Cooking Turkey Tips from you experts

[laker1]

Ideas?

Deep fry,oven roasted,smoked? or what is best? A rookie turkey cook asking?

Some of must think you are good cook,and bet you are good?

Share time?

[Borch]

Injected and deep fried is good. So is marinaded and grilled especially wrapped in bacon. Smoked is good as well.

[benbosh]

Cut the breasts in half length wise then cut into about 2 inch chunks/strips, marinate in teriyaki or olive oil/salt/coarse pepper, wrap in bacon, grill on charcoal grill.

[corncob]

All those methods work great, and in addition ,I've had surprisingly good results cooking the bird in a plastic cooking bag . Almost foolproof if you follow the directions. Cooks faster, is moist and browns up great....I thought it was a weird way to cook a turkey until I tried it....No muss, no fuss,fast and easy, juicy and tender.

[ANYFISH2]

I have injected mine with creaole butter cajun injecter and deep fried, fantastic but try to make sure skin is intact and oil is hot hot. This sears the skin immediately and holds your miosture in.

I have also injected, again with creaole butter cajun injector, and slow cooked in the crock pot. This was done witb a breasted bird and legs. Leg meat still tough and hard to seperate from tendons. Breast meat was fantastic.

[leechlake]

I like to keep it simple and roast it in the oven at 325. For years I thought the bag was for hacks but I wouldn't roast a turkey without one. I think especially a wild bird would do better in the bag. I've roasted two wild birds and frankly I thought they tasted just like store bought ones but the breast is an A cup in the wild bird and a DD in the store bought.

[gunner55]

We just had 1 that was injected & smoked on the Weber.Everyone thought it was tasty.

[highlife4me]

For me it really depends on how I am going to serve the turkey. If I am just using it for sandwiches and such a smoked turkey can't be beat. If we are having a party and everybody is outside I usually do a fried turkey. This makes for a good conversation area. Kinda like drinking beer around a campfire, but you must keep any young children and pets away so they don't get burned. Lastly, if I am cooking a holiday meal with mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing I like to fill the house with the scent of oven roasted turkey.

Which ever way you decide to go with just do not over cook it. Once the breast temp reaches 165 it is done. After that the meat can really start to dry out and dry turkey is not "Good Eats".

[nbadger23]

I got this recipe off of this site somewhere. I've used it with either a smoker or a charcoal grill and both work great. I have leaned towards the weber lately because I think I can get a similar enough smoke smell and it takes less time.

turkey smoking brine:

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup (I just use pancake syrup if I don't have real maple)

2 qts apple juice or cider

1 or 2 qts water... use to fill up tupperware so meat is covered

brine for 24 hours.

*Remember to take the smaller, thinner pieces (if there are any) out prior to 24 hours because they pick up too much salt.

Cook on indirect heat on charcoal grill - usually takes about an hour. Again, the smaller pieces need to come off sooner so they don't dry out.

[DonBo]

My wife's favorite: Cut each breast in 4 or 5 clean pieces (no silver skin etc) roll in flour, brown in butter. Mix a can of cream of chicken, or mushroom soup and put in pan or baking dish, place browned pieces in and add potato chunks, maybe some green beans. Bake covered at 350-375 for a couple hours till tender.

[Getanet]

I wouldn't consider myself an expert on cooking turkey by any stretch of the imagination. But I have an oven, smoker and rotisserie for my gas grill and have cooked the bone-in turkey breasts all three ways. We hosted Christmas this year, did a breast in the smoker and rotisserie, and to my surprise the smoked breast was the unanimous favorite.

And they are incredibly easy. Soak in a brine over night, smoke for a while, and wrap in foil and towel to rest. The skin isn't great but the meat is fantastic. Thinking of smoking another soon just for sandwiches.

[DrJ]

My Kids and my favorite after trying other ways..1. Cut breast in finger size strips and marinade in Frank's Hot Sauce for 3hrs.Drain off sauce and soak in buttermilk for one hour 2. Drain and roll in cracker crumbs and deep fry. Serve with Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing. Cold beer and your ready to go.. DrJ...

[bloc004]

I usually cut into chunks, toss in cajun shorelunch seasoning. Deep fry until golden brown, toss them in franks red hot or sweet baby rays. Tastes just like boneless wings from any restaurant.

[DonBo]

There is the marinaded, bacon wrapped grilled method.

[laker1]

Lot of good ideas,and the picture above makes me hungry.

[Ballyhoo]

Tenderize breasts, cut into finger size strips, coat in a shorelunch style breading and fry in olive oil. Very good, wife and kids can't get enough.