The Best Way to Cook Wild Turkey

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There are tons of recipes on the internet offering great ways to cook that gobbler you shot this spring. As for us, here at The Fair Chase, we believe the best way to cook a wild turkey is simple… and it involves your smoker. 

Wild turkey isn’t the same as that turkey you bought frozen from the grocery store, which is usually brined and covered in a lot more fat. In our experience, unless you’re careful, wild turkey can tend to be tougher and drier than its domestic counterpart. 

However, it doesn’t need to be that way. Wild turkey can be amazing table fare… if you do it right. For us, a simple smoked turkey breast is the best way to cook wild turkey. It’s a simple concept: brine your turkey breast overnight, toss in some aromatics, throw it on the smoker and be careful to not overcook. 

Here’s what we believe is the best way to cook wild turkey:

Ingredients:

  • 1 Turkey breast

  • ¼ cup of Salt

  • 1/4 cup of sugar/sugar substitute

  • 2 cups of water

  • 2 tablespoon of black pepper

  • Fresh rosemary, sage and bay leaves

  • 1 onion, sliced

  • 1 lemon, sliced

  • Wild Turkey rub

    • 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika

    • 2 tablespoons of salt

    • 1 tablespoon of black pepper

    • 1 tablespoon of onion powder

    • 1 tablespoon of garlic powder

Method:

  • Start with the brine. 

    • Because wild turkey meat tends to be dry, we like to soak our turkey meat in a mix of water, salt, sugar (or honey if you’re not into the whole sugar thing) and aromatics

    • Mix the salt and sugar in hot water until it dissolves. Either cool the brine in the refrigerator or toss in some ice cubes to cool that mix down.

    • Toss the turkey in a large container, brine bag or even a vacuum seal bag with the brine, aromatics (black pepper, rosemary, sage and bay leaves), sliced lemons and sliced onions. Make sure the turkey is completely submerged.

    • Let it sit in the brine overnight in your refrigerator.

  • Prep the smoker

    • Pull out your pellet grill (we prefer Grilla Grills) and heat it up to 225°F. We think hickory, cherry or applewood is best for cooking wild turkey. 

  • Prep the meat

    • Pull the wild turkey breast out of the brine and pat dry. 

    • Season with your wild turkey rub (there are tons of other seasonings you can use)

  • Smoke that meat

    • Toss your wild turkey breast and close the lid

    • Smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of roughly 150°F. 

    • Remove the wild turkey breast and let it rest, covered in foil, for 10-15 minutes.

    • Slice thin and enjoy as cold cuts or thicker with sauce.

And that’s it, enjoy!

Want to learn more delicious wild game recipes?

Check out our Ultimate Smoked Bear Balls

Or check out our Savory Smoked Black Bear Ham Recipe

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