Fried Turkey Christmas Sandwich
A next level fried turkey Christmas sandwich! Packed full of buttermilk fried turkey, stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce & gravy.
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This is the ultimate fried turkey Christmas sandwich! A twist on a classic fried chicken bun with some of the best parts of Christmas dinner…
Inside a super soft, homemade burger bun, there’s crispy buttermilk fried turkey, sage & onion stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce & gravy. It might be a messy one but sure is delicious!
For more festive recipes, take a look at our Christmas section. We’ve got recipes for all the classic side dishes, as well as impressive starters & desserts. Or if you’re after another turkey recipe, we’ve got plenty of those as well!
Components Of Our Fried Turkey Christmas Sandwich
- Buttermilk Fried Turkey
Made the same way as buttermilk fried chicken but using turkey breast steaks instead. - Burger Buns
Any burger bun will work here. I went with my tangzhong burger bun recipe. - Bread Sauce
A great way to use up leftover bread sauce. If you’re not a fan, feel free to leave it out. - Sage & Onion Stuffing
We’re using paxo sage & onion stuffing for our sandwiches. This works great with the turkey & sauces. - Cranberry Sauce
Turkey & cranberry are a classic combination. Use either homemade or readymade cranberry sauce. - Christmas gravy
I used my Christmas gravy recipe for this sandwich but using gravy granules will work as well. Turkey bisto would be best!
How To Make Buttermilk Fried Turkey
The full, printable recipe card for this fried turkey sandwich can be found at the bottom of this post!
What You’ll Need
- Turkey Breast Steaks
- Buttermilk
- Plain Flour
- Cornflour
- Salt & Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Onion & Garlic Granules
- Cayenne Pepper
- Dried Oregano
Buttermilk Brine
To make the buttermilk brine, we whisk together buttermilk, smoked paprika, onion & garlic granules, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. We then add in our turkey breast steaks & refrigerate overnight (or up to 24 hours).
Turkey breast steaks are available from most supermarkets & butchers. Alternatively, you could buy a whole turkey breast & cut 1 cm steaks from that.
Flour Dredge
Before cooking, the turkey is coated in a flour dredge. This is a mixture of plain flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, onion & garlic granules, dried oregano, salt and pepper. This can be made in advance & stored in an airtight container.
Deep Frying
To fry the turkey, we first need to preheat a deep fat fryer to 180°c/356°f.
To cook, take a piece of turkey out of the buttermilk then toss in the flour dredge, so that is is completely coated. Carefully transfer this to the hot oil & fry until the turkey is crisp & golden brown. A digital food probe inserted into the centre should read at least 75°c/167°f. This will take around 5 minutes of frying.
Depending on the size of your fryer, you might be able to cook several pieces of turkey at a time. Just make sure not to overcrowd the fryer basket. If you wanted to keep the turkey hot, it can be placed in an oven for 5-10 minutes whilst you cook the remaining pieces.
Once cooked, season the fried turkey with salt & pepper then serve.
How To Make A Fried Turkey Christmas Sandwich
What You’ll Need
- Burger Buns (4)
I used my tangzhong burger bun recipe for my sandwich, which worked great but feel free to use any type of bun. - Buttermilk Fried Turkey (4 Pieces)
Made the same way as buttermilk fried chicken. To see how to make this, see above… - Bread Sauce (100g)
This sandwich is a great way to use up leftover bread sauce. When reheating it, add in a splash of milk to get the right consistency. If you’re not a fan of bread sauce, feel free to leave it out. - Paxo Sage & Onion Stuffing (70g, Rehydrated In 175g Water)
We’re using paxo sage & onion stuffing in our sandwich. You really can’t beat this stuff & it works great with the turkey & sauces. - Cranberry Sauce (2 tbsp)
A classic pairing to turkey. If you’d like to make your own, my recipe can be found here. - Christmas Gravy (250ml)
Our Christmas gravy works fantastically in this sandwich. If you haven’t got any homemade gravy to use up, feel free to use a shop bought one. Turkey bisto would work well.
Cooking
Before starting, you’ll need to preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f) & a deep fat fryer to 180°c/356°f.
Step 1 – Stuffing
First we need to make our stuffing. To do this, we combine paxo stuffing mix with boiling water & a small amount of butter. This is then left to soak for a couple of minutes then transferred to an ovenproof dish.
Next, we bake the stuffing in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until it is crispy on top & piping hot in the middle.
Step 2 – Warm Up The Sauce
Whilst the stuffing is cooking, we need to warm the gravy & bread sauce up in two separate pans, over a low heat. If your bread sauce is a little thick, add in a splash of milk as well.
Step 3 – Fry The Turkey
When the stuffing is almost cooked & the sauces are warm, it’s time to deep fry the turkey.
To do this, we dredge each piece in flour then carefully transfer into the hot oil. Once cooked the fried turkey should be golden & crispy. A digital food probe inserted into the middle should read at least 75°c/167°f. This will take around 5 minutes of cooking.
Once cooked, transfer the turkey to a plate lined with kitchen roll/paper then season with salt & pepper.
You’ll most likely need to fry the turkey in batches. The cooked turkey can be kept hot in the oven, for 5-10 minutes, whilst you cook the remaining pieces.
Step 4 – Toast The Buns
The last step, before assembling the sandwiches is toasting the buns. We do this by first cutting each bun in half then lightly toasting them in a frying pan, over a medium heat. You can skip this step if you’d prefer but toasting helps stop the buns from going overly soggy when we add in the filling.
Assembly
Now all of our components are ready, it’s time to assemble the sandwiches. Here’s how…
- Add a generous amount of bread sauce to the bottom part of each bun.
- Next, spoon a quarter of the stuffing into each sandwich.
- Place a piece of fried turkey on top of the stuffing then spoon over some cranberry sauce.
- Pour a good amount of gravy over each piece of turkey then top each sandwich with the top part of bun.
Equipment Used
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More Christmas Recipes To Try!
- Turkey Stuffing Scotch Egg
- Cranberry & Orange Cured Salmon
- Brie & Cranberry Stuffed Dough Balls
- Classic Mince Pies
- Baileys Mince Pie Ice Cream
- Baileys Vanilla Rice Pudding
- Marmalade Glazed Carrots
- Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast
- Cheesy Creamed Brussel Sprouts
- Goose Fat Roast Potatoes
- Sausage & Bacon Stuffing
- Mulled Cider Roasted Pork Belly
If you have enjoyed this fried turkey Christmas sandwich recipe, it would mean a lot if you could leave a review & rating!
Fried Turkey Christmas Sandwich
Equipment
- Deep Fat Fryer
- Digital Food Probe
- Mixing Bowls
- Small Saucepans
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
Buttermilk Turkey
- 4 Turkey Breast Steaks See Notes
- 250 g Buttermilk
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Granules
- ½ tsp Onion Granules
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ¼ tsp Table Salt
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Flour Dredge
- 125 g Plain Flour
- 25 g Cornflour
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Dried Oregano
- ¼ tsp Table Salt
- ¼ tsp Garlic Granules
- ¼ tsp Onion Granules
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Stuffing
- 70 g Paxo Sage & Onion Stuffing
- 175 g Boiling Water
- 10 g Butter Optional
To Serve
- 4 Burger Buns
- 100 g Bread Sauce
- 2 tbsp Cranberry Sauce
- 250 ml Christmas Gravy
Instructions
Buttermilk Turkey
- In a bowl, combine buttermilk, smoked paprika, garlic & onion granules, cayenne, salt & a few cracks of black pepper.
- Give the buttermilk a good mix then add in the turkey. Cover the bowl with clingfilm then refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
Flour Dredge
- In a mixing bowl, place flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, garlic granules, onion granules & a few cracks of black pepper. Whisk to combine then set aside until needed.
Stuffing
- Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f).At the same time, preheat a deep fat fryer to 180°c/356°f. This is for the turkey.
- Mix the paxo stuffing mix with the boiling water & butter, leave to soak for a couple of minutes then transfer to an ovenproof dish.
- Bake the stuffing for 15-20 minutes, until crispy on the top & hot all the way through.
The Sandwich
- Add the bread sauce & gravy into two separate saucepans then place over a low heat. Leave to warm up gently whilst you cook the turkey.
- Take a piece of turkey out of the buttermilk then toss in the flour, making sure that it is completely coated.
- Carefully place the dredged turkey into the hot oil & cook until golden & crispy. This will take around 5 minutes. If you take the internal temperature of the turkey with a digital food probe, it should be above 75°c/167°f.Repeat with the remaining turkey.Depending on the size of your fryer, you might be able to cook several pieces of turkey at a time. Make sure not to overcrowd the fryer though! Keep the turkey warm in the oven between batches or serve straight away.
- Once cooked, transfer the turkey to a plate lined with kitchen roll/paper then season with sea salt & black pepper.
- To assemble the sandwiches, cut each burger bun in half then lightly toast the insides, in a frying pan set over a medium heat.
- Add a generous spoonful of bread sauce to the bottom part of each bun. Next, divide the stuffing between each sandwich then top with a piece of fried turkey.
- Add a spoonful of cranberry sauce on top of each piece of turkey then pour over a generous amount of gravy. Place the top part of each bun on top of the sandwiches then serve immediately.
