Wild turkey breast, boneless

Grilled Lemon Garlic Wild Turkey Cutlets

Wild turkey breast sliced and pounded into thin cutlets, marinated briefly in lemon, garlic and oregano, and grilled hot and fast.

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 26 min
Skill: Easy

Cooks on: Grill · Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients

1½ lbWild turkey breast, boneless, one boneless breast half
2Lemon, 1 zested and juiced, 1 cut into wedges
3 clovesGarlic, minced
1¼ tspSalt, kosher
½ tspBlack pepper, ground
4 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for the grate
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chopped parsley

You'll need

Grill
Instant-read thermometer

Method

Slice the turkey breast horizontally into 4 even cutlets. Lay them between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them to an even ½ inch thick.
Whisk 3 tbsp of the olive oil with the zest of 1 lemon, the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Turn the cutlets in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 to 2 hours. Squeeze the juice of the zested lemon into a small bowl and set it aside.
Heat the grill to high, 450 to 500°F, with the lid closed. Clean the grate and wipe it with a little oil. Thin cutlets need a very hot grate to brown before they dry out.
Lift the cutlets from the marinade, let the excess drip off, and discard the marinade. Grill without moving them 2 to 3 minutes, until they release with grill marks, then turn and grill 1 to 3 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest cutlet. Take each one off as it gets there; minutes are only a guide.
Rest the cutlets 3 minutes on a warm plate. Whisk the lemon juice with the last 1 tbsp olive oil, spoon it over the cutlets with any resting juices, scatter the parsley over the top, and serve with the second lemon cut into wedges.

When it's done: 165°F

The federal chart lists poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.

If it goes wrong

Sticking to the grate: The grate was not hot, clean and oiled. Let the cutlets release on their own before turning.
Thick spots still underdone: Pound the cutlets to an even thickness so they cook at the same rate.
Pale and dry: The grill was not hot enough, so the cutlets cooked through before they browned. Heat the grill fully with the lid closed first.
Flare-ups: Let excess marinade drip off before the cutlets go on, and move them to a cooler part of the grill if flames climb.

Leftovers. Serve right away. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.