Wild Grub Unplugged: Korean Fried Wild Turkey 

Asian food is comfort food. I grew up in Oklahoma in a middle-class white family, and I have no idea why Asian food is comfort food. It just is. I don’t even remember eating it growing up, if I’m being honest. The foods that made up my childhood went hand in hand for a typical ’90s family of five in the suburbs. Meatloaf, beef stroganoff, pork chops, every casserole in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, burgers, hot dogs, and the like. You get the point. But for whatever reason, foods like Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese bring me a feeling of happiness that my belly and brain seem to have no problem calling into cravings more than a few times a week. I love it. And I’m here for it. 

I’ve loved incorporating wild game to create recipes inspired by this cuisine. Stuff like venison pho, orange pheasant, elk banh mi, big game bulgogi, etc. Poultry always seems to be a heavy hitter in that world, so I knew that using wild turkey would be fairly easy to create a recipe for. One of my all-time favorites is Korean fried chicken and the sauce that goes with it. The bright red fermented (check) chili paste known as gochujang brings spice and color (enter more taste notes from ingredients) to a dish that ends up looking beautiful. 

Of special note, this recipe also came out of necessity rather than by organic design. Please allow me to explain. I missed the head shot on my first shot at my Eastern turkey—I’m human, ok? So I had to make a quick judgment call and try to pick him off while he was taking off for flight faster than an F-16 off an aircraft carrier. Fortunately, I folded him up mid-air like a duck, dropping him with my second shot. Unfortunately, I made a body shot, which did some pretty significant damage to the meat. It was a fast and clean kill, not one I’m proud of, but grateful for a fast recovery and lethal follow-up.  

I went to work, meticulously cleaning and trimming around the shot damage, and only losing about one-third of the breast that was facing me. Some might have called it a loss and thrown it away, but that’s just not how I operate. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep knowing I threw meat out just from being lazy. It took time, but it was time well spent that my heart couldn’t just let go. The trimming chore was made easy by using my Montana Knife Company’s Bighorn Chef’s knife. It is, without a doubt, the best knife I’ve ever used in my kitchen. Surgically sharp and beautifully finished in black, it’s my go-to chef’s knife for nearly all of my cooking. So after butchering, I was left with mainly bite-sized pieces that I knew would be perfect for a dish like Korean fried wild turkey. This is incredibly simple, but I encourage you to stay true to the recipe for ingredients to get the whole authentic-tasting experience from that bright red sauce. This is best served alongside some white sticky rice and the dumpling of your choice! Throw in a couple of bowls of kimchi and Korean cucumbers for the table to share. You and your guests won’t regret it. Enjoy! 

• 1 whole wild turkey breast (about 1.5 to 2 lbs), cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 1 small yellow onion, grated 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2/3 cup cornstarch 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Oil for deep frying, I used vegetable but use what you have 
• 1 TBSP garlic powder 
• 1/4 cup or 4 TBSP gochujang (Korean chili paste) 
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon, or more to thin out the sauce as needed  
• 4 TBSP sugar 
• 3 tbsp ketchup 
• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish 

Marinate: Place turkey in a medium-sized bowl, combine with grated onion, garlic, salt, and pepper, and set aside to marinate for at least one hour.  

Make the Sauce: In a large bowl, combine gochujang, lemon juice, ketchup, sugar, and garlic powder. Stir to combine, adding more lemon if you’d like a thinner sauce. Set aside. 

Dredge: Combine the cornstarch and flour in a medium bowl.  

Fry prep: In a large Dutch oven or pot, pour enough oil to a depth of about 1 to 2 inches—enough for the pieces to be completely covered when frying. Heat the pan until the oil reaches a temperature of 350 degrees. This is easiest to maintain using a thermometer in the oil. 

Frying: Working in small batches not to overcrowd the oil, carefully take the turkey from the bowl and dredge lightly in flour and cornstarch mixture, shaking off the excess, and slowly drop in the oil and let fry for 5-7 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove from the oil and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Let the oil come back up to temperature and repeat until all of the turkey has been fried. 

Get saucy: In the large bowl that you made the sauce in, place the fried wild turkey in and toss until all parts of the piece are covered in sauce. Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds. 

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