Does Anybody Grind Turkey Meat...?

[Full_Fan]

Has anyone ever tried processing turkey breast meat into ground meat?  Similar to venison or beef?  I've had plenty of store bought ground turkey that I've enjoyed in all sorts of dishes.  I've gotten to the point in my life where I eat more ground meat than any other cuts in my wild game.

Do you just mix in a percentage of beef fat or pork butt for flavor and binder like a lot of folks do with venison?

Does it have good flavor?  Seems ground meat usually has less gamey taste than portion cuts do.

Just something I was thinking about and haven't heard much on.

Thanks!

[KYTurkey07]

Interesting idea but I've never heard that before. Fried turkey nuggets are too good for me to do anything different with the breast meat. I've smoked the dark meat before and it was good. This year I'm going to slow cook the dark meat and have pulled barbecue turkey.

[The Lung]

With venison I always add 20% beef fat, but with turkey I just usually toss in some of if not most of the turkey fat from the carcass. I've used ground turkey in things like enchilada fillings, dumpling fillings, meatballs, etc...

Funny you mention using more ground meat and less whole cuts as time goes. I fond myself doing the opposite. Particularly woth venison. I feel like I can find a million things to do with the bottom round, blade roasts, sirloin, neck meat, etc...but am less enthused to find fun ways to use up my ground venison.
I should add that a nice juicy venison burger is one of the very first things we make though after butchering, lol

[Greg Massey]

Never ground turkey breast. I mostly do fried and turkey jerky. I'm sure the ground turkey would be good.

[Bottomland OG]

I've always said in a joking manner that it should be a sin to cook wild turkey breast any other way besides fried nuggets. I bet it would definitely be good. I would eat turkey might near anyway you cook it though.

[eggshell]

My buddy grinds it and mixes in Bacon or jowl. I think he told me about half the weight of the turkey for bacon( three pounds of turkey and one  pound of bacon). He gave us some and it was very good. Made into patties, but be careful not to over cook it. I was thinking of doing some myself. I say go for it.

[3seasons]

I do. Best thing I've done with some of the harder meat to cook. 

I save the thighs, legs, heart and gizzard. I take the stones out of the gizzard then clean the meat up. I also add the flat point of the breast to the mix and do a course grind of it all.  I don't add anything to it and it's the best burger meat I've made. It's gone before the deer burger, axis burger or beef burger in the freezer every year.

The dark meat gives it enough richness to not have to add any fat.

I've got a good many birds in the freezer and I'm about to make burger out of a lot of them.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zobo]

I just posted pictures of turkey meatballs in mushroom gravy that I make every year. I grind one turkey breast and mix with one pound fatty ground pork. I also add eggs and breadcrumbs and cream, so that adds very nice moisture and softness to the final product. I made a double batch and they all were eaten in one night by the crew.

[KYTurkey07]

I do. Best thing I've done with some of the harder meat to cook. 

I save the thighs, legs, heart and gizzard. I take the stones out of the gizzard then clean the meat up. I also add the flat point of the breast to the mix and do a course grind of it all.  I don't add anything to it and it's the best burger meat I've made. It's gone before the deer burger, axis burger or beef burger in the freezer every year.

The dark meat gives it enough richness to not have to add any fat.

I've got a good many birds in the freezer and I'm about to make burger out of a lot of them.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
[/quote

That looks really good!

[NYturkey]

I have. Makes one heck of a breakfast sausage!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rumpot]

Here is one for everybody to try. Grind your turkey with bacon and brown sugar. Use a hot skillet and make a smash burger. Take soft cream cheese with chopped up jalapenos on a toasted bun and you won't believe how good it is.

[Yoder409]

That's all my neighbor, who receives most of the birds I shoot (gasp !!  ) does is grind them.  They use a lot of it that way.  Don't know if they mix anything in or not.

[Old Swamper]

I do. Best thing I've done with some of the harder meat to cook. 

I save the thighs, legs, heart and gizzard. I take the stones out of the gizzard then clean the meat up. I also add the flat point of the breast to the mix and do a course grind of it all.  I don't add anything to it and it's the best burger meat I've made. It's gone before the deer burger, axis burger or beef burger in the freezer every year.

The dark meat gives it enough richness to not have to add any fat.

I've got a good many birds in the freezer and I'm about to make burger out of a lot of them.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thats one hell of a system you got going there. Finished product looks really good. I commend you and those others who utilize the WHOLE Turkey. Has that meat in tubs been frozen once, or is that all "fresh" meat.

[3seasons]

[/quote]
Thats one hell of a system you got going there. Finished product looks really good. I commend you and those others who utilize the WHOLE Turkey. Has that meat in tubs been frozen once, or is that all "fresh" meat.
[/quote]

Some had been frozen with dry ice on that trip.

[Zobo]

I have ground the thighs and legs and made shawarma, with Greek spices, cumin, garlic, paprika, lemon rind, fennel, lots of black pepper. etc. After that's cook we slice it thin and make wild turkey gyros. Tomatoes, cukes, onion,tazziki yogurt sauce with lots of garlic and lemon and dill. Bam! Let's go!! 🤩