How to prepare and cook wild turkey meat

Learn how to safely prepare your wild turkey meat and get the most out of your harvest. Plus, browse delicious turkey recipes.

Cleaning and meat preparation

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The video above shows a quick and easy method to clean and remove the breasts and legs from a harvested wild turkey. Additional tips for field dressing and cooking your turkey are listed below.

• Cool the meat as quickly as possible, and store at or below 40°F
• Wear gloves
• Use a sharp knife
• It may be helpful to pluck and clear away feathers along the breastbone before inserting your knife for the first cut
• Inspect the meat for shot pellets before cooking
• Always heat game meat to at least 165°F before eating
• Read more about best practices for wild game processing and preparation

Turkey lumpia recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. wild turkey meat, cubed, skin off, tendons removed
• 3 oz. pork fat, cubed
• ¾ cup carrot, peeled, diced
• ¾ cup onion, diced
• 2 tbsp. green onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• Lumpia wrappers (30-40 per pound of meat)

Dipping Sauce Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup white vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp. sambal oelek or other chili sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Combine turkey and all other ingredients, mix, and grind through the fine die of your meat grinder. Refrigerate for around 30 minutes to firm up the meat before rolling.

2. Place 1.5 tablespoons of mix on a lumpia wrapper.

3. Roll lumpia. Use water to help close the wrap. Set aside.

4. Combine all dipping sauce ingredients in sauce pan and stir.

5. Simmer until sauce is reduced by half.

6. Fry lumpia at 350°–375°F for 3 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.

7. Allow lumpia to drain on a wire rack or paper towel lined plate.

8. Serve with Tangy-sweet Sambal Oelek Dipping Sauce, shiso leaves, or lettuce.

Turkey satay recipe

Ingredients

• 2 – 2 ½ lbs. wild turkey breast
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 2 tbsp. dried lemon grass
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 pearled onion or shallots
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• Salt to taste
• Bamboo skewers

Directions

1. Soak bamboo skewers overnight or for at least two hours.
2. Slice turkey breast into thin strips.
3. Roughly chop garlic and onions.
4. Combine all ingredients and spices to a zip top bag along with the turkey. Add water until meat is covered. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Thread turkey onto the skewers.
6. Grill skewers until the meat is cooked through and the juices run clear (internal temperature should be 165°F).
7. Serve with your favorite satay peanut sauce.

Thai lettuce wrap recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey or pheasant 
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil 
• ½ large white onion, diced very small 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. garlic chili sauce
• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 5 oz. can water chestnut, drained and diced very small
• 2 green onions, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp. ginger
• ¼ cup finely chopped cashews
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Thai peanut sauce
• Sriracha
• Butter lettuce leaves

Directions

• Begin cooking ground turkey or pheasant in a large skillet over medium heat.

• Add onion, sesame oil, hoisin, soy sauce, garlic, chili sauce, and rice wine vinegar and continue cooking until onions are soft.

• Add ginger, garlic, green onions, water chestnuts, cashews, and shredded carrots and continue to stir and cook until well combined.

• Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Spoon mixture onto butter lettuce leaves and top with some Thai peanut sauce and sriracha to your taste.

More recipes

You can substitute wild turkey for store-bought turkey in many recipes, but keep in mind that it is much leaner and can become dry more quickly. Many hunters choose to marinate, brine, or grind their wild turkey before cooking. Staff from MassWildlife have pulled together a list of some of their favorite wild turkey recipes:

Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup (from Salt and Lavender)

Grilled Turkey Kabobs (from Happy Foods Tubs)

Turkey Leg Soup (from Timber 2 Table)