Spicy Wild Turkey Tenders | Cookin' It with Kix

My nephew, Dalton, on a successful wild turkey hunt several years ago.

My September book club pick, Cookin It with Kix, is chalk-full of great recipes and ideas!  My friend, Linde, called me excitedly to tell me about one she tried and was a big hit in her home. Her daughter and friends went wild over Spicy Wild Turkey Tenders! So of course I had to try them, and yup, same reaction at the farm.

Give this a spin, and if you find yourself banging your chest and howlin' at the moon, well, they are spicy, and they are wild, so what else would you expect?

Spicy Wild Turkey Tenders

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs (or any other dried crust-less bread crumbs.)
  • 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 8-10 wild turkey tenders or strips (1 1/2 - 2 lbs) *
  • Chopped chives and parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Mix flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl or plate. Mix eggs and milk together in a separate bowl. Mix panko, coconut, and paprika together in another bowl or plate.
  3. Roll the turkey in the flour mixture. Dip into the milk mixture, shaking off excess liquid. Press into the bread crumbs, packing onto each piece. Do not shake off the crumb mixture.
  4. Place the turkey onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake about 40 minutes, turning halfway through the baking time. Check often - depending on the oven, baking times may vary. The outside should be nicely browned and the inside juicy. The best way to test is to cut on of the strips in half to make sure it's done all the way through. If the tenders are thin, check at the 10 minute mark, as they will take less time than thicker pieces of meat.

Delicious plain or served with a sweet chili sauce, honey mustard, ketchup or even a ranch dip!

Pair them with the Oven "Fried" Fries, page 144, Tabbouleh Salad, page 142, and Banana Puddin', page 178 for a well-rounded deeelicious dinner!

* Don't have wild turkey or even tame turkey? Can you use chicken? Who's gonna stop ya?!