Wild turkey. People often wrinkle their nose when I talk about eating it, but if only they knew how DELICIOUS it is (when cooked right, of course)!
The brine
The brine is uber important. I’ve experimented with several different brine ingredients in the past with good results. Recently, though, I’ve been digging all the fall flavors: apple, maple, cinnamon… Mmmnn.
It seemed like the perfect time to do a Thanksgiving trial run, so I came up with this recipe and was very pleased with the results. The meat was tender and flavorful–and the leftovers were amazing in turkey sandwiches and soup!
Notes on cooking WILD TURKEY
This recipe includes instructions for baking, but if you have the time, smoking the turkey for a couple hours before baking yields great results. (Note that you may have to adjust the baking time.)
Although the proportions in this recipe are best for an average-sized wild turkey breast, the amount of brine may also work for a small whole turkey. You can always add more apple juice if additional liquid is needed to cover it.
Maple and Apple Brined Wild Turkey
A flavorful, easy way to enjoy wild turkey!
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup Kosher salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 qts apple juice
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsps maple extract
- 1 tsp allspice
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp real maple syrup
Instructions
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For the brine, add Kosher salt and cinnamon stick to 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool (add a little ice to speed up the process). Mix in the apple juice, apple cider vinegar, maple extract, and allspice.
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Place fresh or thawed turkey breast (along with drumsticks, if you like) into large (16-qt. or larger) stock pot. Pour in the brine mixture, making sure that the meat is completely covered in liquid. Refrigerate and brine at least 8 hours.
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Remove the turkey breast from the brine. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Place in baking dish and bring to room temperature (about 45 minutes) before cooking. At this point, you can either smoke it according to your smoker's specifications, or preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Melt the butter together with the maple syrup and coat the turkey in a nice thick layer, reserving a bit to brush on at the halfway cooking point.
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Add about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the cooking pan. Place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 90 minutes, brushing on more glaze at the half-way point. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that turkey meat reaches 165 degrees.
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Serve with all the "fixins'" and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
I love this natural maple extract by Frontier.
Related article: DIY Ideas for Turkey Feathers, Fans & Spurs
this looks yummy!
Thanks! Happy cooking 🙂