularly eaten, you might want to skip out on the owl.

There is no better way to sugar-coat the fact that the meat of this bird with a poor diet does not taste special at all.

But in the end, it all comes down to the seasonings and adjustments you make.

They taste more or less like chicken, are hard to come by, and may even be considered unethical by some cultures.

So, it’s best to save this meat solely to expand your food-to-try checklist and not become something on your daily menu.