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Home » Wild Game » Wild Turkey Leg Carnitas

Wild Turkey Leg Carnitas

By Hank Shaw on April 13, 2016, Updated June 17, 2020 - 60 Comments

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4.99 from 52 votes
turkey carnitas recipe
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turkey carnitas in a bowl
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Let’s face it: Wild turkey legs, wings and to a lesser extent thighs can be unbearably tough, and the tendons are often as tough as bone.

The answer? Turkey carnitas. Simmering your drumsticks for a long time in fat or broth, then shredding the meat and serving it in a taco or burrito, or in whatever make you happy.

I am guessing you’ve eaten carnitas made with pork before. If you haven’t, it is a Mexican dish where you braise the meat in a nice broth until it gets tender, then brown it on one side only in some lard or vegetable oil. The result is both tender and crispy, which is genius. There’s a reason it sells out at Chipotle every day…

Most versions of carnitas are essentially confit — they cook the pork or whatever slowly in lard. This is fantastic, but it requires an awful lot of lard. I prefer to follow the braising method that Diana Kennedy uses in her excellent cookbook The Cuisines of Mexico.

You can of course use other meats here, too. I’ve use the legs from geese a lot, and it works great. Pork is traditional, pheasant is fine, and if you are blessed with a bear with good-tasting fat that would also work. And you can do it with venison, but I prefer a similar technique called barbacoa for here.

If I can give you one piece of advice here, it is to take your time. Turkey will get rubbery and nasty before it submits and becomes smooth and luscious. If you need more water, add more water. This recipe will require at least 3 hours of your time, maybe more if you are cooking an old Tom. Be patient. It’s worth it.

Why? Not only because turkey carnitas will blow you away with how good it tastes, but also because so many people toss out the legs of a wild turkey. I know dedicated, life-long turkey hunters who were raised to believe that wild turkey legs — thighs and drumsticks, not to mention wings — were inedible.

This is simply not true. In fact, the thigh is my favorite part of a turkey, and, once you strip the meat off those awful tendons, the drumstick meat is almost as good.

Give this recipe a go if you find yourself with a wild turkey. Please. You’ll be shocked how good it can be.

A note on the recipe: I’ve updated it since I first published this recipe years ago. It used to have 10 crushed juniper berries, plus a tablespoon of cracked black peppercorns and a tablespoon of crushed coriander seeds. I not longer do that, but if you love the old recipe that’s what you’ll need to add. 

turkey carnitas in a bowl
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4.99 from 52 votes

Turkey Carnitas

I of course use wild turkey here, but a domestic turkey will work just fine. You could also use pheasant, an old chicken, a guinea hen or just go full-on traditional and use pork shoulder. Once you braise the meat and pull it off the bone, it will keep in the fridge for a week. Crisp it up before you serve it. Once you make this, the finished carnitas will keep for a week in the fridge. I usually reheat it in a frying pan with a little oil.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time3 hrs
Total Time3 hrs 25 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 510kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 2 to 4 turkey drumsticks, or 2 turkey thighs
  • 1 quart turkey or chicken stock
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons oregano, Mexican if possible
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • Salt
  • 5 tablespoons lard or olive oil

Instructions

  • Set the turkey in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, and add the turkey stock. Add enough water to cover the turkey, then all the remaining ingredients except for the lard. Bring to a simmer and add salt to taste. Cook gently until tender, anywhere from 90 minutes to 4 hours, depending on whether your turkey is store-bought, or, on the extreme end, an old wild tom. 
  • When it is tender, remove the turkey from the pot and let it cool. Shred the meat off the bones and, if using thighs, shred fairly fine -- remember this will be a filling for tacos or burritos. You can store the meat for up to a week at this point.
  • To finish, add the lard to a frying pan and brown the meat as much as you like. I like a mix of soft and crispy, so I lay the meat out in one layer and crisp just one side. 

Notes

I prefer this in soft tacos, with the traditional accompaniments: limes, onions, maybe a hot sauce or two, roasted chiles and cilantro or parsley. A homemade salsa verde is a great sauce here.

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 835mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 5mg
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Filed Under: Featured, Mexican, 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.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for Tom G.Tom G. says

    November 20, 2022 at 10:19 am

    Simple and delicious!

    Reply
  2. Avatar for TedTed says

    November 8, 2022 at 8:27 am

    I live in a rural area in Michigan. During the winter the farmers around here do bar game tournaments. Every player has to bring a dish. I brought this. They laughed at me telling me the legs are inedible. Well after they had Hank’s recipe, all legs are saved! Not to mention I threw in local wild ramps and they were blown away!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Donna RileyDonna Riley says

    September 25, 2022 at 9:43 am

    this looks great. my son just got his first turkey and i think we will try this. would it be OK to freeze the legs and thaw them later to make this recipe?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      September 25, 2022 at 11:06 am

      Donna: Absolutely. This works well with thawed legs.

      Reply
  4. Avatar for MattMatt says

    August 9, 2022 at 12:27 pm

    Fantastic!

    Reply
  5. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    June 10, 2022 at 3:53 am

    This recipe was fantastic and the best way to get use of our spring turkey legs. I will make this every year and some. What a delicious meal.

    Reply
  6. Avatar for Chris NelesenChris Nelesen says

    May 23, 2022 at 1:27 pm

    Would this recipe work in a slow cooker? if yet, what setting and how long?? thanks man, love your site!

    Chris

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      May 23, 2022 at 1:59 pm

      Chris: yes, but I can’t really tell you settings. I generally use it on high, because that’s a simmer on mine, and at least 8 hours. Like, put in before you go to work, eat when you come home.

      Reply
    • Avatar for Chris NelesenChris Nelesen says

      May 31, 2022 at 10:14 am

      I made this recipe over the weekend. 8 hours on low in the slower cooker worked great.

      REALLY great recipe.

      Thank you!

      Reply
  7. Avatar for John McNamaraJohn McNamara says

    April 13, 2022 at 5:12 pm

    Wonderful

    Reply
  8. Avatar for NickNick says

    March 25, 2022 at 6:59 am

    Made this for the last couple of years with my Spring turkey. Did one with skin on and one with skin off, but did not notice a huge difference. Any recommendations? I did not remember to sear the skin on first.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      March 25, 2022 at 8:00 am

      Nick: The skin just adds a little flavor to the mix, so I leave it on when I’ve plucked a bird.

      Reply
  9. Avatar for Bradley HutnikBradley Hutnik says

    September 8, 2021 at 8:44 pm

    Simple and delicious!

    Reply
  10. Avatar for ChrisChris says

    September 8, 2021 at 7:34 pm

    Fantastic!! My favorite way to use wild turkey legs. It’s also great with pheasant, pork and left over roast beef.

    Reply
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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!

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