Wild Turkey Recipes....

[WapitiTalk1]

Ok, being honest here, I’ve heard nothing but bad about the taste of the wild gobblers from the cats I know.  Are they that horrible?  Any recipes better than others?  Smoking them good?  I won’t plug anything that I won’t/can’t eat 

[Parasite]

If i gave you some wild smoked brined turkey breast, you'd swear it was domestic. It's really good. The secret is the brine. I'll see if I can find the recipe. And not that my brine is anything special, you can tailor it to your tastes.

[Born2late]

My wife uses a williams sonoma brine. It's awesome. It's the autumn fruit and spice turkey brining blend.We cook at least two a year with it and all our guests love it.
Brines it in a bucket. then covers it with thick bacon strips when she cooks it. yummers
I've done big Toms and hens and they all turn out the same.

[MtnMuley]

I'd take wild turkey over chicken any day of the week. I mix the leg and thigh meat with 50% pork and make breakfast, sweet/spicy Italian sausage that's as good as it gets in my opinion. Usually fry the breasts in strips and choice of breading. Remove the silver skin and it's very tender. Stir fry
and tacos are great too. I've made believers out of many with wild turkey. I've never brined nor baked nor smoked nor have much desire to do so.

[Oh Mah]

I watched a meat eater episode that had an awesome one that looked very good i'm gonna try next bird.He cut the breasts off cut into slices of about a half inch.Then he took it and put it on a hard surface took a cast iron pan and smashed it.Then he breaded it and fried it.not tough to eat.cooked fast and he said it was delicious like a breaded chicken patty only it was wild turkey. 

[Magnum_Willys]

Cooked it like I do grouse - was great.  Put on bed of chopped apples, celery and packet of wild rice w seasonings.  Put strips of bacon over it bake at 350 til done.

[ian_padron]

I'd like to see the spicy italian recipe! Sounds amazing

I'd take wild turkey over chicken any day of the week. I mix the leg and thigh meat with 50% pork and make breakfast, sweet/spicy Italian sausage that's as good as it gets in my opinion. Usually fry the breasts in strips and choice of breading. Remove the silver skin and it's very tender. Stir fry
and tacos are great too. I've made believers out of many with wild turkey. I've never brined nor baked nor smoked nor have much desire to do so.

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[MtnMuley]

I'd like to see the spicy italian recipe! Sounds amazing

I'd take wild turkey over chicken any day of the week. I mix the leg and thigh meat with 50% pork and make breakfast, sweet/spicy Italian sausage that's as good as it gets in my opinion. Usually fry the breasts in strips and choice of breading. Remove the silver skin and it's very tender. Stir fry
and tacos are great too. I've made believers out of many with wild turkey. I've never brined nor baked nor smoked nor have much desire to do so.

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Send me an address and I'll get you a packet of seasoning in the mail.

[CaNINE]

Our favorite way to eat wild turkey is in breakfast sausage and as fried cutlets. Last year I turned two toms into bacon, apple and onion breakfast sausage using the Rinella recipe. You can finding it on his YouTube channel. Think I ended up with 15 pounds of sausage out of that deal. And it’s pretty good stuff. For the cutlets pound it out flat, remove the sinew, coat in flour, then egg, then panko or bread crumbs and fry till golden.  This can be used as a sandwich or a entree with pan gravy and mashed potatoes.

[Whitpirate]

I brine the breast cutlets and then coat with german brown mustard and coat with panko.  Pan fry until golden and cooked.  My wife loves them.  I'll also make sausage and confit the legs/thighs for salads and the like.  I wish I was willing to pluck them but I've found the skin just isn't as resilient as domestics and takes too long so I breast and leg/thigh them.

[sneakyjake]

Wow, I didn’t know so many people didn’t like the flavor.  I prefer it way more then domestic birds.   I usually do an elaborate gourmet stuffing and pair it with some delicious sides to go with the gravy.  Tonight I just stuffed it with apples and roasted it.  Paired it with broccoli and jasmine rice. Mushroom gravy to coat. Was excellent. The rest goes to soup and other favorites which I will do tomorrow.  I really appreciate lean meat and the turkey goes well in so many recipes.   

[ctwiggs1]

My favorite hunting partners for turkey are people who don’t like the taste.  More turkey for me 👍🏿

A few things that we or my hunting partner (who does like it) have tried-
Schnitzel - was ok, not my favorite though
Turkey breast stir fried with squash and other summer veggies - great
Turkey legs in the crockpot with a bunch of BBQ sauce 8 hours on low - great lunch meat
Turkey breakfast sausage from meat eater - pretty good.
Turkey roasts are nice but they produce a LOT of meat. Just too much for our family. I have to break the birds down.
My buddy did a deep fried turkey and said it was the most moist turkey they’d ever had.
a number of people Reccomend smoked turkey.  I haven’t tried it yet.

Generally I break my turkey down into 4 meals:  each breast is a meal that gets vac sealed, and each leg/wing combo the same.  Then I split the remaining carcass in half hamburger style (there is kind of a natural breaking point), make sure it’s free of any innards or anything else gross, and vac seal each section.  Each section is used for stock later on.  We get 4-5 quarts of stock per batch, 8-10 per bird.

Oh, and I save the hearts for a friends cat 😂

[sneakyjake]

Great usage of the bird man!  A reminder to hunters, get those birds cooled down. That game taste can come from a case of Johnny rotten crotch if you aren’t too careful.
Tonights meal

[konradcountry]

My neighbor smoked mine last year. Came out perfect.

Better than any store bought turkey I've ever had.

[WaltAlpine]

I heard the same thing when I first started turkey hunting
I shot one the morning of my first hunt.
I didn’t know any better so I just roasted it like it was thanksgiving day.
I told my family that we would run and get a pizza if they didn’t like it.
It was devoured in in one sitting.
It was different than a butterball but obviously not worse


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[TriggerMike]

There's a ton of wild turkey recipes in here.

https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Kitchen-Guide-Turning-Everyday/dp/1723919020/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=wilderness+kitchen&qid=1551801714&s=gateway&sr=8-1

[Russ McDonald]

https://fromfieldtoplate.com/ this guy has some great recipes.  Met him in Nashville at the NWTF convention.

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[kevinlisa06]

I pretty much cook it anyway and have never had a bad taste. Last year was lazy and did Shake n Bake and was delicious.


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[avidnwoutdoorsman]

I don't want to start a new topic so adding to this one.

Two great and easy turkey recipes and I know they are great because my wife asked for seconds. She'll "try" all the wild game I make for her, but I only know its good if she gets seconds and really good if she eats leftovers and these two both succeeded to be eaten as leftovers.

Shredded turkey tacos:
Any turkey meat (best to use the quarters as I would use the breast for below recipe)
One jar salsa
1 cup chicken stock
Slow Cook or Pressure cook until able to shred
Tacos = I'll leave up to you if you want soft or crunch, beans, cheese, etc etc.
(Also work good on nachos)

Turkey Schnitzel (From the MeatEater Cookbook):
Just whipped this one up Thursday Night and it makes quite a bit of food. Wife literally asked me if I had switched for store bought turkey. Fed it to our 11mo old twins for Lunch and dinner yesterday. Finished it last night having made 6 of them total.
https://www.themeateater.com/cook/recipes/turkey-schnitzel-recipe

There are a few more in the MeatEater Cookbook I want to make... the Posole is next.

[HAGEMANIAC]

This is my go to: 

Season breast, thighs and legs with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Get a pan hot with oil and brown meat on all sides.
Throw browned meat into a slowcooker.  Mix 2 cans cream of mushroom soup and one can of milk and cover meat (mix more at a ratio of 2 to 1 if need be to cover meat)
Cook on low for 8-10 hours, remove meat and enjoy.  I usually take some of the soup/milk mix out and mix with some cornstarch to thicken up for a nice turkey mushroom gravy.
The meat will just fall right off the bone.   

[wsucoug93]

Be curious to know if anyone is frying their wild turkeys.

[MR5x5]

Turkey fried steak.
Cut the breast horizontally into 3 equally thick pieces (2 if it's a little one).
Give it a good pounding.
Flour - egg wash - Panko
Pan fried in oil with just a bit o butter.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

Turkey fried steak.
Cut the breast horizontally into 3 equally thick pieces (2 if it's a little one).
Give it a good pounding.
Flour - egg wash - Panko
Pan fried in oil with just a bit o butter.

This is exactly the Schnitzel recipe used in the MeatEater books and it's fantastic.

[Hangfire]

My wife has cooked wild turkey several ways since I got my first one about 20 years ago. The first couple she cooked like she would a thanksgiving turkey, dry and tough. She now makes soup out of legs, wings etc. the balance goes in crock pot. My wife is a very good cook. All the older birds I get are skinned and boned out. If I am going to kill a bird we bone it all out. Boning out only the breast leaves about 35% of the meat. The boned out meat is ground and meat from all parts mixed together. Meat is froze in little packets that will make 2 nice patties. She will take a package of frozen meat and thaw in microwave, press into two nice sized  patties. These are floured and dipped in beaten egg and dipped in Panko crumbs. She adds salt and pepper and fries quick in olive oil. The best tasting chicken fried steak. Sweeter than anything else.  She also will thaw a package of frozen burger and cook in cassorole with taco season mix. Puts in taco shells with normal taco lettuce, and cheese. Eight minutes from taking out of freezer till eating, excellent taste.   
A normal 17-19 pound gobbler will make about 8 pounds of burger. You can go into Costco and buy a turkey wrapped in plastic and a hot dog and drink. Lay down the cost of a turkey tag and get change back. However if you grind the bird you will get about 8 pounds of ground turkey. Turkey burger at Costco  is 2.99 a pound. This makes your tag worth about $24. a profit. But  Costco's free ranging ground turkey sell for $4.99
 a pound. This makes you turkey tag worth at $40.

[PA BEN]

I injected this tom and cooked him on the traeger. Very juicy and was very tasty.

[Pegasus]

Anyone tried just hanging the undrawn and still feathered turkey for a week like some do with pheasants?

[Oh Mah]

i just use a tumbler with mini ice and diet coke,if friends come over i'll add a cherry.

[Hercflyer]

Soak the meat in buttermilk in the fridge overnight and then bread and fry/bake. We always pound the breasts thin while in the buttermilk and then let them sit overnight. The enzymes in buttermilk break down tissues and "tenderize" the meat a bit. Dark meat gets a carnitas seasoning and goes in the slow cooker for tacos. Super tasty!

[Pegasus]

Soak the meat in buttermilk in the fridge overnight and then bread and fry/bake. We always pound the breasts thin while in the buttermilk and then let them sit overnight. The enzymes in buttermilk break down tissues and "tenderize" the meat a bit. Dark meat gets a carnitas seasoning and goes in the slow cooker for tacos. Super tasty!

I have had pretty good luck slo-roasting the turkey in a browning bag with the cavity filled with onions, carrots and celery. I always add some broth into the bag to keep it moist.

[Hercflyer]

This post inspired me so much, that we thawed out some dark meat and slow cooked it with onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Cooked for about 6 hrs on low, got a pot of white beans going. Added chipotle, diced carrots, and chorizo to the beans and when the turkey fell off the bones, we just added the picked meat and strained liquid to the beans and had a type of white bean chili. Then had all my non hunting buddies over and there were no leftovers. Made true believers out of them that day.

[Jekemi]

I know this is an old post but I have to comment. The flavor of wild turkeys is excellent, when the bird is prepared the right way. Wild turkeys must be "brined" for at least 8 hours, typically overnight. The brine I use is a mixture of 4 parts salt, 2 parts sugar, 3 parts apple cider vinegar, and water. Mix the ingredients into the water and make sure you use a large enough bucket so that the bird is completely submerged. I sometimes use a cleaned brick to keep the bird completely underwater. If it's cold outside you can put the bucket on the porch or deck. If you have enough refrigerator space you can place the bucket in the fridge. It doesn't need to be ice-cold, just below 50 degrees. After the brining time, rinse the bird with fresh water and pat dry with a towel or paper towels. Season the inside of the bird with a mixture of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Here's the secret. I use a meat syringe with a very large needle to inject the bird with a mixture of: melted butter, white wine, and a small amount of ground sage and ground thyme. Inject the bird in as many meaty places as possible, especially in the breast, thighs, and legs.

Rub the bird on the outside with melted butter, it will solidify almost immediately and season with the same seasoning mixture as you used in the cavity. You can also loosely pack cut up celery and onion into the main cavity. Truss the bird with meat string, keeping the legs and wings tight to the body of the bird. In a large roasting pan place the bird breast side down in the pan. Add a few more aromatic vegetables to the pan (onion, celery, carrot). Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 F degree oven for one to two hours. Remove the foil and roast another hour at least or until the juices run clear when poked or until the deepest part of the meat reads 160 degrees F. You can baste the bird with the pan juices from time to time after the foil has been removed.

This method insures that the bird will be tender, flavorful, and juicy. Don't forget to deglaze the roasting pan with some chicken stock and scrape all the caramelized bits into the liquid with a wooden spoon. This will form the base for your turkey gravy. I have cooked more than a dozen wild turkeys using this method, all with mouth-watering results.

[MtnMuley]

Another great idea, Jekemi Although I never keep birds in the whole these days, I will make an exception to our next bird for this recipe. Thanks for reviving a great thread.

[Jekemi]

As a former professional chef in St. Louis and Seattle for more than 11 years I have roasted hundreds of turkeys over the years - perhaps as many as 1,000. The big syringe trick wasn't available to me during the late 70's and 80's. However, most of the other techniques were available. I started brining many types of birds, commercially raised and wild birds in the early 90's with terrific results. One thing I forgot to mention: once you remove the aluminum foil, try to flip the bird over to breast side up and baste with pan liquids frequently for a great looking bird as well as great tasting. I published a cookbook 10 years ago and I make it available to anyone on the Hunting Washington Forum in an electronic copy for free.

[MtnMuley]

Thats awesome. How does one go about getting this cookbook?

[gaddy]

  Interested in the book. Thanks for the recipe

[Hercflyer]

I know this is an old post but I have to comment. The flavor of wild turkeys is excellent, when the bird is prepared the right way. Wild turkeys must be "brined" for at least 8 hours, typically overnight. The brine I use is a mixture of 4 parts salt, 2 parts sugar, 3 parts apple cider vinegar, and water. Mix the ingredients into the water and make sure you use a large enough bucket so that the bird is completely submerged. I sometimes use a cleaned brick to keep the bird completely underwater. If it's cold outside you can put the bucket on the porch or deck. If you have enough refrigerator space you can place the bucket in the fridge. It doesn't need to be ice-cold, just below 50 degrees. After the brining time, rinse the bird with fresh water and pat dry with a towel or paper towels. Season the inside of the bird with a mixture of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Here's the secret. I use a meat syringe with a very large needle to inject the bird with a mixture of: melted butter, white wine, and a small amount of ground sage and ground thyme. Inject the bird in as many meaty places as possible, especially in the breast, thighs, and legs.

Rub the bird on the outside with melted butter, it will solidify almost immediately and season with the same seasoning mixture as you used in the cavity. You can also loosely pack cut up celery and onion into the main cavity. Truss the bird with meat string, keeping the legs and wings tight to the body of the bird. In a large roasting pan place the bird breast side down in the pan. Add a few more aromatic vegetables to the pan (onion, celery, carrot). Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 F degree oven for one to two hours. Remove the foil and roast another hour at least or until the juices run clear when poked or until the deepest part of the meat reads 160 degrees F. You can baste the bird with the pan juices from time to time after the foil has been removed.

This method insures that the bird will be tender, flavorful, and juicy. Don't forget to deglaze the roasting pan with some chicken stock and scrape all the caramelized bits into the liquid with a wooden spoon. This will form the base for your turkey gravy. I have cooked more than a dozen wild turkeys using this method, all with mouth-watering results.

What else is good is to take a huge bunch of thyme or other aromatics, steep them in honey and add some of that honey to your brine or injection mixture. We do it every year and smoke our birds, it's a crown pleaser for sure.