Contributors to this thread:
With Turkey season underway for most of you guys and some putting tags on some turkeys. (Wisconsin starts next week) what's everyone's go to method for making wild turkey?
Chic Fil-A nuggets are a favorite at my house. I also really like turkey fajitas.
I smoked my first one...I don't recommend that! It was disappointing to say the least. Seems the best results come from deep frying, or shallow dug dutch oven.
Turkey nugs for the win at our house. Hard to beat!
That was hilarious 70.
Cut breast meat into Nuggets. I like an egg bath, rolled in flour seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Repeat, then drop into peanut or canola oil. Fry for about 3 minutes on 320 degrees grease temp.
Back and legs need braised an oven at 300 degrees for about 3 -4 hours. Or until fork tender.
Brazing Liquid should be chicken stock. Or water with some butter added. Put a beer in either one you choose. Add whole garlic gloves to the pot after peeling. Don’t dice them. Just peel and add whole. Heavy on the salt. Add a decent amount of pepper.
As a side, I’ll render some pig fat down and sear some potato’s, carrots, celery, and onions. Sear them good. In another pot, which has chicken stock in, I’ll pour the veggies in and place on the oven rack besides the turkey. Cook until turkey is done. If you sear them good, they’ll stand up to the long slow cook.
When done, I pick the meat off the bones, strain the turkey pot, sear off some flour in some bacon fat and create a gravy base. Then I add the turkey pot water to make a gravy.
I spoon a couple big veggie loads on a plate, fork out sone turkey on too, drown it all in the gravy, and enjoy as fine an eaten’ as you could imagine. It’s far better then then nuggets.
I cooked up some kitchen sink turkey stew just yesterday. Super simple to make, too. I just put 2 each of the drumsticks/thighs in a crockpot with a few cans of cream of mushroom soup, and slow cook it for 8-10 hrs, till the meat falls off the bone. Then fish out all of the bones, tendons, etc. I then add a chopped up onion, a couple of potatoes, carrots, some halved cherry tomatoes, plus a can each of peas, beans and corn. Continue cooking till the potatoes are done. Season to taste.
Grind meat into burger. Add dash of Worcestershire, teaspoon of dijon, pepper and pan fry in light oil.
I wasn’t even interested in turkey hunting this year until I read these recipes. Damn, WV, that sounds delicious!
Lol...Rick!
Several...Smoked and then sliced thin! Nuggets and also Bacon wrapped, Jalapeño Poppers with a touch of Cream cheese...
Turkey stir fry instead of chicken use wild turkey breast.Just don't over cook meat of veggie.I cut in 1/2" pieces so it cooks easy.
Cut the breast in strips or Nugs and coat in Andy's Chicken breading, deep fry and then buffalo hot wing sauce and blue cheese dressing. Or.... cut in Nugs, brown in olive oil and then add to Creamy Wild Rice Soup mix and some fresh mushrooms and let it cook in crock pot for 5-6 hrs.
Turkey pot pie with celery seed crust in our house. Got the original recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook,just add the celery seed to the crust. Unbelievable!
"I smoked my first one...I don't recommend that! It was disappointing to say the least. "
Did you brine it before smoking?
It’s is good Rick!!!! There won’t be thrown away.
Whole breast with a Lemon Pepper rub then grilled like a London Broil over high heat to create a crust, but still juicy inside is a favorite of mine.
Had dark meat turkey enchiladas last night, (20 minutes in the Instant Pot with chicken broth, then shredded).
One bird made about 8 dozen.
I use the breast meat for nuggets. Slow cook or pressure cook legs and thighs until fork tender. Dark meat can then be used in enchiladas, turkey & gravy hot spots, pulled bbq sandwiches, etc. I've put the legs in the smoker and the key to making them tender is to smoke them for 2 hrs then put them in a baking pan with some liquid in the pan. Then cover pan with tin foil and put back in smoker until tender. I leave the skin on the legs and usually use wine as the liquid. I also sometimes inject them with marinade before smoking. Don't be afraid to be creative.
We can the breast and use it in different recopies like tacos, gravy and biscuits, pasta or in soup. The thighs get put in the Insta-Pot and then shredded into a hottish with wild rice and mushrooms.
"Did you brine it before smoking?"
No, I gave it to a butcher that bragged about how good he was at it. He lied...and I'm pretty sure I still have some of the dark meat that I used to plug a couple of tire leaks on my Dodge. And that was in 2004!
I made a lot of soups. My favorite is:
------ Turkey Leg Soup
1 wild turkey leg - Onion - Celery - Carrots - Bay leaf - S & P - Chicken/turkey seasoning optional. I rarely use.
Boil until meat come off bone. Jake 1hr - really old Tom 15 hours. Remove meat. I strain so no little bones. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until veggies are done. ---------------------------------------
Another great turkey recipe:
-------- WIld Turkey Burgers - from Larry Smith Outdoors.
1# ground turkey breast - 1/4# ground pork. Who has a 1/4# of ground pork??? I use bacon - it's pork. I have used olive oil for fat. - 1/4 cup sweet onion finely chopped - 1/4 cup sweet peppers finely chopped - S & P - Chicken/turkey seasoning optional. I never used it. - Cheese
Mix ingredients together. Make patties. Grill. Top with cheese if desired. Serve on Kaiser roll with Mayo (Not on mine please).
The first few times I made them I put BBQ sauce on the table - never used it.
WELL - time to take some turkey out of the freezer.
I tried a recipe I found from the Meateater, Steven Rinella. It is a breakfast sausage with turkey and apple. I recommend trying it. Yummy!
Sorry, the previous link is to another recipe. Here is the link to the turkey / apple breakfast sausage. Enjoy!
Only turkey hunted twice. The first one was tough and dry - yuck!
The second one I did the following: I was shooting from the hip on this and may have over cooked it a little bit, but this was my first try so you could vary it to your own liking.
In Crock pot: used the breast meat only.
*Mixed 2 packets of turkey gravy mix with enough chicken broth to make sure the meat was completely covered. You want this broth mixture to be pretty thin. (the gravy mix adds a little bit of flavor to the broth)
*Cooked on high for about 2 hours then turn to low and cook for about an additional 3 hours.
*Mix your favorite BBQ sauce with a vey small amount of the "gravy mix" from the crock pot - just want to thin the BBQ sauce a bit so it doesn't burn.
*Remove the meat (should completely fall apart) - empty the crock pot - then put the BBQ sauce mixture into the crock pot on high - continue to stir it until it gets heated, then add the meat set the heat to low - stir occasionally till heated.
Makes a great sandwich, super moist, great flavor.
Have you tried guys Szechuan chicken? Szechuan chicken is a popular Chinese dish that originates from the Sichuan province in southwestern China. It is known for its bold and spicy flavors. The chicken is typically stir-fried with a variety of ingredients, including garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and Szechuan peppercorns. The dish often incorporates other elements such as vegetables, chili peppers, and sometimes peanuts or cashew nuts. The defining characteristic of Szechuan chicken is the use of Szechuan peppercorns, which give the dish a unique and numbing sensation. It is important to note that Szechuan cuisine is known for its spiciness, so Szechuan chicken can be quite hot and fiery. Go here for a great Szechuan recipe: https://sweetandsavorymeals.com/szechuan-chicken-recipe/.
Pluck the whole bird. Clean out very well. Fill the body cavity with an apple or two. Cover the bird with mayo, add your favorite spices and cook in an oven bag. Ends up being very moist, eating the wing butts and the drumsticks.. as well as everything else. Yumm.
Turkey cassarole 3 cups cooked turkey meat diced 1 can chicken and rice soup 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 2 chopped boiled eggs 1/2 cup slivered almonds pepper lemon juice worcestershire sause 2 cups crushed potato chips 1 cup mayo
Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, mix turkey, soup, onion, celery, almonds, pepper, worcestershire sause, lemon juice. Add mayo then carefully stir in the boiled eggs. Put in a well greased casserole dish and sprinkle crushed potato chips on top. Bake for 30 min.
Turkey breast roll-ups 1/2 turkey breast bacon 1 cup Italian salad dressing 1/4 cup soy sause 1 tablespoon garlic powder raw spaghetti
cut turkey breast into finger sized pieces. mix salad dressing and other seasonings to make a marinade. put turkey fingers and marinade into gallon freezer bag. Marinate overnight. Wrap turkey fingers with bacon and hold in place with spaghetti. Grill or broil until done.
It's great to see discussions about turkey season! When it comes to preparing wild turkey, my go-to method involves marinating the meat with a mix of olive oil, herbs, and citrus juices to keep it juicy and flavorful. Slow roasting it in the oven works wonders to achieve that perfect tenderness.
As a side dish, I highly recommend trying out how to make pico de gallo. It's a fresh and zesty salsa that pairs wonderfully with the turkey, adding a burst of flavor to every bite. Enjoy your turkey season and the delicious meals that come with it!
Turkey breast burger: In your meat grinder, grind up breast meat as you would any meat for burger. Also grind up Hickory smoked thick cut bacon and add 10% to the turkey meat. A one pounder will be the size of a large base ball. Fry with butter on medium heat, season, add melted cheese, etc. Toasted bun. Enjoy. I do the same for goose breasts. My best, Paul
My favorite way is too breast out the bird and cut cross grain about 3/4 inch thick. Marinade overnight in 1 cup soy sauce, one cup oil…. I use olive oil but any oil will do. 1 cup seven up. Season with garlic salt and a little horseradish (optional) shake mixture up a few times and give it at least 8 hours. Barbecue on hot grill just until done…. Don’t overcook! I think this one will become your favorite!!
