Amazing Jalapeno-Cheese Stuffed Wild Turkey Breast

Written by on in Meats

In the spring, the air is warming, the mosquitoes are coming out and the thunder chicken is in full rut! After many early mornings, close calls and finally success, it is time to enjoy one of my favorite game animal: the wild turkey. Unlike a thanksgiving turkey, I like to separate the different parts of my turkey to make delicious meals.

Since the turkey breasts can be dry, adding a cheese filling adds a lot of moisture to the meat and some fat. This recipe has a Southern United States twist to it and packs a lot of flavor. The spiciness of the peppers and the rub contrast very well with the creamy cheese, and brings out the best qualities of the turkey. Enjoy!

Amazing Jalapeno-Cheese Stuffed Wild Turkey Breast
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Amazing Jalapeno-Cheese Stuffed Wild Turkey Breast

Cuisine: SouthernDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • Filling

  • 1/2 cup of pancetta (or pork lard)

  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely diced

  • 2 jalapeno peppers

  • 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded

  • 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded

  • 1/2 cup of cream cheese

  • 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise

  • 1 wild turkey breast

  • 10 toothpicks

  • 2 tbsp. of butter

  • Cajun spice mix

  • 1/2 tsp. of paprika

  • 1/2 tsp. of salt

  • 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp. of dried oregano

  • 1/2 tsp. of dried thyme

  • 1/4 tsp. of ground black pepper

  • 1/4 tsp. of cayenne

Directions

  • Making the filling
  • Heat a medium pan over medium heat and add the pancetta. Let the temperature rise slowly until the pancetta has released some fat.
  • After 3 minutes, add the garlic. Until the garlic has become fragrant and the pancetta started to be crispy, which should take 4-5 minutes. At this point, remove them from the heat.
  • ***Optional step: Roast your jalapeno peppers by holding the jalapenos over an open flame until the skin is black. I used the flame of my BBQ. Once black, remove the jalapenos from the fire and peel the skin under running cold water***
  • Finely dice the jalapenos (remove the seeds if you do not like the heat).
  • In a bowl, mix the pancetta mix, the diced jalapenos, the mozzarella, the parmesan the cream cheese and the mayonnaise until uniform. You have now made the filling.
  • Lay your turkey breast on a cutting board. With a pairing knife, split open the turkey breast from the side until you reached 3/4 of the breast. You now have a pouch inside the turkey breast.
  • Insert the filling in the opening made in step 6 while making sure that the stuffing is pushed well in the cavity.
  • Close the opening by inserting toothpicks in a X pattern to ensure more seam stability.
  • Cooking the bird
  • Pre-heat your oven at 375F
  • In a small bowl, mix all the Cajun crust ingredients (paprika, salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground black pepper and cayenne).
  • Rub the Cajun spice mix on the surface of the stuffed turkey breast, making sure to cover the whole breast.
  • Heat an oven-safe skillet under medium-high heat.
  • Once the skillet is hot, add 2 tbsp. of butter to the pan. When the butter is melted, carefully add the breast in the pan. Sear it for 3 minutes on both sides.
  • When the breast is seared, place the skillet in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the meat has reached an internal temperature of 165F. Some of the filling will come out of the breast during this step. No worries, it will caramelize and become delicious.
  • After the 20 minutes, remove skillet from the over and cover the breast with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
  • Remove the toothpicks, slice in 1 cm (1/2″) thick slices and plate with rice and grilled vegetables and enjoy!

SUBSTITUTIONS – Since we do not always have success when going outdoors or not everyone practices hunting, fishing or picking. here are a few ideas to substitute the harvested ingredients:

  • The wild turkey breast can be substituted for a store bought turkey breast.
  • The wild turkey breast can be substituted for 3 chicken breasts and share the filling between the 3 breasts. The baking time may be reduced to 15 minutes (or until an internal temperature of 165F is reached).
  • The wild turkey breast can be substituted for 2 pork tenderloins and share the filling between the 2 tenderloins. The baking time may be reduced to 12 minutes (or until an internal temperature of 145F is reached).
  • The wild turkey breast can be substituted for 6 ruffed grouse breasts and share the filling between the 6 breasts. The baking time may be reduced to 10 minutes (or until an internal temperature of 165F is reached).

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