How to cook a wild turkey? Any ideas?

Downeast

Downeast

Twelve Pointer
I've always enjoyed smoking a whole turkey on my smoker using pecan chips. Or roasting one in an oven. Wild turkey on the other hand, has to be cut up and fried or put in some kind of plastic bag or other such nonsense. That kind of sucks IMO. I'm thinking maybe some kind of marinade and then grilling?

And no, Italian dressing is not, and never will be, a marinade. :rolleyes:
 
np307

np307

Ten Pointer
Grill the breast with some simple seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika is a good mix). Thermometer is your friend because you don't want to overcook it.

Legs and thighs, simmer until the meat is tender and then pick it off the bone. Then use for any number of things, tacos, soups, pot pie, etc.

Make stock from the rest of the carcass.
 
thelivecanary

thelivecanary

Eight Pointer
I am no wild turkey expert but I have cooked a ton of different meats a ton of ways.

I would do it in parts: take the legs and wings and run smoke on it for a couple hours low heat and then braise them until tender.

The breast, one could brine over night and then low and slow smoke until cooked through.

Carcass, I would take all the bones and make a stock.

To be fair the last one I cooked was a roadkill my Dad hit with his truck hahaha so it had already been pre-tenderized.
 
kilacam

kilacam

Eight Pointer
Legs, thighs, and wings I like to smoke and then braise until tender. Makes a killer taco or stew meat.

Breasts I usually either grill hot and fast, make kabobs, or fry. Breasts brined with some cajun seasoning, smoked, sliced real thin makes a good sandwich meat.

Crispy buffalo turkey taco with mango slaw, might be my go to breast recipe.

I like tacos
 
Last edited:
wl704

wl704

Twelve Pointer
I distinctly remember turkey cutlets as a kid. Cut breast cross grain. If it's a tough ol bird maybe a light tenderized. Light seasoned flour, egg wash, breading, pan fry. If your not cooking to many, bits in the bottom of the pan (aka fond) looks good, deglaze/pan sauce (maybe a light white wine & stock, followed by a roux).

Legs/thighs, if you keep and want to maximize, low and slow braise till they start to break down. Pick. Use in a mex (texmex) dish (filling for various tortilla based dishes), potpie or straight up meal.

I like a light smoke on the bones to make a smoked stock. And it works great in a jambalaya with any extra cuts of meat + a smoked sausage of your choosing...
 
Last edited:
Camochick228

Camochick228

Four Pointer
My favorite way to cook wild turkey is the first brining meat in saltwater for a day.

Cut the meat in half fist size, then marinate in a gallon bags with zesty Italian dressing in morning.

Then later, when it's time to cook dinner, you can wrap each piece with bacon slices and insert a toothpick to hold the bacon in place.

Grill or bake until internal temp is 165°F (grill 375°F - 400°F = 6 to 8 mins per side so total 12 - 16 mins government or take.) (Bake = 350°F 15 to 20 mins or so, each oven cooks differently)

Perfection! 👌🏼
 
CutNRun

CutNRun

Ten Pointer
Contributor
My favorite way to grill turkey;

Take the breast meat from one side of a wild turkey breast and trim it of tendons and gristle, then cut the meat into 1" to 1.5" cubes and set aside in a glass bowl.

In a blender, add;
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
Blend on high for 4-5 minutes

Add marinade to cubed turkey chunks in bowl, mix to cover the turkey, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Skewer chunks and grill the turkey until the corners of the chunks darken.

Cut the hide off a pineapple, then cut the fruit lengthwise into spears and grill the pineapple as turkey is cooking.

Enjoy some trophy eating! Never had anyone not like this recipe. It will make you want to go shoot another.

Jim
 
Helium

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
CutNRun said:
My favorite way to grill turkey;

Take the breast meat from one side of a wild turkey breast and trim it of tendons and gristle, then cut the meat into 1" to 1.5" cubes and set aside in a glass bowl.

In a blender, add;
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
Blend on high for 4-5 minutes

Add marinade to cubed turkey chunks in bowl, mix to cover the turkey, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Skewer chunks and grill the turkey until the corners of the chunks darken.

Cut the hide off a pineapple, then cut the fruit lengthwise into spears and grill the pineapple as turkey is cooking.

Enjoy some trophy eating! Never had anyone not like this recipe. It will make you want to go shoot another.

Jim
Click to expand...
Tried it… that’s some Good stuff!

77EEA572-F4A7-49AB-9A88-D82EB86FE477.jpeg
 
Charlie16ga

Charlie16ga

Spike
The pineapple and kabobs sounds delicious.

Typically I make crockpot turkey/noodles/peas with the legs and wings.

Since grilling and frying is covered:

I use cooking bags to make an Italian seasoned breast in the oven (comes out like a pork tenderloin).
 
Deep River

Deep River

Ten Pointer
Contributor
OMG!, folks.
If you ever need another reason to go the sous vide route, wild turkey is it.

over the years we have tried just about everything under the sun. Our favorite has simply been to cook it like a Thanksgiving Turkey. That all changed tonight.

On Saturday night, we cooked up Mrs Deep River’s turkey legs and wings in one our favorite poultry stew recipes. That was very good.

last night, we put the breasts in one of our favorite marinades. Tonight, I sous vide’ed it at 145 for 90 minutes. Then, I seared it on a griddle placed on the grill for about 1:30 per side. It was the MOST awesome wild Turkey we have ever had. Super moist, and super tender with boatloads of flavor.
 
Last edited:
PPosey

PPosey

Twelve Pointer
This recipe is the best use of wild Turkey I've ever encountered

www.themeateater.com

Turkey Schnitzel

I discovered turkey schnitzel while filming a backcountry turkey hunt in Montana. Our cameraman and director, Mo Fallon, took a look at our supplies, which included a dead turkey, salt, panko breadcrumbs, oil, and a lemon. He hatched a plan. We sliced the turkey breasts into thick slabs and then...
www.themeateater.com www.themeateater.com
 
QBD2

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
CutNRun said:
My favorite way to grill turkey;

Take the breast meat from one side of a wild turkey breast and trim it of tendons and gristle, then cut the meat into 1" to 1.5" cubes and set aside in a glass bowl.

In a blender, add;
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
Blend on high for 4-5 minutes

Add marinade to cubed turkey chunks in bowl, mix to cover the turkey, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Skewer chunks and grill the turkey until the corners of the chunks darken.

Cut the hide off a pineapple, then cut the fruit lengthwise into spears and grill the pineapple as turkey is cooking.

Enjoy some trophy eating! Never had anyone not like this recipe. It will make you want to go shoot another.

Jim
Click to expand...
Followed your concept with a few tweaks. Lip smackin👍👍👍IMG_8589.jpeg
 
QBD2

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
^That was positively delicious.

But this is still my favorite way to eat it. Wifey got Jägerschnitzel on lock. Soooo good 👍 IMG_8602.jpeg
WT breast pieces cut an inch or so thick, then pounded into ‘cutlets’. Seasoned flour, egg wash, breadcrumbs, pan fried. Drippings, smoked turkey bone broth, mushroom gravy.

Throw in the scratch spatzle and it’s one of my favorite meals, not just one of my favorite turkey dishes.
 
ScottyB

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Cut it into nuggets- soak in buttermilk- or not- Cajun breaded- beer- liquor- and fry, burn fingers, tongue, and roof of mouth! Yum!
 

Shine

Eight Pointer
Contributor
I do cutlets for the breast most of the time. Last two I’ve ground it up for turkey burgers (add some pork fat). Legs/thighs I put in the crockpot and make tacos
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top