Turkey breast fillets are large strips of meat cut from both sides of the breast, often roasted with herbs and spices. They can be sold separately and are easy to prepare by roasting, pan frying, grilling, or slow cooking. Tenderloins can be removed and stuffed or wrapped in bacon for added flavor.
Turkey breast fillets are long strips of meat that are cut from both sides of a turkey breast along the bone that runs down the center of the breast. The fillets are attached to the breast meat on the underside of the cut. There is some fat in turkey breast fillets, and for that reason, they are sometimes peeled off the larger breast to keep them from overcooking as the larger breast finishes. Roasting with herbs and spices is one of the most popular ways to prepare turkey breast fillets, with the finished meat being very tender if not overcooked. They are typically sliced and served alongside a side dish or used in salads.
Unlike chicken breast fillets, turkey breast fillets are quite large, sometimes as large as a chicken breast. While not all butchers remove them from pre-cut breasts, they are sometimes sold as their own cut of poultry. Many commercial brands offer the fillets already cut and sometimes spiced or marinated and ready to cook. It’s easy to remove the tenderloin from a whole turkey breast because it can be easily identified by the thin layer of fat that separates it from the rest of the meat. Depending on how it is removed, the tenderloin may be noticeably thicker on one side than the other, which may require it to be pounded to an even thickness or buttered before being cooked in some ways.
One of the easiest ways to prepare turkey breast fillets is to roast them in a hot oven. This way of cooking offers more control over a longer period of time than other methods, reducing the chance of the fillets overcooking and drying out. The meat can be marinated first in a simple mixture of oil, vinegar, and seasonings or it can be wrapped in foil to help keep moisture near the meat. The tenderloins should only be cooked until the temperature inside the meat has reached 165° Fahrenheit (about 74° Celsius), which is the temperature required to kill any harmful bacteria in the meat.
There are many other ways to cook turkey breast fillets, including pan frying, grilling, and using a slow cooker. Dry rubs, marinades and flavor injections can also be used. The meat can be sliced lengthwise down the side and stuffed with vegetables or other ingredients that can help keep the inside moist. A new way to prepare tenderloins is to wrap them in bacon and smoke them for hours until the meat is cooked through, providing a unique flavor to the turkey.
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