Thai Turkey is served during the latter portion of our Full Canyon trips. Year after year, AzRA guests nominate it as one of our most delicious dinners. The Thai Turkey recipe has gone through a few changes since it was first added to the menu in the early 1990’s, but has remained relatively the same. However, as always, AzRA’s river guides also add their own spin to the traditional instructions.
We typically serve the Thai Turkey with basmati rice and a side of apple salad. The recipe below serves about eighteen, so you may need to adjust the portion of ingredients to fit your needs.
| Thai Turkey Ingredients:
8 pounds precooked turkey breast 1 bunch cilantro (chopped) 1 bunch celery (chopped) 2 yellow onions (chopped or sliced) 1 pound carrots (chopped) 5 14 ounce cans coconut milk 2 4 ounce jars red curry paste |
| Apple Salad Ingredients:
12 apples (chopped) 2 cups walnut pieces 2 cups raisins 4 11 ounce cans mandarin oranges 2 lemons (juiced) 2 limes (juiced) |
Thai Turkey Meal Prep and Serve
Photo by Michael Rodrigues
This recipe goes much faster if you can recruit some kitchen help. There is quite a bit of chopping! To begin, cut the onions into chunks, peel and slice the carrots, chop the celery and cilantro. Coarsely shred the turkey with a fork.
In a large sauce pan, mix coconut milk and curry paste together thoroughly. Combine the carrots, celery and onions to the coconut milk mixture and bring to a simmer until the veggies are crisp and tender. Next, add the turkey to the pan and heat thoroughly. Top with cilantro and serve over prepared basmati rice or couscous.
Apple Salad Instructions
Chop the apples into bite-sized chunks. Mix apples, walnuts, raisins, and mandarin oranges together in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon and lime juice over the top.
Guide Variations and More River Recipes
You may like to add additional red pepper flakes for spice. In addition, River Guides may throw in a can of pineapple, or potatoes (peeled and chopped), or add fish sauce and may even serve it with couscous instead of basmati rice. The possibilities are endless! For dessert, we recommend pineapple upside down cake or gingerbread cake baked in a Dutch oven.
Would you like more River Recipes? We have a whole section on our blog dedicated to sharing river recipes like our fresh baked chocolate chip cookie dessert, migas breakfast and green chili casserole. And more recipes post each year!