Pasture-Raised Turkey Lunchmeat That’ll Ruin Store-Bought for You

7arrowranch
Jun 6
2 min read

Remember when I told y’all about digging deep in the freezer and finding those two pasture-raised turkeys I’d completely forgotten about? Well, after making some amaze-bomb turkey burgers (you know the ones), I also turned the rest into homemade turkey lunchmeat that had everyone in the house fighting over the last slice.

Seriously, y’all—we ended up with 5 pounds of this stuff, and it was GONE in a week.

We LOVE turkey sandwiches around here, but this? This was next level. Like crack turkey. Minus the nitrates.

Could. Not. Get. Enough.

So naturally, I have to share the recipe with you. It’s a little more involved than slapping some turkey in the oven, but it’s 100% worth it. Here’s how it all went down:

Homemade Pasture-Raised Turkey Lunchmeat

Ingredients:For the Brine:

Cold water (enough to fully submerge turkey breasts)
½ cup salt
¼ cup sucanat, organic sugar, maple syrup, or honey

For the Seasoning Rub:

1 cup grass-fed butter, softened
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
½ Tbsp onion powder
½ Tbsp cumin
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

The Turkey:

4 boneless 7 Arrow Ranch pasture-raised turkey breasts (or about 5 lbs)

Instructions:

Brine It: In a small bucket or large bowl, combine the cold water, salt, and your choice of sweetener. Stir until dissolved. Add turkey breasts, cover lightly, and refrigerate overnight.
Make the Rub: The next day, mash together the butter and seasoning rub ingredients with a fork until combined.
Prep the Turkey: Pat the turkey breasts dry and lay each one on a square of parchment paper set on top of aluminum foil.
Rub & Fold: Spread 1/8 of the rub on one side of each turkey breast (you’ll use half the rub here). Fold each breast lengthwise with the rub on the inside like a little turkey sandwich.
Rub the Outside: Spread the remaining rub on the outsides of the folded turkey breasts.
Tie & Wrap: Tie each one closed with cooking twine (2-3 ties per breast). Wrap tightly in the foil and refrigerate overnight again (or at least 4 hours).
Bake It Low & Slow: Let the turkey rest at room temp for about an hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Place the wrapped breasts on a baking sheet and bake until the internal temp reaches 160°F. (Mine took a few hours, but let’s be real—the kids pulled it out when the thermometer beeped, which was great, but they didn't tell me when it beeped, so I’m guessing it was 2-3 hours.)
Cool & Chill: Let them cool a bit, then refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.
Slice & Serve: Remove the foil, parchment, and twine (and toss 'em). Slice the turkey as thin or thick as you like—I go somewhere between thin and shaved on our meat slicer.