Come Thanksgiving, most American families can expect to carve into a golden roast turkey with tender white breast meat. But not all turkeys are created equal when it comes to color. Wild turkeys sport a markedly different hue compared to the pale domesticated birds found in grocery stores. So do wild turkeys have white meat too? Let’s find out.
The Skinny on White Meat
White meat is found primarily in the breast muscles of poultry. Chickens turkeys and other domesticated birds don’t fly much, so their breast muscles stay tender and lightly used. This results in paler meat color. Thighs and legs get a darker “red” meat color from more strenuous use.
Selective breeding accentuates the white meat in domestic turkeys. Farmers intentionally breed for larger breast size which means more white meat. The average supermarket bird today is nearly twice as big as turkeys in the 1960s.
Why Wild Turkey Breasts Are Darker
Wild turkeys lead very active lives flying through forests and evading predators. Their breasts provide powerful flight muscles, rather than languishing unused. This alone leads to darker, “redder” breast meat.
Other factors like diet and genetics also contribute. Wild turkeys eat diverse foods like seeds, berries, and insects, unlike domestic birds fed regimented diets. This influences meat composition. Wild birds also have more genetic diversity, which affects traits like color.
So while wild turkeys do technically have white breast meat, it appears darker than the ultrapale meat of domestic turkey.
Taste and Texture
The color discrepancy between wild and domestic turkey meat also signals differences in flavor and texture. Wild turkey breasts have a richer, more intense taste compared to blander domestic meat. The texture is slightly firmer rather than tender.
Thighs and legs of wild birds are also darker than domestic turkeys, but not remarkably so. These parts already have a more robust flavor and chewy texture regardless of the turkey’s wild origins.
Cooking Wild Turkey Breasts
Because wild turkey breasts are smaller and leaner, they require careful cooking to avoid drying out. It’s best to brine the meat beforehand and then cook to medium or medium rare doneness. Quick sear or grill methods work better than roasting.
You can safely substitute wild turkey breasts in any recipe calling for domestic turkey. Just be mindful of the differences in cook times and final internal temperature.
Nutrition
Wild turkey is Just as nutritious, if not more so, than domestic turkey. Wild birds get more diverse diets and exercise, resulting in a lean, protein-packed meat. There are no hormonal or genetic modifications with wild turkeys either.
A 3.5 ounce serving of wild turkey breast clocks in at around 120 calories and 25 grams of protein with minimal fat. It’s an excellent source of zinc, phosphorus, and vitamin B6 as well.
Hunting for Your Own Wild Bird
Many folks eager to try real wild turkey opt to hunt their own birds each spring and fall season. This ensures the finest quality meat from a genuinely wild turkey compared to farm-raised “wild” turkeys sometimes found in stores.
Hunting wild turkeys requires patience and skill to quietly stalk these cautious birds. Various methods and tools are used from shotguns to bows and calls. Check your state’s regulations for tagging information and safety rules.
Savor the Flavor
However you obtain it, wild turkey meat offers a real taste of nature. The subtly gamy, dense breast meat provides a nice contrast to the more mellow white meat of domestic turkeys. Even the legs and thighs have more complexity.
This Thanksgiving when you sit down to your turkey dinner, take a bite and appreciate millions of years of evolution that shaped the wild turkey into a distinctly delicious bird.
Learn the basics of wild turkey meat, the typical flavor profile, and techniques for cooking it to perfection
“Shoe leather” is how I once heard a client refer to the culinary merits of wild turkey. I was attending graduate school and had only shot my first turkey the previous fall. This client invited me to his property for a “guaranteed” late-season bird in eastern Washington but warned me, “My wife knows how to cook, and she couldn’t get me to eat more than one bite.”
The biggest misconception with wild turkey is that you can cook it like their obese, domestic counterparts found in grocery stores. You simply cannot. While some of the details can vary depending on species, region, and diet, what follows is a general profile of wild turkey meat.
(based on a serving of 100g or 3.5oz)
109 calories 25g protein 1.1g fat
Wild turkeys have white breast meat with darker meat found in the thighs and legs, similar to domestic turkeys. The meat is incredibly lean throughout—unlike domestic turkeys—and breasts can easily dry out if overcooked. On the other hand, the legs, wings, and thighs require several hours of cooking at low temperatures in order to tenderize.
If cooked correctly, wild turkey breast meat tastes like a firmer version of domestic turkey breast, though some would suggest that it tends to taste more like the dark meat of a domestic turkey. The legs and thighs can take on very subtle flavor notes that approach beef, depending on the cooking method (e.g., a long braise in stock followed by a smoke).
A typical wild turkey yields 8–12 pounds or more, including bone-in meat, depending on the size of the bird and assuming that all parts are kept (legs, thighs, wings, breasts, and giblets).
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FAQ
Is wild turkeys all dark meat?
Are any wild turkeys white?
What is the white meat of a turkey?
What’s the difference between a wild turkey and a domestic turkey?
What is a wild turkey?
Wild turkeys have white breast meat with darker meat found in the thighs and legs, similar to domestic turkeys. The meat is incredibly lean throughout—unlike domestic turkeys—and breasts can easily dry out if overcooked. On the other hand, the legs, wings, and thighs require several hours of cooking at low temperatures in order to tenderize.
What color is a wild turkey?
Wild Turkeys have the deep, rich brown and black feathers that most people associate with turkeys. In completely opposite fashion, domestic turkeys are normally white in color, an intentional product of domestication because white pin feathers are less noticeable on the carcass. “Wood Smarts” vs. “Not-so-smart”
Are wild turkeys dark meat?
On that note, don’t fret that you might be short on dark meat. Unlike store birds, wild turkeys, aside from the breasts, are almost all dark meat. Save the breasts for those white meat eaters and everyone else can enjoy the rest of the bird. There is one part of a wild turkey that does match up with its store-bought brother, though – the thighs.
Why do turkeys have white meat?
While pigging out on turkey at Thanksgiving, I gave some thought for my food. I like both dark and white meat, but why do turkeys (and chickens) have both? The white meat comes from the breast, which turkeys use to flap their wings. Wild turkeys fly only as a last resort, in a short burst, to escape predators.