• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Subscribe
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Finding the Forgotten Feast

  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • Stories
  • About
    • Public Events
    • Privacy Policy
  • Wild Game
    • Venison Recipes
    • Duck Recipes and Goose Recipes
    • Rabbits, Hares and Squirrels
    • Pheasants, Turkey, Quail
    • Dove Recipes
    • Wild Pig and Bear Recipes
    • My Best Taco Recipes
    • Wild Game Sauces
  • Charcuterie
    • Homemade Sausage Recipes
    • Smoker Recipes
    • Bacon, Jerky, Hams, etc
    • Salami Recipes
    • Confit, Pate, Terrines
  • Fish
    • General Fish Recipes
    • Salmon Recipes
    • Snapper Recipes
    • Crabs, Shellfish and Squid
    • Little Fish and Oddballs
  • Gathering
    • Preservation Recipes
    • Mushrooms
    • Sweet Things
    • Wild Greens and Herbs
    • Acorns, Nuts, Starches
  • Podcast
Home » Wild Game » Fried Turkey Nuggets

Fried Turkey Nuggets

By Hank Shaw on April 15, 2019, Updated June 15, 2020 - 19 Comments

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
5 from 23 votes
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Finished fried turkey nuggets recipe
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

I know, I know, this is not a high-brow recipe, but turkey nuggets are damn good and I thought I’d share my recipe with you.

Chunks of fried awesomeness dipped in the sauce of your choice is never a bad idea, especially when the sauce is Mississippi comeback sauce, which, if you have never heard of it, is basically All The Condiments mixed together.

The inspiration for my rendition of turkey nuggets comes from another Southern recipe I make, snapper bites. Snapper bites are basically this, only with red snapper or some other firm white fish. Chunks of fish or turkey, breaded in Saltines, fried in something that makes dieticians shudder, and served with something irresistible.

I make turkey nuggets with the thinner portion of each side of the turkey breast, the triangular section closest to the bird’s tail. On a store-bought turkey this is not so pronounced, but on a wild turkey is is always very thin in comparison to the front portion. This section of turkey breast is excellent for cutlets, too.

It can help to brine the turkey first, which helps prevent it from drying out. My brine is super simple: 1/4 cup kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal) to 1 quart of water. Brine for only a few hours, I’d say between 2 and 6, tops.

Pouring comeback sauce on turkey nuggets
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

You then cut the turkey breast into chunks, dredge in flour, then in a Louisiana-style egg wash — it has mustard in with the beaten eggs — then in either breadcrumbs or Saltines. I prefer Saltines.

Fry in something that makes you celebrate your wild turkey, like fresh rendered lard (the kind that’s refrigerated or in any Latin market), or peanut oil or, yes, I suppose regular vegetable oil.

The comeback sauce is right from my friend John Currence’s book Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey. It is, more or less, all the condiments: ketchup, mayo, Worcestershire, mustard, even something called Heinz chili sauce, which I’d never heard of.

All of this makes comeback sauce strangely dirty, in a good way. Dirty in the sense of eating three orders of Burger King onion rings, or a whole carton of Krispy Kremes.

You could use whatever sauce you want, however. I dunked cold, leftover turkey nuggets in hot sauce and it was fine. More than fine, really. This is also to say that cold turkey nuggets are almost as good as piping hot ones.

Finished fried turkey nuggets recipe
Print Recipe
5 from 23 votes

Fried Turkey Nuggets

I use wild turkey breast here, but you can use store-bought, too. You can also use regular breadcrumbs or panko, although I like the Saltines. And any sauce that makes you happy will be fine here. Or no sauce at all. 
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 669kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

COMEBACK SAUCE

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1/4 cuo Heinz chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • Salt

TURKEY NUGGETS

  • 2 pounds turkey breast, cut into chunks
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon spice mix of your choice (Cajun, Cavender's, Old Bay, etc.)
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup buttermilk or regular milk
  • 1/4 cup yellow mustard
  • 2 sleeves Saltines
  • oil for frying

Instructions

  • To make the sauce, put everything in a food processor or blender and puree. Set it aside. 
  • Mix the flour with the spice mix; I use Cavender's mostly. Mix together the eggs, buttermilk and mustard. Mash the Saltines. I do this by putting them in a heavy freezer bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
  • Dredge about 1/4 of the turkey chunks in the flour, then the egg wash, then put them in the freezer bag with the crushed Saltines and shake well to coat. Before you take them out, press the crushed Saltines into the meat. Set the chunks on a baking sheet, and do the rest of the turkey, 1/4 of it at a time. 
  • In an ideal world, you would rest the breaded turkey nuggets in the fridge for 1 hour. Do this if you can, because it will make the coating stick to the turkey better. If you are rushed for time, you can skip this. 
  • When you are ready to fry, put enough oil in a large frying pan to come up about a finger's worth (about 1/2 inch) and bring it to somewhere between 325F and 350F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and put that in your oven. Set the oven to "warm."
  • Fry the turkey nuggets in batches so you don't crowd the pan. Set the finished turkey nuggets on the rack in the warm oven while you do the rest. Serve with the comeback sauce. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 669kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 863mg | Potassium: 579mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @HuntGatherCook or tag #HankShaw!

Thanks for Sharing This!

2.3K shares

Filed Under: American Recipes, Featured, Recipe, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatar for HeidiHeidi says

    November 16, 2022 at 5:31 am

    have you ever breaded the turkey nuggets the night before and kept them in the fridge for around 24 hours before frying?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      November 23, 2022 at 11:22 am

      Heidi: not that long, but yes, the fridge rest helps the breading stick.

      Reply
  2. Avatar for WillWill says

    March 30, 2022 at 4:54 am

    Yummy!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for JoshJosh says

    August 6, 2021 at 5:42 pm

    So stinking good! Thanks for yet another winner Hank!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for BryanBryan says

    May 12, 2021 at 5:44 pm

    This was excellent with a wild turkey I harvested this spring. I used the bread crumbs and Old Bay in the flour.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Amie OrwickAmie Orwick says

    April 22, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    This is my family’s new favorite way to eat wild turkey! The recipe is perfection, and I appreciate the tips for success, like chilling the coated chunks and the frying temperature of the oil. The sauce is delicious too. I didn’t have chili sauce so I used a T of sriracha. Thank you for yet another great recipe!

    Reply
  6. Avatar for SharonSharon says

    February 6, 2021 at 3:02 pm

    I came across a lonely bag of wild turkey breast tenders at the back of the freezer and used this recipe to surprise my husband. He was delighted. I will definitely make this again.

    Reply
  7. Avatar for Sally PottsSally Potts says

    August 16, 2020 at 5:40 pm

    Made this with panko instead of bread crumbs (due to what’s on hand) and grilled on a pizza stone on the bbq (too hot to use stove or deep fryer inside this week)… Turned out sooo delicious – I use online recipes all the time but rarely comment on them, but this one is so good I had to!
    Looking forward to actually frying them next time too:)

    Reply
  8. Avatar for MadisonMadison says

    April 24, 2020 at 5:57 am

    This is the only recipe I use for when we cook wild turkey. When we first harvested our turkey we cut the pieces of the breast up kind of too thick, so before cooking this recipe I lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter lay the breast pieces in a single layer add a sheet of plastic wrap on top then use a meat tenderizer to beat them suckers thin. Then I marinate. I also throw the flour mixture in a ziplock bag and shake the turkey to coat, then you don’t get gooey flour hands. Super yummy recipe, Thank you!

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Timothy M CassTimothy M Cass says

    March 22, 2020 at 6:57 pm

    This turned out great for me! Family loved it! I brined the breast for 2 hours with brown sugar added. Will definitely use this recipe again.

    Reply
  10. Avatar for Jessica JacksonJessica Jackson says

    January 21, 2020 at 6:11 pm

    My family loves this recipe! The kids will actually sit their butts down and eat what’s on their plate! The only thing I changed was I used panko instead of saltines. It’s great either way! The Comeback Sauce is also great on vegetables.

    Reply
  11. Avatar for Robert BridgemanRobert Bridgeman says

    January 9, 2020 at 9:44 am

    I tried this recipe in the cast iron skillet to avoid the mess of deep frying. Another one of Hank’s recipes, not surprisingly, fantastic.

    Reply
  12. Avatar for SethSeth says

    May 9, 2019 at 7:26 am

    I used this recipe with the “triangles” from the turkey breast like the recipe suggests and it turned out fantastic. The one thing I would do differently in the future is use a fresh sleeve of crackers and new bag on the second half of the turkey chunks. I just didn’t get as consistent breading on the second half as the cracker crumbs started to clump up. Entire family loved this meal. Great way to introduce wild game to someone.

    Reply
  13. Avatar for LorettaLoretta says

    April 23, 2019 at 3:56 am

    Hi I was looking for recipes and then I found your Nuggets recipe for Turkey do you have one for deer meat ?

    Reply
  14. Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

    April 22, 2019 at 8:58 am

    Made this recipe with tenders from a wild turkey (perfect since) and put them on a sandwich, and it was fantastic! I like the addition of mustard to the egg dip – it’s not something I’ve done in the past but will do again in the future. And they were ALMOST better as leftovers for breakfast.

    Reply
  15. Avatar for BethBeth says

    April 17, 2019 at 11:02 am

    Made these last night. Easy and fantastic. The boyfriend, a life long hunter, declared this his new favorite way to eat wild turkey breast. Well done, sir!

    Reply
  16. Avatar for Brian WBrian W says

    April 16, 2019 at 7:39 am

    Heinz Chili sauce is amazing! It is like oniony, slightly spicy ketchup!
    This recipe is basically how I treat my Morels as well, except they have to be fried in bacon grease. If I happen to have a tukey and shrooms, both into the bath!

    Reply
  17. Avatar for Jim FultzJim Fultz says

    April 15, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    I have the “Hunter, Gather, Cook” and the “Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail” cook books, so; I guess I’ll have to get the “Hunter, Angler, Gardener” cook book as well. This is gonna be great fun and for that, Mr. Hank Shaw; I Thank You…

    Reply
  18. Avatar for SusieSusie says

    April 15, 2019 at 6:45 am

    I’m going to to this with the pheasant glut in my freezer. Sounds delicious.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

More about Hank...

Featured Recipes

Closeup of sliced, smoked venison backstrap on a platter
Venison 101: How to Cook Venison
pickled pike recipe
Pickled Pike
Slices of smoked venison roast on a cutting board.
Smoked Venison Roast
Conejo en adobo on a plate
Conejo en Adobo
A platter of fried walleye with lemon.
Fried Walleye
A plate of pine nut cookies.
Pine Nut Cookies

As Seen In

As seen on CNN, New York Times, Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart, Food and Wine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and The Splendid Table

Never Miss a Recipe

Receive recipes direct to your inbox.

 

 

Back to Top
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Stories
  • Wild Game
  • Charcuterie
  • Fish
  • Gathering
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

© 2023 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved.

Site built by: Site by Status Forward

2.3K shares
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • 932Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Save
  • Email
2.3K shares
  • 932