These delicious tasting turkey necks are seared until golden brown then braised in a flavorful broth infused with aromatics then served over a bed of Herb Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
If you haven't tried turkey necks you are really missing out. They have dark meat which makes them so flavorful and juicy. With that being said, they require a relatively long cooking time and when cooked properly the end result is always soft tender meat.
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Ingredient Notes
This recipe is so simple to make and requires only a handful of ingredients and makes for a great weekend dinner that's cozy and comforting.
- I totally recommend seasoning the necks with Cajun seasoning for the most delicious bold flavor.
- Prepare the braising liquid, by sauteing the aromatics first in the same skillet that was used for searing the meat
- Then deglaze the skillet with chicken broth which enhances the flavor of this dish even more.
Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed information.
Equipment
When making turkey necks, I recommend a dutch oven or some form of an oven-safe skillet so you can sear your necks on top of the stovetop then immediately place in the oven to continue the cooking process. This is the beauty of owning a dutch oven.
How to make this recipe
- Wash under cool water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Season liberally with kosher salt and a Cajun spice blend (alternatively, you can season with any of your favorite seasonings).
- Add cooking oil to the dutch oven and sear both sides of the turkey necks then place on a clean plate and set aside.
- In the same dutch oven, saute the onions and minced garlic until fragrant.
- Deglaze the skillet with chicken broth then add the turkey necks back to the dutch oven, cover with the lid and place in the oven to braise for 1 hour and 50 minutes to 2 hours.
- Remove your turkey necks from the oven and spoon over the sauce.
- Serve over a bed of mashed potatoes or rice.
Top Tips
- Turkey notes can be easily found at your local grocery store during the holiday season.
- Bring your turkey necks to room temperature before cooking.
- Wash under cool water and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
- It's important to season them generously.
- Sear or brown them in a dutch oven or oven-safe skillet first before braising.
- For the most tender turkey necks, they should be braised in some sort of liquid such as water, chicken broth or stock (chicken broth adds more flavor than just water).
FAQ
Before braising turkey necks, I recommend adding a little cooking oil to your dutch oven or oven-safe skillet and sear or brown the turkey necks for approximately 8 minutes on both sides. The process of braising turkey necks in the oven, require between 1 hour and 50 minutes to 2 hours of cooking time for them to come out fork tender.
You can clean turkey necks like you would any other raw meat by simply rinsing really well under cool water. It's important to follow safety guidelines when handling any type of raw meat in order to prevent cross contamination and/or any food-borne illnesses
Store leftover turkey necks along with the pan juices in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When you're ready to reheat, remove the turkey necks from the fridge and place in an oven-safe skillet or dutch oven. Place in a 375 degree preheated oven until warm throughout. This may take about 20 minutes.
Braised turkey necks can be eaten on their own as in this recipe. They can also be used in soups, stews, or for making black-eyed peas, beans or other dishes to add flavor.
Other ways to serve turkey necks
Smoked Turkey Necks: Sure, you can smoke turkey necks on your own if you have a smoker. I do not. So, if I need smoked turkey necks for a recipe, I'll go straight to my local grocery store and purchase them there and that's it... easy and done. By the way, if you purchase them from the grocery store, they are fully cooked.
Smoked turkey necks are perfect for adding amazing flavor to collard greens, mustard greens, beans, stews or chili.
Smothered Turkey Necks: Turkey necks are perfect for creating a smooth and luscious homemade gravy. Similar to this turkey neck recipe, smothered turkey necks are amazing over rice or a bed of mashed potatoes.
More Turkey Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If so, let me know how it went. Leave a 'Star Rating' within the recipe card down below and/or TAG @cookingwithbliss on Instagram. I can't wait to see how it turned out.
📖 Recipe
Braised Turkey Neck Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or oven-safe skillet with lid or cover securely with foil if you do not have a lid
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Chef's knife for chopping onion and mincing garlic
Ingredients
- 5 lbs turkey necks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Cajun spice blend
- 2 tablespoon grape-seed oil
- 29 oz low sodium chicken broth (2-14.5 ounce cans)
- ½ onions (chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash turkey necks and pat dry with paper towels and season with kosher salt and Cajun spice blend.
- Add cooking oil to dutch oven or oven-safe skillet and place over medium-high heat. Place turkey necks in dutch oven and sear or brown both sides for about 8 minutes. After searing, place turkey necks on a clean plate. Set aside.
- In the same dutch oven, add more oil if necessary then saute onions and minced garlic until fragrant. De-glaze with chicken broth and add additional broth. Add browned turkey necks back to dutch oven and cover with lid. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour and 50 minutes to 2 hours.
- Remove from oven and serve over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes. Spoon pan juices over the top and enjoy.
Notes
- Turkey notes can be easily found at your local grocery store during the holiday season.
- Bring your turkey necks to room temperature before cooking.
- Wash under cool water and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
- It's important to season them generously.
- Sear or brown them in a dutch oven or oven-safe skillet first before braising.
- For the most tender turkey necks, they should be braised in some sort of liquid such as water, chicken broth or stock (chicken broth adds more flavor than just water).
Jocelyn
I never thought to cook turkey necks but OMG this sounds very flavorful and decadent. My kind of recipe! I’ll be sure to give this a try.
Cree
Hey Jocelyn - Turkey necks are delicious. I cannot wait for you to try. If you do, please be sure to let me know how they turned out. Hope to hear back from you soon. Take care ~ Cree
Laurence Needleman
My wife thought that this was one of the best meals she ever had! (Turkey - who would have thought?)
Thanks.
CookingwithBliss
Hey Laurence - Your comment has definitely made my day and thanks so much for returning to Cooking With Bliss to leave a comment. This means so much. Wishing you and your family a wonderful and safe week. Take care ~Cree