Wild turkey meat can be finicky. The breasts can dry out easily if you cook them for too long, and the legs often require long hours of braising time to become edible. If you shoot an old tom, expect the meat to be even tougher and stringier.
However, there’s one method that bypasses all these problems, and that’s turning wild turkey into super flavorful, versatile ground meat. Taste-wise, it beats grocery store ground turkey by a long shot, and you can swap in ground turkey meat in any recipe that calls for ground beef or poultry. There’s no need to treat the breasts and legs differently—grind all of it at once and mix it together for a light and dark combo that’s just right. This turkey meatballs sub recipe makes the most out of your fresh ground turkey.
Wild Turkey Meatball Sub
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 hoagie sandwich rolls
- 8-ounce package of Italian-style shredded cheese blend
- Marinara sauce, warmed
- 2 tbs. olive oil
Meatballs Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground wild turkey meat
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup of milk-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, plus extra
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. dried basil
- ¾ tsp. fine sea salt-Freshly cracked pepper
- ¼ cup minced or grated onion-Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus extra
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs and milk and allow to soak while you chop the herbs. Then, add the remaining meatball ingredients and thoroughly combine using your hands. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit. Roll chilled meat mixture into 12 equal-size balls, and then place them on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with lightly greased parchment paper. Allow two inches between each meatball for better browning, and brush with olive oil. Bake the middle rack for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees.
3. Remove the meatballs from the oven and keep them warm. Turn the oven to broiler mode. Sprinkle shredded cheese on the inside of the sandwich rolls, and then place them onto a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil. Partially toast them so they hold up better when filled—do not take your eye off the bread because it can burn quickly. Then, fill the rolls with meatballs, warmed marinara sauce, and more shredded cheese to taste. Toast until the cheese has melted.
4. Sprinkle with extra grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley before serving. Enjoy your turkey meatball sub!
