Smoked Wild Turkey Kabobs

Heath Wood

One of my favorite things about being an avid hunter is that of being able to provide incredible tasting meat for my family and friends to enjoy. 

If someone were to ask me to choose my favorite food out of all of the wildlife that I have been fortunate enough to hunt, it would be the wild turkey. As with many of the foods that I have prepared, one of my favorite ways to prepare wild turkey is by soaking the breast meat in buttermilk for several hours, then rolling it in flour and deep-frying. However, this time I was in search of creating a recipe that would be great for eating while at turkey hunting camp. 

When hanging around the camp after a hunt, there is great fellowship and even some storytelling accompanied by a meal prepared outdoors. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate wild turkey nuggets into a favorite family recipe that I have enjoyed for many years. Wild turkey kabobs are something that packs a punch of flavor, is healthy, and requires no dishes, mess, or clean up afterward. Perfect for enjoying around the hunting camp or in one's backyard.

Things you will need:

• 1 Wild Turkey Breast
• 2 Medium Size Zucchinis
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 3 Large Potatoes
• 4 Bell Peppers (yellow, red, and orange preferably to add color)
• 24 Small Cherry Tomatoes 
• 1 Bottle of Italian Salad Dressing
• 12 Kabob Skewers 

How To Prepare

1. Cut turkey breast into small bite-size pieces (approximately 2" X 2")
2. Cut zucchini, onion, potatoes, and bell peppers into small squares. 
3. Leave the cherry tomatoes whole since they are already the perfect size to fit on the kabob skewer.
4. Place all ingredients into a plastic container that has a lid. 
5. Pour the entire bottle of Italian dressing in the bowl of ingredients. Then place covered container in the refrigerator for 24 hours and let ingredients marinate in the dressing.
6. After 24 hours, or when ready to cook, put desired pieces on the kabob skewers, putting one of each ingredient on the skewer, then repeat 2 to 3 times until skewer is full. 

Letting all of the ingredients marinate in the Italian dressing for 24 hours, then cooking on the Traeger Grill, gives these kabobs an incredible flavor. Makes approximately 12 to 15 skewers.

How To Cook

One of my favorite ways to cook at home or while at hunting camp is on my Traeger Grills Pro 780 wood pellet smoker. For the Wild Turkey Kabobs, I used Traeger oak flavored wood pellets.  

1. Preheat grill to 225 degrees with the lid closed. Most of the time, I will let the grill preheat while I am assembling the kabob skewers. 
2. Once the smoker is to the desired temperature, I will place all the skewers directly on the grill rack. 
3. Allow the skewers to cook for approximately 2 hours or until turkey has an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
4. Once the turkey is to the desired internal temp, pull kabobs off the grill and let rest for 10 minutes. 
5. Enjoy right off the skewer or by pulling off pieces into a plate. 

A great feature of the Traeger Grills Pro 780 is its built-in WiFire option, which allows you to control the temperature of the smoker, as well as check the internal temperature of meat from a phone app. The WiFire app takes away the task of having to babysit the grill. Instead, you can go ahead with activities such as hiking, fishing, or wherever your adventure takes you and still have the peace of mind in knowing when your food is ready to eat.  

These turkey kabobs are the perfect bite-size piece to make a complete balanced meal or even as a great snack around the camp.

Check out the venison stuffed meatballs recipe also prepared on the Traeger Grill. 
 

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