These are my all-time favorite wild turkey recipes for celebrating a successful spring turkey hunt!
One of the best things about turkey season is the opportunity to harvest a wild turkey and get some delicious turkey meat. Though there is not necessarily anything wrong with farm raised turkey, it simply cannot compare to a wild turkey that has been harvested and properly cooked. However, harvesting a turkey is only the first step: once you’ve got your turkey you need to use the right wild turkey recipe.
Luckily, you’ve come to the right place, here are my choices for the 11 best wild turkey recipes that are guaranteed to have you coming back for more. They aren’t limited to wild turkeys either and you can also prepare a tasty meal using most of these recipes with a store bought bird as well.
Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, are you ready to get started with some really tasty turkey recipes?
Grilled Wild Turkey Breast
Ingredients:
10-12 3 ounce turkey breast steaks
½ tablespoon of pepper
1x tablespoon of kosher salt
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
3x cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled
Instructions:
Season the turkey steaks with the salt, pepper, and garlic and place them in olive oil. Then cover and chill the mixture for 1-2 hours. Let the mixture marinate at room temperature for an additional 20 minutes before removing the turkey steaks from the marinade. Grill the turkey steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side at medium-high heat.
Courtesy of Field & Stream
BBQ Wild Turkey Recipe
Ingredients:
1x whole (field dressed and plucked) wild turkey
1/2 cup of chopped green onions
1x cup of broth
3x tablespoons of parsley
1x tablespoon of thyme
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup of margarine
Instructions:
If you like barbecue, then you really need to try this wild turkey recipe. First, cut the turkey into pieces across the grain. Then cook the onions in a pot until tender in margarine and all the other ingredients to mixture. Bring pot to full boil. Cover each piece of the turkey with this mixture and continue to base the turkey on the grill for 45-55 minutes.
Courtesy of The Wild Turkey Zone
Bang Bang Wild Turkey Recipe
Ingredients:
1x turkey breast marinated in salt, sugar and vinegar for 10 minutes
1x cucumber, sliced into matchstick pieces
½ tablespoon of pepper
4x tablespoons of soy sauce
2x tablespoons of sugar
2x tablespoons of red chili oil
4x tablespoons of peanut butter, creamed with sesame oil
Instructions:
Thoroughly cook turkey breast in a frying pan or on the grill and allow to cool completely. Then tenderize the turkey breast with a rolling pin or mallet. Shred the meat with a fork and combine cucumber sticks with the shredded turkey and arrange on a small serving plate. Combine soy sauce, sugar, chili oil, black pepper and creamed peanut butter into a sauce and pour over the turkey.
Courtesy of US Sportsmen’s Alliance
Wild Turkey Soup
Ingredients:
Wild turkey breast
3x sliced celery ribs
3x peeled and thinly sliced carrots
3/4 tablespoons of garlic powder
3/4 tablespoons of onion powder
1/4 cup fresh grated onion
1x tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Turkey Baste
1x tablespoon of dried parsley
4x eggs
2x tablespoons of butter
5-6 cups of stuffing
Instructions:
Combine the turkey, celery, carrots, garlic powder, onion powder, grated onion, parsley, turkey base, salt and pepper in a Dutch Oven. Then fill the Dutch Oven almost completely full with water and bring the mixture to a boil Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1.5-2 hours or until turkey is tender and can easily be removed from the bone. Remove the turkey from the mixture and let stand until cool. Remove the meat from the bone and place back into the Dutch Oven. Mix the stuffing with 4x egg whites and roll them into small balls. Fry the balls in a skillet with 2x tablespoons of butter until browned on all sides. Drop the dumplings into the soup to heat for a few minutes before serving.
Courtesy of MissHomemade.com
Roasted Wild Turkey Recipe
Ingredients:
1x whole (field dressed and plucked) wild turkey
6-8x quartered red potatoes
2x pounds of baby carrots
2x quartered apples
2x sliced onions
2x cups of water
1x teaspoon salt
1x teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1x tablespoon of lemon juice
2x tablespoons of steak sauce
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2x tablespoons of ketchup
Instructions:
Place turkey in a roasting pan and place the sliced apples inside the turkey. Place the potatoes, onions, and carrots around the turkey. Pour water over the vegetables. Rub the salt and pepper and rub all over the turkey. Combine everything else and spoon over the turkey. Cover and bake at 325° for 3.5 hours. Baste if desired.
Courtesy of Taste of Home December/January 1999, p39
Chicken Fried Wild Turkey Recipe
Ingredients:
1x turkey breast
2x cups of flour
1x 16oz bottle of Italian dressing
1/2 tablespoon of Lemon Pepper
2x tablespoons of melted butter
2x cups of milk
Liquid Smoke
2x eggs
Salt (as needed)
Pepper (as needed)
Cooking oil (as needed)
Instructions:
No list of the best wild turkey recipes would be complete with out a recipe for fried wild turkey! Marinate turkey strips in Italian dressing, lemon pepper, and Liquid Smoke for 8 hours or overnight. Beat the eggs into the milk. In a separate bowl, mix salt, pepper, and flour. Then dip the turkey strips in the egg/milk mixture then into the flour batter. Deep fry in oil until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Serve with gravy made with 2x tablespoons of flour combined with 2x tablespoons of melted butter, salt, and pepper in a skillet. Slowly add 1x cup of milk and stir until thickened.
Courtesy of The Wild Turkey Zone
Lemon Wild Turkey Recipe
Ingredients:
1x pound of skinless, boneless wild turkey breasts cut in 1″ strips
1x tablespoon of olive oil
1x tablespoon of dried Greek seasoning
2/3 cup dried orzo
½ of a lemon, cut into wedges or chunks
1x can of chicken broth
1x tablespoon of lemon juice
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Brown wild turkey on both sides in a Dutch Oven in olive oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Stir in orzo, the chicken broth, lemon wedges, lemon juice, Greek seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cover and bake for 35 minutes or until turkey is tender and no longer pink.
Courtesy of US Sportsmen’s Alliance
Turkey Pie
Ingredients:
3x cups of turkey, cooked and chopped
6x diced potatoes
6x diced carrots
1x chopped onion
1 1/2 cups of flour
2x teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 cup of milk
1x can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1/4 cup of chopped green pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salk
1/4 cup of butter
2x tablespoons of butter
Instructions:
Place potatoes and carrots in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Then train and reserve 1x cup of the liquid. In a skillet, saute onion and green pepper in 2x tablespoons of butter until tender. Blend both mixtures in a bowl. Then place the mixture in a casserole dish with the turkey and cooked vegetables. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
Courtesy of The Wild Turkey Zone
Another Grilled Wild Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients:
1x bone-in wild turkey breast cut in half
1x bottle of fat-free honey Dijon salad dressing
Instructions:
Place turkey breast in a large zip-lock bag, add entire bottle of salad dressing, and refrigerate overnight. Drain and discard marinade and grill turkey while covered over indirect medium heat for 45-55 minutes.
Courtesy of Taste of Home April/May 2002, p60
Grilled Wild Turkey Rolls
Ingredients:
1-1.5 pounds of wild turkey breast cut into 1.5″ cubes
1x pound of thick cut peppered bacon
1x can of pickled, sliced jalapenos
1/4 cup olive oil
1x tablespoon of brown sugar
2x tablespoons of white vinegar
2x tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tablespoon of ground pepper
1x teaspoon of garlic powder
1x teaspoon of salt
Instructions:
Mix the olive oil, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, ground pepper, garlic powder and salt together in a mixing bowl to make the marinade. Then place the turkey cubes in the bowl and let it marinade for at least 2 hours. The cut each piece of bacon in half and place one slice of jalapeno and once cube of turkey into center of bacon slice. Roll the bacon over the turkey and hold in place with a toothpick. Heat grill to medium heat. Place the rolls on sides and cook slowly. Turn them every few minutes. Keep a spray bottle of water handy to deal with flare-ups from the bacon grease. Once bacon is fully cooked, the turkey should be ready as well. Remove from grill and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Courtesy of Something Sweet Something Salty
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John McAdams is a proficient blogger, experienced shooter, and long time hunter who has pursued big game in 8 different countries on 3 separate continents. John graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and is a veteran of combat tours with the US Army in Iraq & Afghanistan. In addition to founding and writing for The Big Game Hunting Blog, John has written for outdoor publications like Bear Hunting Magazine, The Texas State Rifle Association newsletter, Texas Wildlife Magazine, & Wide Open Spaces. Learn more about John here, read some of John’s most popular articles, and be sure to subscribe to his show: the Big Game Hunting Podcast.
I really like the way this is layed out and how easy it is to follow. I am always looking for new ways to cook wild turkey and I feel I can try one of these recipes.
My one and only experience with wild turkey was a disaster. I used poultry seasoning on it, which ended up making it taste like soap for some reason. Is wild turkey more pork tasting? My husband is cleaning one right now, and we have more hanging, courtesy of a hunter friend. I really don’t want to screw this one up. Because if it’s more pork tasting, I’ll have to rethink how I cook these things. And what is “Greek seasoning”? The Lemon recipe looks pretty good. I’ll try that if you can tell me what “Greek seasoning” is. Thanks.
It’s a spice blend. Here’s how I make mine.
Ingredients
2 tsp. oregano dried
2 tsp. basil dried
1 tsp. parsley dried
1 tsp. dill dried
1 tsp. onion powder dried
1 tsp. garlic powder dried
½ tsp. rosemary dried
½ tsp. thyme dried
½ tsp. cinnamon ground
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt optional