JAPANESE FRIED WILD TURKEY BREAST

Updated: Apr 15

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Japanese Fried Wild Turkey Breast Nuggets are hands down my favorite crispy bird recipe of all time. This Japanese-influenced dish (aka Karaage) uses a brine that is flavorful and produces some of the most moist wild bird meat that I've ever eaten.

The turkey is coated in either corn starch, potato starch, or rice flour which yields a light and crisp texture. So if you happen to be on a gluten-free diet, this is right up your alley.

The sauce that I like to eat this with is simple to whip up, as it uses the same ingredients as the brine, mixed with a little Mae Ploy chili sauce. These crispy turkey nuggets are great eaten stuffed inside of steamed buns, sandwiches, tacos, or rice bowls

Looking for other Wild Turkey recipes? These are a few of my favorites:

Smoked Wild Turkey Breast

Coconut Curry Turkey Thighs

Easy Mexican Wild Turkey Tinga

Lastly, if you make this Japanese Fried Wild Turkey Breast Recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you've made.

JAPANESE FRIED WILD TURKEY BREAST

Serves: 2 People

Prep time: 20 Minutes

Cook time: 12 Minutes

Author: Larry White

INGREDIENTS

For the Brine

• 1/2 cup – Water

• 1/2 cup – White Vinegar

• 1/4 cup – Sugar

• 1/4 cup – Honey

• 1/4 cup – Fish Sauce

• 1 tablespoon – Chopped Garlic

• 1 tablespoon – Chopped Hot Chilies

For the Turkey

• 1 - boneless skinless wild turkey breast, cut into 1 inch chunks

• 2 ounces – of the Brine

• 1.5 cups – Corn Starch, Potato Starch or Rice Flour

• Oil as needed for frying (peanut, grape seed, canola, etc…)

For the Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce

• 3/4 cups – Mae Ploy Chili Sauce

• All of the remaining brine

DIRECTIONS

Make the brine. Place all of the brine ingredients into a bowl. Mix well until the honey and sugar have dissolved.
Brine the turkey. Place turkey into a small non-reactive container. Pour about 1/4 cup of the brine over the turkey and distribute evenly. Let marinate for 6-8 hours.
Make the sauce. Combine the remaining brine with the Mae Ploy chili sauce into a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Fry the turkey. Preheat your oil to 375 degrees. Drain the brine from the turkey and discard. Place the turkey in a large bowl and toss with the starch, making sure they are well coated. Shake the access starch off of the meat and gently place a few pieces in the hot oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the cooking vessel as this will drop the oil temperature. Fry the turkey chunks until they reach a nice golden color.
Remove from the oil, season immediately with salt and pepper. Toss with as much of the sauce as you like or serve salt and pepper style.