Cooking wild turkey?

Daubs

Active Member
Aug 5, 2016
424
74
Nebraska
Last two turkey's I have cooked were dry and tough. Oven baked them slow, around 375 and to temp of 165.

What ways do you cook your wild turkey?

Thanks, D.
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,070
8,347
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Gypsum, Co
I keep it simple. I usually breast out the turkey and then cut the breast into strips. I'll then marinade the strips in a marinade of 1/2 can of 7Up, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cut soy sauce, and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of garlic power. I'll leave the meat in the marinade overnight and then grill it. It comes out nice and moist and delicious.

The rest of the turkey goes into the soup pot.

My brother in law cooked the first turkey that he got like a wild goose, it came out dry and close to inedible.
 

Wyoming Hart

Very Active Member
Oct 10, 2014
839
130
Spring Run, PA
Yeah, I don't cook a wild turkey like a butterball bird. Tried it too many times and they never turn out good. I do as the guys above said, but just flour and cook in a pan. Always looking for something new though.
 

bowrunner

Active Member
Oct 13, 2015
299
9
Illinois
What do you guys do with the legs? I have never really found an appetizing way to cook the legs.

I do, however, smoke my turkey breasts and they have turned out amazing.
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,070
8,347
70
Gypsum, Co
What do you guys do with the legs? I have never really found an appetizing way to cook the legs.

I do, however, smoke my turkey breasts and they have turned out amazing.
Soup pot. Just boil them until the meat fall off then pull the bones and tendons out. The same with the wings and back or what ever else you have after you breast them out. Throw in some diced carrots, celery, onions, and what ever else you like in a good soup. Then a few minutes before you are ready to serve it throw in some noodles. Then serve it once the noodles are cooked
 

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,796
2,162
Eastern Nebraska
I de-bone the entire bird, every scrap of meat, and grind it with bacon. I usually do 90% turkey to 10% bacon mix. Wal-Mart sells packages of "bacon ends and pieces" that works great. I am convinced there isn't a better way to cook wild turkey. We use it for breakfast sausage, burgers, sliders, wraps, etc... whatever it's just dang good. Since I started doing this I have gotten a lot more encouragement from my wife to go turkey hunting. She is even getting in the game now. We can't get enough of it.
 

Outdoorsman

New Member
Nov 24, 2016
37
0
Pensacola Fl
I de-bone the entire bird, every scrap of meat, and grind it with bacon. I usually do 90% turkey to 10% bacon mix. Wal-Mart sells packages of "bacon ends and pieces" that works great. I am convinced there isn't a better way to cook wild turkey. We use it for breakfast sausage, burgers, sliders, wraps, etc... whatever it's just dang good. Since I started doing this I have gotten a lot more encouragement from my wife to go turkey hunting. She is even getting in the game now. We can't get enough of it.
That sounds like a great idea
 

jvonbank

Member
May 30, 2017
50
1
45
Lake St Louis, MO
My favorite way is to breast them out, brine them overnight (frontier woman brine mix is a good one), wrap them in bacon, and then put it in the smoker until it gets to the bottom end temp range for turkey. It tastes great and isn't dry or tough! That is what my family had for this past Thanksgiving and everyone loved it.

Jared

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 

bghunter

Active Member
Jun 23, 2015
459
27
Granite Bay, CA
Cut it by pieces, salt, pepper, turmeric or your favorite spices, put it in slow cooker, add about 1-2 inches of real apple juice (not from concentrate) on the bottom, cook for about 10 hours. You can add pieces of apples or prunes if you like. Very delicious, must try it.
 

Tim McCoy

Veteran member
Dec 15, 2014
1,855
4
Oregon
I put the breasts on the bbq. Salt, pepper, garlic powder and olive oil. Cook it med/hi and fairly quick. The rest is for soup.
 

NEWHunter

Member
Jun 11, 2016
91
22
Brookfield, WI
I take mine to a local butcher shop and have the whole thing smoked. The bird comes back a bit salty for my taste so I make a pot pie with it and don't add any salt to the recipe. Turns out fantastic.
 

Fink

Veteran member
Apr 7, 2011
1,961
204
West Side, MoMo
We do Chinese recipes with almost all our turkeys. I make Springfield style cashew turkey, kung pao turkey, General Tso, or orange turkey. They turn out really good, and my wife loves them. I usually shoot 4 birds a year, and by cutting up and individually freezing a pound of meat per package, we end up with plenty of wild turkey for the entire year.
 

GOSHENGRUNTER

Active Member
Jan 8, 2014
439
127
Clermont County Ohio
I smoke the legs/thighs and then debone them. My wife puts in in casseroles and such. with the breast....we make White chili. this is a recipe from my wife's blog...
31435298_10204562205252334_4229252312096309248_n.jpg
Ingredients:
-1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 turkey breast
- 3/4 tablespoon cumin
- 3/4 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 10 oz frozen corn
- 30 oz cannelini beans
- 8 oz kidney beans
- 2 habanero peppers
- salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in large stockpot on medium-low heat. Saute the onion until tender. Add the turkey, raise heat to medium, and brown. Add cumin and chili powder, cook one minute, add garlic and stir.

Add peppers, bay leaf, and flour. Stir to coat everything with flour so it is all soaked up. Add chicken stock, cream, corn, and beans and stir.

Slice 2-3 slits in each habanero pepper- DO NOT DICE. Let the habaneros float around in the chili as it thickens, about 10 minutes. Pull out the habaneros. Allow chili to simmer for another 35-45 minutes, pull out the bay leaf, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.
31530328_10204562205132331_3561711585665744896_n.jpg