Wild Turkey Recipe Guide:
Tried, Tested, Wildly Good

Great Wild Turkey Recipes

Brined and Roasted Wild Turkey Recipe

This is one of the best wild turkey recipes I’ve tried. The special brine will keep the turkey moist, help spread the seasoning through the entire turkey, and can help trick finicky palates into finding the gamey flavor of wild turkey more pleasing.

Ingredients:
1 wild turkey (10-14 lb)

Brine:
5 quarts water
1/2 C. salt
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp soy sauce

Seasoning:
1/4 C. lemon juice
1 C. butter, melted
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
4-6 slices bacon

Basting Sauce:
1/4 C. butter, melted
1/3 C. white wine

Instructions: Mix brine ingredients. In a large, clean bucket (or any clean, non-reactive container you have), immerse turkey in brining mixture for 24 hours. Drain and dry very thoroughly. Set out one additional hour to dry completely. Rub outside and inside of turkey with lemon juice.

At this point, you make want to smoke the turkey for added flavor, as smoked wild turkey is particularly good. (However, this is optional.) If smoking, smoke six hours according to your smoker's directions.

If stuffing the turkey, stuff it at this time using the recipe of your choice.

Mix butter, pepper, and salt, and rub mixture on skin and into cavity of turkey. Lay bacon slices over breast meat. Place the turkey breast side up in roasting pan. Mix melted butter and white wine. Bake in 325 degree oven about 3 to 3 3/4 hours (cook time will be less if turkey is smoked, more if turkey is stuffed), basting occasionally with butter and white wine mixture. Turkey is ready when legs and joints move loosely and internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.

Have a bigger or smaller bird? Here you'll find the right cook times for your wild turkey recipe.

Bag-Roasted Wild Turkey Recipe
with Tangy Raspberry Sauce

The tangy raspberry sauce is delicious all on it's own-- I could eat it with a spoon. It's the perfect accompaniment to a roasted wild turkey recipe, helping to cut the gamey flavor. Flavorful, moist, with an elegant presentation.

Ingredients:
1 wild turkey (any size)
3-4 tbsp bacon grease
6-8 slices bacon
1 C. onions, chopped
2 C. celery, chopped
1 1/2 C. white wine
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
1 C. seedless raspberry jam
2 tbsp orange juice
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 roasting bag.

Instructions: Rinse turkey in cold water and pat dry. Combine onion, celery, bacon grease, and one cup wine. Stuff turkey with mixture.

Sprinkle outside of turkey with salt and pepper, then lay slices of raw bacon over the breast.

Place turkey inside roasting bag. Pour broth and remaining half-cup of wine into bag. Close bag. Roast turkey at 325 degrees F, until internal temperature reads 165 degrees F. (Cook time depends on weight of turkey. Check here for proper turkey cook times.)

Before carving, discard onion and celery.

For sauce: Combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Boil 2-3 minutes, until sauce is reduced and thickened slightly.

To serve: Spoon sauce into bottom of serving tray. Top with sliced wild turkey meat.

Super-Simple Roasted Wild Turkey Recipe

Ingredients:
1 wild turkey (approx. 15 lbs)
Bacon fat
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 C. onion, chopped
2 C. celery, chopped
1 1/2 C white wine
1 muslin cloth (about 16 inches square) or cheesecloth

Instructions: Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat dry. Rub inside and outside of turkey with bacon fat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In bowl, mix onion, celery, and one cup white wine. Pour mixture into turkey cavity and place the turkey in a roasting pan. Dip muslin cloth in bacon fat (easier if fat is warm) and lay over turkey, tucking in around tops of drumsticks.

Roast in 325 degree oven 3-4 hours, til internal temperate reaches at least 165. Baste turkey often with pan drippings and the remaining 1/2 cup wine. Before carving, discard onion and celery.

Smoked Wild Turkey Recipe

Ingredients:
1 wild turkey (approximately 10-12 lbs)
4 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
2 tbsp seasoned salt
1/2 C. butter
2 (12 oz) cans cola (Coke works well)
1 apple
1 onion
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper

Instructions: Using hickory wood (or your favorite), preheat smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F according to manufacturer's directions.

Remove neck and giblets from turkey. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Rub the crushed garlic into the skin of the turkey. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place turkey in an aluminum roasting pan (the disposable kind).

Cut onion and apple into quarters. Fill cavity of turkey with butter, Coke, garlic powder, apple, onion, salt, and pepper. Don't worry if some of the mixture leaks out when turkey is set back down. Cover roasting pan loosely with foil.

Smoke turkey for approximately ten hours, basting every hour or two with juices from the bottom of the roasting pan. Wild turkey is ready to eat when internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh.

Simple-but-Scrumptious Wild Turkey Breast Recipe

Ingredients:
1 wild turkey breast half
8 oz bottled Italian salad dressing
8 oz white wine
Creole seasoning, to taste
lemon pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
1/2 C. butter, melted
2/3 C olive oil
1 small oven roasting bag

Instructions: Combine Italian dressing and white wine. Place turkey breast into large Ziploc bag. Pour mixture over. Marinate overnight in refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Discard marinade. Season wild turkey breast with Creole seasoning, lemon pepper, and salt. Place breast into oven roasting bag.

Mix melted butter and olive oil. Pour over breast. Place turkey breast (in bag) in a loaf pan or other small-sized pan. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Impossibly Easy --but true!--
Grilled Wild Turkey Breast Recipe

Ingredients:
1 wild turkey breast (approx 1-1/2 pounds), split in half (bone-in)
1 8 oz bottle honey Dijon salad dressing

Combine wild turkey breast and dressing in a large plastic bag. Mix to coat. Marinate overnight in refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Discard marinade. Grill turkey breast, covered, over indirect medium-heat fire 45-55 minutes, or until juice runs clear and internal temperature reads 170 degrees F.