My FAVORITE way to prepare Wild Turkey is fairly simple. I dare say that most hunters preparing this protein would agree, with only slight variations to breading/batter that Wild Turkey Fingers is their personal favorite also. Today, I am going to share a few options for this preparation and hope to give you some inspiration for hunting those birds.
DEEP-FRIED Wild Turkey Fingers
Serves: 5
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Turkey Ingredients:
- 5 pound turkey breast, de-boned and cut into strips
- Italian Dressing (enough to cover turkey strips)
- 1 teaspoongarlic powder
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Canola oil for frying
Gravy Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
Directions:
- Marinade the turkey strips for several hours or preferably overnight in the Italian dressing, garlic powder, and liquid smoke.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs first and then add the milk; mixing well. In another bowl add the flour, salt and pepper. You may add cayenne pepper to the flour mixture according to your preference.
- Dip the turkey strips into the egg mixture and then dust with the flour and seasonings. Deep fry until golden brown and the juices run clear. Drain.
- To make the gravy, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add salt and pepper. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for a minute or two. Slowly add 1 cup of milk and stir continually until mixture thickens.
- Serve the fried wild turkey fingers with the homemade gravy on the side. Enjoy!
DEEP FRIED Wild Turkey Batter
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup milk
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 10 turkey tenderloins
- ½ cup flour
- Shortening or canola oil for frying, approximately 6 to 10 cups
Directions:
- Preheat oil to 350 degrees.
- Whisk the egg, milk, broth and seasonings together in a bowl until salt is dissolved. Whisk the self-rising flour into the mixture and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Coat each piece with the ½ cup flour and then dip into the batter. Let some batter drip off and add to the hot oil. Fry 4 pieces (depending on the size, you don’t want to crowd them when cooking) at a time for approximately 7 to 9 minutes.
- Remove the fried turkey and let the pieces dry off. Serve and enjoy!
PAN FRIED Wild Turkey
Serves: 2-4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups bread crumbs (I use Old London plain bread crumbs)
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 pounds turkey breast, cut into strips
- Canola oil for frying
Directions:
- Preheat oil to 375 degrees.
- Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the garlic and onion powder.
- Dip fillets in eggs, then coat with crumb mixture.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and test cook with one fillet before cooking fillets in batches.
- Fry for 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork and is a deep golden brown.
Recipe and Blog courtesy of Chapter Leader Kelly Kinkade Cauley