Living on a turkey farm, we eat a lot of turkey and have gotten pretty creative with preparations of our favorite protein. People often ask for my recipes (especially other turkey farming families), so I decided to share my top 30 ways for preparing turkey.

30 recipes in one post is a bit too much (even for me) to digest. I plan to share these recipes in a series starting off with the simplest and most tried-and-true forms.

Now some of these recipes may not be mind-blowingly, new ideas, but they are ways that my family enjoys turkey. Most are easy recipes that do not require unusual ingredients or too much prep time.

1st Way: Fried Turkey Breast

• 

• 

Ingredients: 1 lb. sliced or cubed turkey breast,  2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 cup flour, 2 cups vegetable oil

Steps:
1. Season sliced or cubed turkey with salt and pepper.
2. Toss turkey in flour until fully coated.
3. Heat vegetable oil in non-stick pan 350° F.
4. Place coated turkey into hot oil, flip every 2-3 minutes until completely brown or until juices run clear from meat. Avoid over-cooking or turkey will be dry.

2nd Way: Grilled Turkey Breast

Ingredients: turkey breast sliced 1/2″ to 1″ in thickness, marinade or desired seasoning

Steps:
1. Set uncooked turkey in marinade overnight (if possible). If overnight isn’t an option, allow turkey to marinade or be seasoned for as long as possible before placing on the grill.
2. Heat grill to 350-400° F. Lightly grease grill surface and add marinated/seasoned turkey.
3. Close lid and cook 8 minutes, or until bottoms are browned with sear marks.
4. Rotate turkey and close lid
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook 7-10 minutes more, or until internal temperature reaches 165° F.

*Our favorite marinades are Italian dressing or Lawry’s Hawaiian marinade.

3rd Way: Turkey Ka-bobs

Ingredients: turkey breast cubed 1″ to 1 1/2″ squares, marinade or seasoning, skewers (metal or wooden), mushrooms, baby tomatoes, diced bell peppers, pineapple chunks, onion slices, pretty much any vegetable or meat that you like on a ka-bob.

Steps:
1. Set uncooked turkey in marinade overnight (if possible). If overnight isn’t an option, allow turkey to marinade or be seasoned for as long as possible before placing on the grill.
2. Assemble ka-bobs by alternately adding turkey and vegetables or other marinated meats (beef, lamb, shrimp, etc.) to the skewers *If using wooden skewers, soak skewers in water for an hour before adding meat and veggies.*
3. Heat grill to 350-400° F. Lightly grease grill surface and add ka-bobs.
4. Rotate ka-bobs every 2-3 minutes and close lid.
5. Cook for 6-10 minutes until turkey is cooked through
***Adding additional meats will impact the cooking time***

4th Way: Aloha Turkey

• 

• 

Ingredients: 4-6 turkey breast sliced or cubed 1/2″ in thickness, 2 tblsp all-purpose flour, 1/8 tsp black pepper, 2 tblsp vegetable oil, 2 cans (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tblsp honey, 2 tblsp teriyaki or soy sauce, 2 cups sliced mushrooms, ***hot cooked rice, if desired

Steps:
1. Place flour in large, resealable plastic bag; add turkey and toss to coat
2. In a large skillet, brown turkey over medium heat in oil for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove turkey and keep warm.
3. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice.
4. In a small bowl, combine corn starch and reserved juice until smooth. Gradually add to skillet, stir in honey, teriyaki/soy sauce, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 30 seconds or until thickened.
5. Add mushrooms, pineapple chunks, and turkey; heat through.
*** Serve with cooked rice if desired.***

5th Way: Turkey Tacos (Crock Pot Recipe)

Ingredients: 1-2 lb. sliced turkey breast (uncooked), 1 packet of taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water, tortillas, and any taco fixings you like. (My family likes cheese, sour cream, refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and black olives.)

Steps:
1. Place turkey in crockpot.
2. Sprinkle taco seasoning over turkey and add water.
3. Cook in crockpot on low 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
4. Remove turkey from crockpot and shred with fork. (Turkey should pull apart easily when done.)
5. Warm tortillas in microwave for 15-20 seconds.
6. Add turkey and desired ingredients to warmed tortilla. Enjoy!

6th Way: Crock Pot Cranberry Turkey Leg

Ingredients: Turkey leg quarter (Uncooked; Be sure to include the thigh. Turkey breast works, if you prefer white meat), one 14 oz. can whole cranberries or package of fresh cranberries, one cup orange juice (orange soda works too), one package of onion soup mix, *sliced mushrooms (if you like mushrooms).

Steps:
1. Place turkey leg quarter in crockpot.
2. Cover turkey leg quarter with onion soup mix.
3. Cover turkey with cranberries. *Add mushrooms.
4. Pour in orange juice.
5. Cook for 5-6 in hours in crockpot on low.
6. When done, turkey will come off bone easily. Cover deboned turkey with sauce from crock pot and serve. Hot, cooked rice for serving.

This turkey is great with wild rice pilaf or a spinach salad.

7th Way: Crock Pot Teriyaki Turkey

Ingredients: 1 pound diced turkey (uncooked), 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, 1 cup chicken broth, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1-12 oz. package frozen stir-fry vegetables.

Steps:
1. Combine chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, and garlic in large bowl.
2. Add turkey to to sauce and toss to combine.
3. Pour turkey and sauce into crockpot.
4. Cook on low for 3-5 hours. Add frozen vegetables and stir gently to cover with sauce.
5. Continue to cook for 1-2 hours until turkey is cooked through.
6. Serve on hot, cooked rice. Feel free to cover with extra sauce if desired.

8th Way: Turkey Salad

Ingredients: 1 lb cooked turkey (Leftover Thanksgiving turkey is perfect.), 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 cubed Granny Smith apple, 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins, 2 tblsp sweet relish, and ground black pepper.

Steps:
1. Shred or ground cooked turkey.
2. Mix turkey with mayonnaise, apples, cranberries, and relish until well coated. Season with black pepper to taste.
3. Serve on bread or crackers.

9th Way: Taco Turkey with Black Beans and Corn (Crock Pot Recipe)

Ingredients: 1-2 lb sliced turkey breast (uncooked), 1 – 8oz. package cream cheese, 1 – 15.25 oz. can corn, 1 – 15 oz. can drained black beans, 1 – 10 oz. can of Rotel, tortillas, and any taco fixings you like. (My family likes cheese, sour cream, refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and black olives.)

Steps:
1. Place turkey in crockpot.
2. Add cream cheese, black beans, corn, and Rotel.
3. Cook in crockpot on low 5-6 hours.
4. Remove turkey from crockpot and shred with fork. (Turkey should pull apart easily when done.) Mix shredded turkey back into cream cheese mixture.
5. Warm tortillas in microwave for 15-20 seconds.
6. Add cream cheese turkey and desired ingredients to warmed tortilla. Enjoy!

10th Way: Smoked Turkey Leg or Breast

Ingredients: turkey leg and thigh quarter, 2 tblsp Lawry’s seasoning salt, 2 tsp crushed black pepper, 2 tblsp garlic pepper seasoning.

Steps:
1. Mix seasoning salt, black pepper, and garlic pepper seasoning in small bowl.
2. Coat turkey leg and thigh with olive oil.
3. Rub seasoning mix over leg and thigh.
4. Heat smoker or grill to 225 degree Fahrenheit. Cook turkey leg quarter for 4 to 6 hours until internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Each time I prepare a meal, I put my best efforts into creating something that will fill stomach and hearts. I hope these meals do the same for you. Be sure to comment with questions or let me know how these recipes worked for you and your family.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Turkey really is our favorite protein.