How to cook a wild turkey

Wild turkey on platter with citrus and fresh herbs.

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Let me show you how to cook a wild turkey, step by step. Wild turkey is more flavorful than domestic turkey but you need to know how to cook them!

Course entree, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 3

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 156kcal

Author Beth Neels

Cost $5

Equipment

Ingredients

For brining

10 pound turkey - cleaned, dressed and plucked. weight for dressed bird
2 gallons water
2 cups kosher salt
2 cups sugar
2 fresh lemons
2 oranges
1 onion
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
4 sprigs dried thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
10 leaves sage leaves
4 sprigs dried parsley

For roasting the bird. Brined or not brined bird

10 pound turkey – cleaned, dressed and plucked.
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 fresh lemons
1 oranges
1 onion quartered
1 large carrot
1 stalk celery
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 sprigs thyme, fresh
1 sprig rosemary, fresh
5 leaves sage leaves
2 sprigs fresh parsley

Instructions

For brined

Dress and pluck bird. Rinse well.
10 pound turkey - cleaned, dressed and plucked.
Add salt and sugar to water in a large saucepan and heat until salt and sugar melt.
2 cups kosher salt, 2 cups sugar, 2 gallons water
Let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until cold. Once cold, add oranges, lemons, pepper and herbs.
2 fresh lemons, 2 oranges, 1 onion, 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper, 4 sprigs dried thyme, 2 sprigs rosemary, 10 leaves sage leaves, 4 sprigs dried parsley
Add turkey to a large bucket, cooler or any container that it will fit in. Pour in brine.
Place turkey in the refrigerator and brine for 24 to 72 hours.

For roasting brined or not brined birds

Dry bird both inside and out with paper towels. Preheat oven to medium heat. 325°F /165°C
Rub the inside of the cavity and the outside of the skin with oil or melted butter. Then generously rub in salt and pepper to both inside and outside. (use only a little salt for a brined bird.)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Poke holes in lemon or orange with a metal skewer or long tined fork. Place in cavity.
1 oranges, 1 fresh lemons
Add rough chopped onion, carrot and celery to cavity. Then add sprigs of herbs.
1 onion, 1 large carrot, 1 stalk celery, 2 sprigs thyme, fresh, 1 sprig rosemary, fresh, 2 sprigs fresh parsley, 5 leaves sage leaves
Place turkey in a roasting pan with a rack. or if you don’t have a rack, place sliced onion pieces on the bottom of the pan to hold the turkey straight.
Roast turkey in the oven, basting every hour or so with butter, oil, or the pan juices, once they have formed. If the breast skin looks like it is getting too brown, tent the top with foil.
Roast bird until internal temperature of the thighs measures 160°F / 70°C. See notes section below for approximate times to roast.
Tent the bird with aluminum foil. Let turkey rest about 30 minutes. In the first 10 minutes the temperature will rise to 165°F / 75°C.

Notes

Wild birds generally take about 15 minutes per pound to roast at 325°F/165°C.

- you can use white sugar, brown sugar or turbinado sugar

You can use a large, food safe bag to brine turkey in. Don't use a garbage bag! They are treated with deodorizer spray and chemicals.

Pro tips for your success

Weigh your dressed bird before proceeding with recipe.
If you are brining the bird, make sure you turn it every day so that you get even brining.
Dry off the inside and outside very well with paper towels to achieve a crispy skin!
Do not overcook the meat! Remove it from the oven at 160°F/ 70°C.
Important Note: Wild turkeys are tall and slender compared to domestically raised birds, which have been bred to be short and squat. You must use the bottom rack in your oven to place the bird on. Carefully watch the breast which will be close to the top of your oven. Tent it with aluminum foil after it is sufficiently browned and baste the top well!
Use an instant read or a wireless meat thermometer. I used this Meatstick Mini that I was gifted and it worked like a charm. (affiliate link) We tested this thermometer and it performed well alongside another wireless meat thermometer that we have used for a while. It's small size and the lack of additional hardware to make it work was much easier to set up than our other brand.
Tent the bird with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Don't stuff a wild turkey because it takes longer for the bird to cook through, so you're in danger of overcooking the meat. Cook your stuffing in a casserole dish and fill the cavity with aromatics.
Carve your breasts against the grain of the meat.
Breast meat and leg meat are usually done in approximately the same amount of time. legs and thighs may take a few minutes more to cook but not very long.) Since wild turkeys work much harder for survival from predators and to locate food sources, the legs can be tough. We like to finish to thigh and leg meat in the crockpot on low for a few hours and then pull the meat for tacos, enchiladas, sandwiches, soups and stews.

Nutrition