Dill Pickle Turkey Cutlet
This recipe might as well be called “the hangover cure” because that’s exactly what it does. It’s a shatteringly crispy turkey cutlet that’s been marinated in dill pickle juice and served with buttermilk ranch. It definitely made me feel better after a night with one too many glasses of wine.
I like to use turkey, either wild or domestic, because it has more flavor than chicken. There’s not a whole lot of people who truly love turkey meat, and that’s a real shame. This is an easy way to make it juicy because the pickle marinade is salty, just like a brine, which helps the meat retain moisture when coking. It’s also very delicious and requires minimal ingredients.
Dill Pickle Turkey Cutlet
6
servingsIngredients
2 boneless, skinless turkey breasts *see note
6 dill pickle spears
1 cup pickle juice
2 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
Avocado Oil for cooking
Fresh chopped dill for garnish
Buttermilk ranch for serving
Directions
- Cut the turkey breast into cutlets (see note below) and pound into an even thickness using a meat mallet. Place inside a large bowl or resealable bag.
- Make the marinade by pureeing the pickle spears and juice in a food processor or blender. Pour the marinade over the meat and stir to combine and coat all pieces. Refrigerate the turkey and let it marinate for a minimum of four hours and up to a day. Before cooking, remove the turkey from the marinade and pat dry.
- Put the flour on one plate, the panko on another, and the eggs in a shallow bowl. Blend the salt, pepper, and paprika into the flour. Dredge a cutlet in the flour and shake off the excess. Next, dip it in the egg, letting excess drip off, and then dredge it into the panko to coat both sides. Set aide on a plate and repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Fill a large skillet with about ⅛” of oil and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the breaded cutlets, leaving some room in between (work in batches as needed) for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the meat cooked all the way through.
- Serve the cutlets with a garnish of fresh dill, sea salt, and some buttermilk ranch for dipping.
Notes
- *If using wild turkey, keep in mind that there’s a lot of variability in the yield of the meat. The size of a wild turkey can vary drastically depending on its age, but one thing all turkeys have in common is that the breast meat is quite thick towards the top where it meets the wishbone and tapers to become dramatically thinner at the bottom. For cutlets, I like cutting the breast in half where it thins, leaving you with a thinner, triangular-shaped piece of meat. The thick upper portion can be butterflied open to make two more large cutlets.
