Gearing up for a spring cookout? Excited to cook delicious dishes with your turkey catch? I’ve got you covered!
As much as I love hunting wild turkey, I also love preparing turkey dishes and serving them to my family and friends. Here are seven of my favorite wild turkey recipes that you and your loved ones can enjoy to celebrate a successful turkey hunt.
7 of the Best Wild Turkey Recipes This Spring
3. Wild Turkey Breast Fillets in Mushroom Sauce
4. Cajun-Fried Wild Turkey Biscuits and Gravy Sandwich
5. Wild Rice and Turkey Casserole
6. Disneyland Famous Smoked Turkey Legs
7. Lemon and Garlic Roast TurkeyConclusion
1. Wild Turkey Vegetable Soup
Soup is a great starter for any meal, and I’ve discovered that turkey meat works really well for this kind of dish. If you’re health conscious, you may be pleased to know that this recipe features at least 4 different kinds of vegetables. You can even add your favorites into the mix!
I like using turkey thighs for this recipe because they have a balanced ratio of meat and bones. The meat makes the soup more filling while the bones add more flavor to the broth. You can substitute the thighs with turkey legs, too!
Via sportingchef.com
Ingredients:
- 6-8 wild turkey thigs or legs
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 onion, quartered
- Pan spray
- Water
- 6 whole garlic cloves
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup zucchini squash, sliced
- 1 cup yellow squash, sliced
- 3 cups cooked pasta
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with equal part cold water
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2. Grilled Wild Turkey Rolls
Who doesn’t love bacon? I love them, so it’s imperative that I include a recipe with bacon in this list. Not surprisingly, adding jalapeño into the mix only made this recipe even more appetizing and delicious.
If you’re not into spicy stuff, you can always look for mild-flavored jalapeños (yes, they exist) in supermarkets. Or just cross out the jalapeño altogether and replace it with cheese.
Don’t forget to preheat the grill before you start cooking. And when grilling the wild turkey rolls, make sure you have a spray bottle on hand to help control flare-ups. Remember: You want grilled bacon strips, not charred ones!
Via somethingsweetsomethingsalty.wordpress.com
Ingredients:
- Marinade:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cloves minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 pound thick-cut peppered bacon
- 1 can pickled jalapeños
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds wild turkey breasts
3. Wild Turkey Breast Fillets in Mushroom Sauce
I find that mushrooms taste great with most kinds of meat, especially poultry. For this recipe, I make sure there are shiitake mushrooms included, but you can always use your favorite type of mushrooms instead. The addition of herbs like parsley and thyme also add an earthy flavor to the dish.
This recipe takes about 30 to 40 minutes to cook, depending on the number of turkey fillets you have. The dish is best eaten hot, so I suggest you dig in immediately!
Via misshomemade.com
Ingredients:
- ½ pound turkey breast fillets
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- 1 ¾ cups homemade chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
4. Cajun-Fried Wild Turkey Biscuits and Gravy Sandwich
This is my go-to recipe during poultry hunts because it’s easy to prepare and it’s filling. It’s also packed with protein and carbohydrates, which you will need if you plan to stay the whole day in the hunting grounds to catch some game.
You can also serve this sandwich during cookouts with your family and friends. While the recipe recommends 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, you can always adjust this measurement if you want a spicier flavor in your sandwiches.
Prep time for this recipe is 30 minutes, and you need 25 more minutes to finish frying and making the gravy. Eating time? Entirely up to you.
Via realtree.com
Ingredients:
- 2-3 pounds wild turkey breasts, cut across the grain into half-inch cutlets
- 2 cups flour
- 2 heaping tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 cups milk or buttermilk
- 10 eggs, cooked to preference
- 10 slices of cheese
- 10 biscuits
- Pinch black pepper
5. Wild Rice and Turkey Casserole
Find yourself with too much turkey leftovers? This recipe is quick and easy to prepare and makes use of all those leftover turkey meat from yesterday’s cookout. Plus, it’s very filling and doesn’t even require too many ingredients. What more can you ask for?
This recipe takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to prepare and cook and can feed 5 to 6 hungry people.
Via bettycrocker.com
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked wild turkey, sliced into ½-inch cubes
- 1 package (3/4 cup) seasoned long-grain rice
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 1/3 cup milk
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 can (1 ½ cups) condensed cream of mushroom soup
6. Disneyland Famous Smoked Turkey Legs
Drumsticks are a favorite of many kids and kids at heart. If you’re a drumstick fan, then you may want to check out this recipe. While I can’t attest to its similarity to Disneyland turkey legs because I’ve never been to that park, I can guarantee that this recipe is spicy and savory in equal amounts.
You can use an electric or charcoal grill for this recipe. To give the turkey legs an earthier flavor, try adding light-flavored wood chunks or chips, like hickory or mesquite, to your smoker.
A quick tip: Don’t open your smoker within 4 hours. Doing this may cause moisture to escape from the smoker, leaving you with dry and flaky drumsticks.
Via sasakitime.com
Ingredients:
- 8 turkey legs
- Brine:
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Spice Rub:
- 3 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil
7. Lemon and Garlic Roast Turkey
While roasted turkey is popular during Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is nothing that will stop you from cooking up this beauty for a spring cookout or a romantic dinner for a loved one.When done right, this recipe will result in a succulent turkey with a zesty, tangy flavor and side trimmings that you can use for delicious cider gravy.
This recipe takes more than 3 hours to cook so make sure you pack a lot of patience when you make it.
Via thespruce.com
Ingredients:
- 1 14-16 pound turkey
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 onions, peeled and halved
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half plus 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 fresh bay leaves
- Olive oil to drizzle
- 8 strips (or more) smoked bacon
- 3 sticks butter at room temperature1 tablespoon olive oil
- Finely grated zest and juice of 2 small lemons
- Small bunch of chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
Conclusion
Wild turkey, or any other dish, is enjoyed best with family and friends. I hope you enjoy these recipes and share them with others so that they can enjoy them, too.
Is this list helpful? I love to hear from you. Please drop a line in the comments section below. Happy cooking!
