Wild Turkey Recipes - Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife ...

“TOP 13 OF 2013”
Wild Turkey Recipes
Below are the top 13 recipes submitted by Facebook in spring 2013, as determined by a
panel of Kentucky Fish & Wildlife staff judges. Other submitted recipes are also listed
below them, in case you want to try them, too!
Editor’s Note: The FDA advises that poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal
temperature of 165 F to ensure that it’s safe for human consumption. We recommend checking
your turkey’s cooked temperature (after safely removing from oven or grill) using of a meat
thermometer, read with sensor/tip inserted to the center-most part of the cut of meat you are
temperature-testing.
1. RED HOT TURKEY FINGERS
Nathan Brady, New Haven, KY
Cut turkey breast into strips, marinade overnight in Franks Red Hot original cayenne
pepper hot sauce, then roll in Kentucky Colonel Seasoned Flour and fry in a skillet until
golden brown.
2. ‘BRING HOME THE BACON’ WILD TURKEY
Rick Goff, Somerset, KY
Cut turkey into 1/2 inch thick x 2 inch long pieces. Marinate in Dales Seasoning for 1
hour. Fry a pound of bacon in a skillet on the grill. Remove bacon. Coat the marinated
turkey with flour. Deep fry the coated turkey in the bacon grease, turning when brown—
about 4 minutes per side. Right before it's done add a square of mozzarella cheese, a
square of cheddar cheese, a couple jalapeno pepper rings, and some of the bacon to
the top of each piece; let that melt, remove, and enjoy. Best I've ever had!
3. SWEET RUB TURKEY BREAST
Nate Wesley, Danville, KY
Rub Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons Cayenne Pepper, 2 Tablespoons Chili Pepper, 2
Tablespoons Lemon Pepper, 2 Tablespoons Seasoned Salt, 2 Tablespoons Paprika, 2
cups light brown sugar.
Directions: Mix rub ingredients in a large zip lock bag, add about 4 pounds turkey breast
to mixture. Let all sit overnight. Preheat grill to 400 on one side of grill, leave other off.
Place turkey on unheated side, let cook for approx. 1 hour. Add wood chips to smoker
for smoky flavor. Let cook about 1 more hour or so, till internal temp. reaches 150.
Remove from grill, let sit for 5 minutes, slice & enjoy.

4. BREADED CREOLE TURKEY NUGGETS
Monte Grubb, Bowling Green, KY
Soak turkey strips/nuggets in milk and egg mixture Roll in House-Autry Chicken
Breader. Sprinkle with Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, salt and black
pepper. Deep fry in peanut oil until done. Don’t overcook. Makes 'em taste good!
5. TURKEY IN A DASH
Paul Preece, Louisa, KY
In a crock pot, place turkey sliced into in 2 inch strips, add Mrs. Dash Original Blend
Seasoning (or other blend if preferred), potato chunks, a dash of pepper and salt, cook
on high for about 4 hours. [Editors’ Note: Depending on your crock pot’s high
temperature on the “high” setting and the moisture level of the turkey, you may want to
add a cup of water to the recipe before cooking to help keep the meat moist as it cooks.]
6. SMOKED BLACKBERRY TURKEY
Wayne Tucker, Greensburg, KY
Ingredients: 1 whole Wild Turkey plucked and prepared like a whole store-bought
chicken, 1 gallon "Dale's" all purpose marinade, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 sticks of butter, 1/2
cup milk, 1 cup of corn starch, 2 peeled white sweet onions, 5 whole peeled carrots, 5
large peeled Idaho potatoes, Salt, Pepper, Sage, other desired spices.
Other Items Needed: Large charcoal BBQ grill or smoker, aluminum foil (heavy duty),
big handfuls of apple wood (green or seasoned).
Preparation: If your apple wood is green, it's ready to go. If it's seasoned, soak it
overnight in a bucket of water. Completely submerge the bird in the marinade for 12
hours. Set up the grill or smoker so that the bird may be cooked over indirect heat.
(Coals piled together on one side with enough room so the bird may be placed on the
other side) Remove the bird from the marinade and brush olive oil over entire bird until
fully coated. Combine spices and rub over entire bird. Rub 1 stick of butter over the
outside of the bird and 1 stick of butter around the inside cavity of the bird. Stuff inside
cavity of bird with onions, carrots, and potatoes. Combine 1 bottle blackberry wine with
1/2 cup milk in a large bowl. Stir in corn starch until mixture is thick and gooey. Set
aside for later. Ready the grill/smoker for cooking.
Cooking: Place bird on its back on grill or smoker about 12 inches away from direct
heat. Add the green apple wood or seasoned soaked apple wood directly to the top of
the coal pile. Brush blackberry wine/milk mixture over the top of the bird until completely
covered. (If mixed properly, this should be thick enough to stay where you put it. If it's
too runny and dripping off, stir in more corn starch.) Allow to cook/smoke for 1 hour,
then turn bird gently to breast-down position. (Try not to disturb the wine/mix coating any
more than necessary.) Brush wine mixture over the back of the bird until completely
covered. Allow to cook/smoke for one hour. Wrap the bird completely in multiple layers
of heavy duty aluminum foil, adding in remaining wine mixture and making sure it doesn't

leak out. Place on direct heat. (Directly above the coals) Allow to cook for 2-3 hours
depending on amount of coals/heat, turning every hour.
Serving: Unwrap aluminum foil and place bird on large serving platter, disturbing crust
as little as possible. Remove onions, carrots and potatoes and place around bird.
Carve and enjoy!
7. CREOLE-FRIED TURKEY CHUNKS
Charles Hamilton, Richmond, KY
Cut turkey breasts into chunks. Mix 1 cup of Bass Pro Shops Chicken Fry Mix, 1 Tbsp
Lowery's seasoning salt, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Tony Chachere's Famous Creole
Cuisine Seasoning in a zip lock bag. Heat skillet with 1 inch of peanut oil. Dip turkey
chunks in a milk & egg wash, then put in seasoning bag 4 pieces at a time and shake.
Cook coated chunks in oil until golden brown.
8. MOLASSES FRIED TURKEY
John Hellyer, Waddy, KY
Slice breast into nuggets, mix 2 eggs with equal amount of molasses, soak for a few
minutes then roll in Italian bread crumbs and fry until real brown, salt and pepper to
taste.
9. SMOKED GARLIC & BACON TURKEY
Shawn Canada
Inject entire turkey (or breast) with garlic marinade and rub it down with seasoning mix of
choice. Spread bacon strips over the top and smoke for several hours (‘til at least 165F
inside) with apple wood.
10. TENDER TURKEY NUGGETS
Joey Ballard
Cut turkey breast into nuggets. Dredge in flour seasoned with several dashes of black
pepper and salt. Brown in skillet on low heat with a lid—the secret to tenderness. Dip in
your favorite sauce (my favorite is Texas Pete's Buffalo Wing Sauce).
11. KENTUCKY KERNELS
Lynda Wireman, Clay City, KY
Ingredients: Turkey breast, water or milk, Kentucky Colonel Seasoned Flour, Preferred
cooking oil (peanut oil works great).

Directions: Slice breast into fingers or nuggets. Moisten turkey pieces in water or milk.
Coat turkey in Kentucky Colonel Flour. Fry in about 1 inch of oil that is heated to 350
degrees in a cast iron skillet. If the turkey pieces are thick, pound them with a meat
mallet to flatten before coating. Better than fried chicken!
12. STIR-FRIED TURKEY
Chad Kidd
Cut up in small strips & fry with mushrooms, onions, diced tomatoes, and steak sauce
13. ‘LEG UP’ BAKED WILD TURKEY
Randy Whitlatch, Belpre, OH
Take the drumstick and thighs from 1 or 2 turkeys, place in oven-safe pan (disposable
aluminum works just fine). Pour 1 small bottle of Italian dressing over the drumsticks
and thighs, bake 2 1/2 hours on 325, quarter a large Vidalia or any sweet onion and put
in pan, throw in a half to a whole stick of butter and bake another 2 hours.
14. PEPPER TURKEY FINGERS
Jessica Rogers
Ingredients: Sliced turkey strips, 1 cup buttermilk, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, Kentucky
Colonel Seasoned Flour, black pepper.
Directions: Slice turkey into strips/fingers. Mix buttermilk & Franks Red Hot sauce (as
desired—more for stronger flavor) in bowl. Dip turkey strips in mix, then roll in Kentucky
Colonel Flour mixed with a few dashes of black pepper & fry until golden brown.
15. SAUCY GRILLED TURKEY
Brad Taylor
Cut turkey breast in strips, then marinade in preferred BBQ sauce or Italian dressing in
the fridge for 24hrs. Grill strips until cooked through (white throughout) or to 165 F
internal temp.
16. BACON-WRAPPED FRIED TURKEY
Salina Willoughby
Cut turkey breast into nuggets, wrap with bacon and pan fry on medium heat until bacon
is done and turkey is golden brown on the edges.

17. GRILLED TURKEY STRIPS
Mike Phillips
Cut turkey into strips, soak in Dale’s Marinade and grill until lightly brown (and internal
temperature reaches 165 F)
18. BBQ TURKEY SKEWERS
Terry Music, Martin, KY
Ingredients: 2 Wild Turkey breast fillets, 1 Bottle Kraft Italian dressing, 2 Tbs soy sauce,
1 Bottle Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce.
Other Items: Skewer sticks, Large zip lock bag
Directions: Mix dressing and soy sauce in large zip lock bag, marinate turkey breast
overnight. Cut breast in strips, approx. 1/4 inch thick, put strips on skewers in a
folded/accordion fashion, then place the skewers over med hot grill, turning every 5-6
min until internal temp is 165. Then brush with BBQ sauce during the last 5 min of
cooking. Serve with your favorite side dishes and enjoy.
19. HAWAIIAN TURKEY
Michael Stutts, Carthage, TN
Ingredients: Whole turkey breast, Hawaiian Marinade.
Directions: Put it in a meatloaf pan. Inject the breast with a Hawaiian Marinade. Pour
some marinade on top of breast, too. Cover with Aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hr.
20. BUTTERMILK AND SRIRACHA FRIED TURKEY BREAST
Michael Pendley, Willisburg, KY
Ingredients: 1 wild turkey breast (1 side/half the total breast meat), 2 cups of buttermilk,
2/3 cup of Sriracha Brand hot sauce, Ky Colonel seasoned flour, 1 egg, Seasoned
bread crumbs
Directions: Clean and trim boned out turkey breast, remove any stray shot pellets. Slice
breast across the grain into 1/2 inch thick cutlets. Mix buttermilk and hot sauce in large
glass or plastic bowl. Marinate breast slices in buttermilk mixture for 2-4 hours in
refrigerator. Combine egg with water to make thin egg wash. Remove breast cutlets
from buttermilk, let excess liquid drain from meat. Dust cutlet in seasoned flour, then dip
on both sides in egg wash. Follow up by dipping into bread crumbs. Let cutlets rest for a
few minutes so that crust sets. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in cast iron skillet to 350
degrees. Fry cutlets 3-5 minutes per side till golden brown. Let drain on paper towels.
Photo available at: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v685/pentail/3C67811A-4C52-
4415-A7CE-656F9ECAFA2B-9687-00000741C22150E4_zps9f55c23f.jpg

21. BEER BATTERED TURKEY
Jeremy Merrell, Dry Ridge, KY
Cut turkey breast in desired size pieces (nuggets or strips), fry in beer batter, and eat
with ketchup.
[Sample beer batters recipe available online: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/beer-batter/]
22. BOURBON FRIED TURKEY
Jeremy Lewis, Valley Station, KY
Ingredients. Wild turkey breast(s) cut into strips or filets as desired, 1 box of jiffy
cornbread mix, 2 cups of self rising flour, 1 1/3 c wild turkey bourbon, 1 cup of milk, 4
eggs, 1 teaspoon of salt, teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of season salt.
Other Items Needed: 1 large zip lock bag, Deep fryer.
Directions: Mix cornbread mix, flour and salt, pepper, season salt in a bowl then set
aside. In a large bowl, mix Wild Turkey bourbon, milk, eggs, salt, pepper, season salt.
Marinate meat for 6 hours in bourbon mixture.
After marinating in bourbon/milk/egg mixture, put meat into large zip lock bag. Add the
coating, shake bag well to batter and add to fryer. Remove when golden brown. Serve
and enjoy.
23. ‘APPLE OF MY EYE’ TURKEY
Duke Tabb, Winchester, KY
Ingredients: 1 whole, cleaned/plucked turkey (skin on), sliced apples, apple cider, 1 can
apple pie filling or apple sauce.
Other Items Needed: Apple wood/chips,
Directions: Stuff cavity with quartered apples. Inject 1/2 to 1pt. with apple cider. Slow
cook in smoker with wet apple wood at 220 degrees until done (5 to 8 hrs depending on
size of turkey & ventilation). Use meat thermometer to ensure bird reaches minimum
internal temp of 165 F. Spoon on 1 can of apple pie filling or 1 jar of apple sauce.
24. TURKEY ITALIA
Brandon King
After a good brining, Marinate turkey breast(s) in Italian dressing overnight and slowsmoke
until internal temp reaches 175.

25. GARLIC BUTTER TURKEY
Marie Husnick
Soak turkey breast in salt water brine solution overnight, then inject it with garlic butter
and smoke it until internal temp is 165 F.
OTHER GREAT WILD TURKEY RECIPES are available at on the Internet at:
http://www.ussportsmen.org/uncategorized/ussas-top-10-wild-turkey-recipes/ and other hunting and
cooking sites.