Deep-Fried Cajun Butter Wild Turkey Breast

Everyone loves fried wild turkey breast strips or nuggets. I’ve got a few friends who swear it’s the only acceptable way to cook wild turkey. Me? I love wild turkey cooked a number of ways, but I can’t remember ever being disappointed in a batch of fried nuggets.

If you love fried wild turkey, try deep-frying an entire side of a breast this spring.

This recipe is a slightly different take on the traditional. Instead of cutting the meat into thin strips, I deep-fried one whole side of a breast. To prevent the meat from drying out as it cooked, I first injected the breast with Zatarain’s Creole Butter injection.

Injecting the breast meat with Creole butter prevents the meat from drying out as it fries.

I then hit the surface of the meat with a liberal shake of Cajun seasoning.

Season the injected breast with your favorite Cajun or Creole seasoning blend.

Next, roll the seasoned breast in your favorite seasoned flour or chicken breading mixture to evenly coat all surfaces.

Roll the injected breast in your favorite seasoned flour blend.

Most hunters simply skin out their turkeys. But you can pluck at least the breast portion in a few minutes to leave the skin on. Just like fried chicken, the skin adds tons of flavor and crunch to the finished dish. If you’ve already fully skinned your bird, the recipe works with a meat-only breast—it just isn’t quite as crispy.

You can do this one indoors on the stovetop with a large enough pot, but I like to do it outside with my fish fryer. Add enough oil to the pot to cover to fully cover the turkey when it is slowly lowered in. I use vegetable, peanut, or soy oil for any of my deep-frying needs. This is a time when you need a good thermometer. For best results, allow the oil to reach 350 degrees before adding the turkey.

An outdoor fish fryer is perfect for this recipe.

Place the breast in the basket of your fish fryer or grip it with a large pair of tongs. Gently lower the meat into the 350-degree oil. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes per pound or until the thickest part of the meat registers 150 degrees on a digital thermometer. Allow excess oil to drain from the meat. Move the turkey to a large cutting board and loosely tent with foil to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice across the grain with a sharp knife for serving.

Rest the fried breast a few minutes before slicing into serving-sized pieces.

Serve the turkey up with your favorite vegetable, a nice salad, and a potato or pasta for a full and easy meal.