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How to Render Turkey Fat

Learn how to render turkey fat and make turkey cracklings. Clean, natural, whole-food, perfect for using in cooking and baking.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 800 ml/ 27 fl.oz/ 3 ½ cups
Calories: 120 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Romanian

Ingredients

  • 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs turkey skin Note 1

Instructions

Rendered fat:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut the skin into small pieces. Use a very good, large, sharp chef's knife.
  2. Place the pieces into a nonstick, deeper pan or a Dutch oven.
  3. Start melting on medium-low heat. Once it starts to melt, reduce the heat to very low.
  4. Melt gently, stirring now and then, until the fat renders and it's golden. And until the cracklings form and turn golden as well. It took me somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the skin and size of cubes, don't overcook. (Note2)
  5. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Clean the sieve, line it with cheesecloth, and sieve the fat again into jars. It should be completely free of impurities/sediments.
  6. Place the lids on the jars and let the fat get solid at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.
Turkey cracklings:
  1. Place the cracklings onto kitchen paper, which will remove the excess fat.
  2. Sprinkle with salt (and other spices, if desired) and serve immediately or on the day you've made them.
  3. If you have leftovers, see the blog post for suggestions on how to use them.

Notes

  • The amount is totally optional. Render as much as you have and choose a pan of appropriate size. This amount of skin makes approximately 800 ml/ 27 fl. oz/ 3 ½ cups rendered fat.
  • If the skin is very thick and fatty, you will need about 15-20 minutes to render it. If the skin is thin (like chicken skin), 7 to 10 minutes will probably be enough.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1tablespoon Calories 120kcal (6%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 8g Cholesterol 13mg (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 800ml/ 27 fl.oz/ 3 ½ cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 120

% Daily Value*

Serving 1tablespoon
Calories 120kcal 6%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 8g 47%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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