Many people have different ideas about which sides go best with turkey on Thanksgiving, but there is no doubt that the turkey is the main dish. If you want to serve a wild bird instead of a butterball this year, here are some things to think about.
Cooking a tasty wild turkey can be a rewarding experience, but it does require some special considerations compared to cooking a domestic turkey The wild turkey is leaner and lacks the fat content of commercial turkeys, so proper cooking technique is key to achieving moist, flavorful meat In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how long to cook a wild turkey.
Estimating Cook Times
The most important factor in determining cook time for a wild turkey is its dressed weight Unlike domestic turkeys which are bred to have a higher meat-to-bone ratio, wild turkeys have a leaner build Here are some general time estimates
- Small turkey (under 12 lbs): About 13-15 minutes per lb at 325°F
- Medium turkey (12-18 lbs): About 15 minutes per lb at 325°F
- Large turkey (18-24 lbs): About 18 minutes per lb at 325°F
So for example, a 16 lb wild turkey will take approximately 4 hours to roast in a 325°F oven.
Always use a meat thermometer to check for doneness rather than relying on cook times alone. The thigh meat should reach 165°F and the breast 170°F once the turkey has rested.
Preparation Tips
Proper preparation is key to achieving a juicy, flavorful wild turkey:
-
Brine the turkey. Soaking the turkey in a saltwater brine for 12-24 hours helps keep the lean meat moist and well-seasoned. Use 1 cup salt per gallon of water.
-
Don’t stuff it. Stuffing delays cook time, leading to drying out. Cook stuffing separately.
-
Truss the legs. Binding the legs together with twine helps the bird cook evenly.
-
Use a rack. Elevating the turkey allows air circulation for even cooking.
-
Baste frequently. Basting every 30 minutes with butter, broth or pan drippings prevents drying out.
Cook It Right
Follow these tips to get perfect results:
-
Use a low temperature. Cook at 300-325°F to prevent overcooking the lean meat.
-
Maintain moisture. Tent foil over the breast if browning too quickly. Keep the cavity filled with onions, oranges, carrot and celery.
-
Let it rest. Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute.
-
Go for 165°F. Cook until the thighs reach an internal temp of 165°F and the breast 170°F.
-
Carve properly. Cut the breast meat against the grain for tenderness.
Alternative Cooking Methods
While roasting is most common, you can also cook your wild turkey using these methods:
-
Grill it. Use indirect heat around 300-350°F and rotate periodically for even cooking.
-
Smoke it. Cook low and slow at 225-250°F for 4-6 hours depending on size.
-
Sous vide. Cook in sealed bags immersed in 145°F water for 8-12 hours before searing.
-
Break it down. Cook parts like thighs, drumsticks and breasts separately.
Handling the Legs and Thighs
The legs and thighs of wild turkeys get more exercise and tend to be tougher than the breast meat. Here are some tips:
-
Braise legs in liquid like broth until fall-off-the-bone tender.
-
Grill legs and thighs to medium doneness before the breast finishes.
-
Smoke legs and thighs for hours over low heat.
-
Shred or chop legs and thighs after cooking for tacos, chili, soups, etc.
Keys to Success
Follow these best practices when cooking your wild turkey:
-
Always brine to retain moisture and seasoning.
-
Cook low and slow, basting frequently.
-
Rely on a meat thermometer, not a timer.
-
Let the turkey rest before slicing.
-
Adjust approach for legs/thighs versus breast meat.
-
Save pan drippings for gravy.
With the proper technique, you can enjoy succulent, delicious wild turkey cooked to perfection. Just be sure to account for extra cook time needed for these lean free-range birds. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!
Whole Bird versus Breaking it Down
Nothing is more iconic than a whole roasted turkey on a carving platter. But that’s not the best way to cook a wild turkey (or any turkey, unless it’s very small).
Turkeys are large birds, and because of their size, roasting them whole results in a lot of issues. Breasts, thighs, and legs vary in density and require different cook times and temperatures. By the time the legs and thighs are done, the breast meat is usually overcooked. This issue is common with domestic birds and even more pronounced with a lean, wild one.
The turkey you killed had been avoiding danger, fighting other turkeys, and generally making turkey hunters look stupid for years. Because of this, he will be leaner and tougher than any domestic counterpart. An overcooked butterball is pretty bad, but an overcooked wild bird is almost impossible to choke down.
By breaking down your turkey, you’ll be able to cook each piece at its optimal temperature and time. You can also mix and match how you cook each of the pieces. The broken-down bird will take up less space in your freezer, fridge, oven, and table. And it’ll taste better than any whole-roasted bird.
Break down your turkey into breasts, thighs, and legs. Save all the bones for stock or gravy. The legs will take longer to cook than the thighs, but you can mix the two together.
I brine almost all the wild turkey I cook. They’re so lean you want to retain as much moisture as you can while cooking them. It’s possible to use either a wet or a dry brine. I personally like one over the other depending on how I’m going to cook it, but either will do in a pinch.
My preferred cooking methods for turkey are sous vide and confit. After brining, I sous vide the breasts at 147°F for 90 to 120 minutes. The sous vide method cooks the breasts perfectly with maximum moisture retention. It’s the best way to cook turkey breasts, wild or domestic. When cooked to 147°F, the turkey breast is opaque but has a more springy texture and is much more juicy than when cooked to the traditional 165°F.
The legs and thighs get a dry brine, then are braised in duck fat for a few hours. The low and slow confit method will be deeply savory and ultra-rich from the duck fat. The meat will be dark, dense, and unctuous. Putting sous vide and confit-cooked meats together will create a nice contrast in taste, texture, and new and old ways of cooking.
Additionally, both these methods are great for cooking ahead of time. The chicken breasts won’t dry out if you cook them sous vide, let them cool, and then heat them back up before serving. For the confit, you should make it days ahead of time, let it cool down in the fat, and then bake the legs and thighs right before you serve them.
Sous Vide Turkey Breasts
- Dry brine the turkey breasts for 16 to 36 hours.
- Preheat sous vide to 147°F.
- Take the meat out of the brine and throw away the liquids. Then, put each turkey breast in its own vacuum bag. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. You can also add a bay leaf and herbs to the bag and seal it.
- Put turkey breasts that have been sealed in a water bath and cook for 90 to 120 minutes, or about 60 minutes for every inch of thickness.
- Once cooked, remove from the sous vide. After putting the breasts in an ice bath to cool them down, put them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. If you want to serve it right away, take it out of the bag, pat the skin side dry, and sear or broil it.
Wild Turkey 2 Ways | Cooking Wild Game | Timber 2 Table
FAQ
What temperature should wild turkey be cooked at?
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?
How long does it take to cook a raw turkey?
|
Weight
|
Cook Time (Unstuffed)
|
Cook Time (Stuffed)
|
|
7-10 lbs.
|
2½-3 hrs.
|
2¾-3½ hrs.
|
|
10-18 lbs.
|
3-3½ hrs.
|
3¾-4½ hrs.
|
|
18-22 lbs.
|
3½-4 hrs.
|
4½-5 hrs.
|
|
22-24 lbs.
|
4-4½ hrs.
|
5-5½ hrs.
|
Should you soak wild turkey before cooking?