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Food

Fried Turkey Balls Recipe

These delicious deep-fried turkey balls start with tender braised turkey and end by being cooked in tons of duck fat, so they are as decadent and delicious as Thanksgiving gets.
Fried Turkey Balls Recipe

Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

for braising:
2 tablespoons duck fat (or canola oil)
half a turkey in pieces (1 breast, 1 thigh, 1 leg)
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 onions, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
6 carrots, peeled and diced
2 12-oz. bottles of lager or other mild beer
small bunch of fresh parsley
8-10 leaves fresh sage
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head of garlic, whole cloves, smashed

for fried turkey balls
shit ton of duck fat (or other frying medium such as canola oil or peanut oil)
8–9 large eggs, divided
1/4 cup of the cooled braising liquid
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme mix
turkey from above (bones removed), chopped into 1/2" chunks
2 tablespoons chickpea flour*
2 cups chickpea flour*, divided
1/2 cup of cornmeal (polenta)
salt and pepper
dried turmeric powder
chili powder

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*Chickpea flour is available at health food stores and Indian markets. It's gluten-free and makes for a nice crispy coating. You can also substitute all-purpose flour for similar results.

Directions

1. To make braised turkey balls, preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large Dutch oven, heat the duck fat over high heat. Generously season your turkey pieces with salt and pepper. Place one piece of the turkey skin side down in the hot duck fat. Let sear for several minutes until golden brown, then flip and sear the other side. Remove from pan and repeat with other turkey pieces.

2. Once you are done searing all the pieces, add the onions, celery, carrots to the residual fat in the pan. Cook the vegetables for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the beer, then return the turkey to the pot along with the fresh herbs and garlic. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in the preheated oven.

3. Let cook for 3–4 hours, until the meat is very tender and starting to fall off the bone. Remove meat from the liquid and let cool on a sheet pan for 20 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. Strain the vegetables from the liquid and refrigerate the liquid (makes great soup broth!).

4. To make the deep-fried turkey balls, place your duck fat (or oil) in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. The oil should be at least 3 inches deep. Affix fry thermometer and heat over medium heat to 375 degrees F. Set up a draining station with a cooling rack on a sheet pan.

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5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 4–5 of the eggs with the cooled braising liquid and minced herbs. Add the chopped turkey and gently fold into the eggs. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour over the mix, then fold again.

6. Set up three separate mixing bowls. In the first, put one cup of chickpea flour. In the second, whisk the remaining 4 eggs. In the third, mix together the remaining one cup chickpea flour, the cornmeal, salt, pepper and several dashes of turmeric and chili powder (more if it's for Deborah).

7. Grab a handful of turkey mixture and squeeze it into a ball. Dredge in the first bowl of chickpea flour, then roll in the egg bowl, then dredge in the final seasoned flour bowl. Carefully place immediately into the hot fat. Fry until nicely browned, flipping the balls occasionally. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon onto the prepared draining station. Repeat with remaining turkey. Serve turkey balls with tube mustard, cranberry sauce or other condiments.

From How-To: Make Deep-Fried Turkey Balls With TJ Miller & Andy Windak

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