Labour Day BBQ Recipes: Turkey for Your End-of-Summer Feast

It might feel a ways off but Labour Day will be here before you know it! As the last long weekend of summer and the unofficial start of the back-to-school and back-to-work season, most of BC like to make the most of this holiday by hosting their final backyard bash of the year.

The sunshine is softer, the days a bit shorter, but the love for our #LocalRoots? That’s never been higher. Bring a touch of local, farm-fresh turkey to your celebrations this year with the following selection of stellar, crowd-pleasing turkey recipes! When it comes to your health and the safety of your guests, you can’t go wrong sourcing your products from BC turkey farmers. Adhering to the highest standards of care, and treating their birds with love and respect, you can taste that level of quality in each bite.

So bust out that barbecue and get to basting!

Whole Bird BBQ Feast

We might instinctively associate a whole bird with holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, but it’s actually a great addition to your end-of-summer celebrations! Because turkey is best cooked over long periods of time, you can easily set it up in the grill and return throughout your party to re-baste or turn, a cool beverage in hand. Socializing while grilling never looked this simple!

With the back-to-school and back-to-work schedule soon among us, smoking or grilling up an entire bird is a fantastic idea for stretching out the meat in the coming weeks. Whether your guest list is high enough that you won’t have leftovers, or you’re hoping to cook extra for meal prep, it’s a great idea that goes a long way to fill many bellies.

A whole bird also doesn’t require much prep work! You can even ask your butcher to spatchcock it for you if you’re unsure how to carve it.

Turkey Leg Recipes

Turkey legs are a great way to grill up some turkey for your Labour Day celebrations, especially since they’re quite a bit larger than the average chicken. A turkey leg cut simply includes both the thigh and drumstick, making this special cut all the more appealing to dark meat lovers!

Basting it with delicious rubs or glazes and then slowly roasting it on your barbecue will result in the most tender, delicious, fall-off-the-bone goodness that you and your guests will enjoy. It’s the type of party food that folks remember for years to come.

Turkey Drumsticks & Wings

Is there anything more comforting at a backyard, end-of-summer bash than crispy, crunchy turkey wings?! Summertime just screams savoury, sticky, delicious wings loaded on your plate with a handful of other sides like potato salad. It’s easy finger foods that no one minds licking clean!

Fun tip: you can ask your butcher to cut them off at the knuckle to make the wings smaller. The end result is a size similar to a chicken wing but with the even leaner, healthier protein of a turkey!