Hey guys, I’m back again with a new recipe, and as usual, it’s something completely different. I will take you step by step through how I prepare this tasty smoked turkey sauce.
I was at the grocery store the other day picking up some smoked turkey from the meat aisle when I met this lady who walked up to me, curious about why I was purchasing smoked turkey.
She told me she never knew what to cook when it came to smoked turkey and was interested in the type of dish I was preparing with the meat.
This inspired me to make this recipe post because many people don’t play around the kitchen with this delicious meat. So I will share with you guys the common smoked turkey recipe I prepare regularly.
I personally eat it with white rice or fried rice. You can combine this with sauce or whatever dish you like because it tastes amazing with pretty much anything.
So without further ado, here is my favorite smoked turkey sauce recipe:
Ingredients for Smoked Turkey Sauce
Smoked Turkey: About 2 lbs of chopped smoked turkey. This adds a rich, smoky flavor to the sauce and gives it that hearty texture. Do not use raw turkey.
Tomatoes: Use 1 (16 oz) can of diced tomatoes, or fresh if you prefer. The tomatoes create the base of the sauce.
Red Bell Peppers: Two red bell peppers, chopped into smaller pieces to make blending easier.
Sweet Peppers: Two sweet peppers, chopped to ensure they blend smoothly.
Habanero Peppers: Two peppers, whole or chopped, depending on your heat preference. You can also substitute with scotch bonnet pepper.
Red Onions: Two onions—one chopped for blending and the other chopped for sautéing.
Oil: You will need about 4 tablespoons to sauté the onions and get the base flavors going.
Curry Powder: Just 1/2 teaspoon to add warmth and a subtle earthy tone to the sauce.
Salt: To taste.
Cayenne Pepper: I like extra heat in my meaty dishes, but feel free to omit it.Thyme: For more flavor. You can use fresh thyme if you prefer, but I like to use ground thyme in this recipe.
How to Make Smoked Turkey Sauce
Step 1: Dice the Turkey
Chop your smokey turkey into small bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Step 2: Blend your peppers and onions
Put your onions, tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero peppers, and sweet pepper in a blender and blend until you achieve a smooth consistency.
Stick to using more peppers than tomatoes for this recipe.
Step 3: Saute the Aromatics
Heat up oil in a medium-sized pot on medium heat and throw in some chopped onions. Let the onion fry for about 2-3 minutes or until the redness starts to slowly fade.
Step 4: Add the Turkey
Throw in all your spices (and please don’t forget to add salt) along with the chopped smoked turkey. Mix it all together and let it saute for about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Cook the Turkey Sauce
After about 10minutes, pour in your blended ingredients into the mix and let it cook for an additional 30minutes.
Make sure to keep tasting the sauce as its cooking. If you notice a bit of slappy taste as a result of the tomatoes, leave it to fry for an additional 10-15mins until the slappy taste is gone OR add a little bit of brown sugar (try not to add too much) as this helps to rid off the taste a lot faster.
I usually do not like to add sugar to my cooking, but sometimes it comes in handy when in a rush, especially with this recipe. If you do this, let it sit for an additional 10mins.
And you’re literally done. The smoked turkey sauce is now ready to be served. Feel free to serve this dish with white rice or fried rice.
Tasty Smoked Turkey Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs smoked turkey - cut into chunks
- 4 tbsp oil
- 16 oz diced tomatoes - 1 can of diced tomatoes, or 3 fresh tomatoes diced
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 sweet peppers
- 2 habanero peppers
- 2 red onions - small, 1 for blending, 1 for sautéing (chopped)
- ½ tsp curry powder
- salt - adjust, to taste
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 tsp brown sugar - optional, to balance tomato sharpness
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the red onion, tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero peppers, and sweet peppers. Blend until smooth.
- Heat the canola oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and lose their redness.
- Add the spices: curry powder, salt, ground cayenne pepper, and thyme. Then, mix in the chopped smoked turkey. Stir everything together and let it cook for about 10 minutes, allowing the turkey to absorb the flavors.
- Pour the blended pepper-tomato mixture into the pot with the turkey and spices. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be sure to taste the sauce as it cooks.
- Your smoked turkey sauce is ready! Serve it hot with white rice or any dish of your choice.
