Turkey/ chicken snack sticks

[Johnny]

Have any of you guys had any experience with using poultry for snack sticks? My question is there any difference in processing from red meat? Same amount of #1 cure? Final internal temps?
I may never make these but curious for the most part!
Cheers,
Johnny.

[Habanero Smoker]

I make a few different types of sausages using the dark meat of turkey and/or chicken. The cure amount to use is the same. With sausage made with poultry, it is recommended to take the internal temperature to 160°F.

[Johnny]

Habs did you add any fat?

[Johnny]

Also is the white meat not suitable? (To dry)?

[Habanero Smoker]

I do add fat plus the skin of the chicken. Some recipes call for 3.5 lbs. of meat, plus 1.5 lbs. of fat (combination of chicken skin and pork fat). I use a formula of 4 lbs. of dark meat, plus 1 lb. of a combination of chicken skin and pork fat. I break that combination down to .5 lb. of skin plus .5 lb. pork fat. When you grind the skin, make sure that it is almost frozen, and I also like to chop the skin up before running it through the grinder. I've been thinking of using another substitute for pork fat, but haven't found one, as of yet. Cooked rice is one way to replace the pork fat. I have done that with some success. If you do a search for Thai Chicken Sausage, there is a recipe that uses rice to help retain moisture.

You can use white meat, but it is very lean, and can come out dry. Plus I find the dark meat not only more moist, but also more flavorful.

[Johnny]

Habs would you process these the same as you would a red meat snack stick? With the same smoke times or would you omit the smoke? I have bought turkey bites in the past and cannot remember a smoke flavour to them.

[Habanero Smoker]

I prefer fresh sausage over smoked, so I mainly make fresh sausage. Having said that, I would use the same process that is used for making beef sticks; just bring the internal temperature up to 160°f. Make sure you use a good sausage recipe developed for poultry. The spices used in beef/pork sticks may not work as well, and may give your sausage an "odd" flavor. 

If you are going to create your own sausage the link below is a very good guide.
Sausage Recipe Secrets

[Johnny]

Habs you gotta get ur taste back for smoked meats! Ur missing out 😜

[Habanero Smoker]

I like smoked meats, it just something about smoked sausage I never had much of a desire for, though I will make it occasionally for myself; but mostly if I make it, it is for others.

[Johnny]

I hear ya, most everything I make as well is for friends, not much stays in the fridge.  I searched for a turkey 🦃 or chicken 🍗 snack stick recipe online and never had much luck. I wouldn't say much would go in them (spice wise) Ill have to experiment, start simple and go from there!

[Habanero Smoker]

I did a quick search and couldn't come up with any. I'll search again later.

The general smoking procedure is:
120°F; about one hour air dry in the Bradley - no smoke
140°F; apply smoke 1.5 - 2 hours
160°F; continue to cook for one hour
170°F - 180°F; continue to cook until internal temperature of sausage is 160°F

[Johnny]

So pretty much same procedure as any other sausage done in the smoker, Thanks Habs, but dont go out of your way looking for a recipe.. I may never make these ( more or less trying to know how)
Cheers,
Johnny

[Habanero Smoker]

I had no luck. From the stick recipes I've seen, stick recipes seem to add more fat than regular sausage. You may want to take a look at how much fat is use in sticks compared to other sausages.

[Ste J]

I prefer fresh sausage over smoked, so I mainly make fresh sausage. Having said that, I would use the same process that is used for making beef sticks; just bring the internal temperature up to 160°f. Make sure you use a good sausage recipe developed for poultry. The spices used in beef/pork sticks may not work as well, and may give your sausage an "odd" flavor. 

If you are going to create your own sausage the link below is a very good guide.
Sausage Recipe Secrets

Great little resource. Thanks for sharing.

[IanBuckland]

This thread seems like some decent superfood reviews , lol.
I love eating poultry. Yes, I've been buying chicken and turkey sticks, and those are amazing, but I am kind of scared of making them at home since poultry meat might contain a lot of bacterias such as salmonella, that's its deadly one. Still, I never thought of making snack sticks out of them at home.
I will like to try this year since we bought some chickens and are feeding them with organic products from our garden. I will appreciate some tips on how to make chicken sticks when you have 0 experience views.