Ramen-Crusted Turkey Nuggets
Wild turkey breast marinated in dressing and hot sauce, breaded in crushed ramen, cooked over a grill grate.
- calories
- 520
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 58
- protein
- 45 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 40 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Actual cooking
Ingredients
| Wild turkey breast | 1 side, about 1.5 lb | cut into strips or nugget-sized pieces |
|---|---|---|
| Zesty Italian dressing | 1 bottle, 16 oz | marinade; the acid does the tenderizing |
| Crystal hot sauce | 2 tbsp | |
| Soy sauce | 2 tbsp | |
| Chicken flavor ramen noodles | 2 blocks | keep the seasoning packets, they go in the crust |
| Cooking spray or oil | as needed | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- At home, cut the breast into nuggets and drop them in a zip bag with the dressing, hot sauce, and soy sauce. Marinate 4 to 8 hours in the fridge, then move the bag to the cooler.
- Also at home, crush the dry ramen blocks to the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. A rolling pin and a bag works. Stir both seasoning packets into the crumbs and bag them.
- In camp, build a bed of coals and set the grate low. You want steady medium heat, not flames.
- Lift the nuggets out of the marinade and let them drip for a few seconds. Dump the marinade in your gray water, not on the ground near camp.
- Press each piece into the ramen crumbs until it is coated all over.
- Oil a doubled sheet of heavy foil, lay the nuggets out with space between them, and set the foil on the grate.
- Cook about 8 minutes a side, turning once with tongs. The crust should be brown and the meat should not be pink at the center. Salt and pepper at the end.
This started as an air fryer recipe, which is not a thing you carry into the woods. The method transfers cleanly to a grill grate over coals because the crust does not need hot oil to set. Crushed ramen is mostly fried wheat already, so it browns on dry heat and holds a crunch that plain breadcrumbs will not.
The marinade is the other half of the job. Wild turkey breast is very lean and turns to rope if you overcook it, so the acid in the dressing plus a few hours in the bag buys you some margin. Do all the cutting, marinating, and crushing at home. In camp you are coating and grilling, nothing else. This one needs a cooler, so it is a first-night dinner.
Packing
Marinating bag lies flat in the cooler with the meat covered by liquid. Crumbs travel in their own bag and stay dry or they turn to paste. Bring heavy-duty foil and tongs.
Variations
- Any lean bird works: pheasant, grouse, or a store-bought chicken breast.
- A cast iron skillet with a half inch of oil over the same coals gives a harder crust.
- Swap in spicy ramen blocks and skip the hot sauce.
https://realtree.com/timber-2-table/recipes/extra-crispy-ramen-crusted-air-fryer-turkey-nuggets