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These Gluten Free Turkey Twizzlers are my take on an absolute classic British school dinner staple from the 90s! I used to absolutely LOVE these (before Jamie Oliver ruined all the fun and banned them!) so I decided to create my own gluten free, coeliac-safe version.
Notes On These Gluten Free Turkey Twizzlers
🍗 Bernard Matthews’ Turkey Twizzlers are one of those retro school dinner recipes that bring back so many memories – and making them using turkey sausages, gluten free flour and gluten free breadcrumbs is so easy!
🍗 Once a school dinner staple, these were actually banned and discontinued in 2005 for being too unhealthy. They were relaunched in 2020 in Iceland with a higher meat content, but sadly had a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten so I wasn’t able to even try them again! Which is why I was SO happy to be able to recreate them gluten free!
🍗 My gluten free Turkey Twizzlers are fried for that authentic taste and crunch – but I’ve also tested an air fryer version which worked really well, and is detailed below.
🍗 For a real nostalgic treat, serve these up with some baked beans and homemade gluten free chips. Kids – and big kids alike – will love them!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card below for these gluten free Turkey Twizzlers with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.
- Turkey Sausages: I used the Sainsbury’s Turkey Sausages which are gluten free, but you can also use gluten free chicken sausages if you prefer.
- Egg
- Gluten Free Plain Flour: Any plain or all purpose gluten free flour blend will work, I usually use the FREEE one.
- Gluten Free Breadcrumbs: I used the Tesco Free From breadcrumbs which worked really well as they’re very fine and crunchy. You could also use the gluten free panko breadcrumbs recipe in my book, or buy gluten free panko breadcrumbs online.
- Spices: I used a mixture of smoked paprika, garlic granules, onion salt and cayenne pepper. For a spicier version add some chilli powder; for milder, omit the cayenne.
- Oil: I recommend frying these in a neutral oil like sunflower oil or vegetable oil.
How to Make Gluten Free Turkey Twizzlers
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free Turkey Twizzlers recipe is to make.
Air Fryer Method:
Follow the recipe steps as above, coating with the flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Liberally spray the Twizzlers with oil to fully coat (a spray bottle like this helps a lot!) and then air fry at 220C (428F) for 7-8 minutes until golden brown all over. I like to air fry them on a crisping tray to ensure they cook evenly and get extra crunchy!
Storing and Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: You can make these ahead and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before frying to serve hot. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours, I actually quite enjoy them cold the next day in a gluten free pitta or wrap!
TO FREEZE: Either freeze them before or after frying and defrost and reheat to serve.
Gluten Free Turkey Twizzlers Recipe
Equipment
- Food Thermometer (optional, for correct oil temperature)
- Pastry Brush (optional, for brushing egg wash)
Ingredients
- 8 gluten free turkey sausages, (I used the Sainsbury's ones)
- 1 large egg, (beaten)
- 75 g gluten free plain flour
- 100 g gluten free breadcrumbs, (I used the Tesco Free From ones)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 0.5 tsp onion salt
- 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
- Oil, (for frying, around 500-750ml)
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the turkey sausages and boil for 10 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the pan and leave to cool until you can handle them.
- Add the gluten free flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic and onion salt to a small container, seal with a lid and shake to mix well.
- Pour the flour mixture onto one plate. To a second plate, add the breadcrumbs, and to a third plate, add the beaten egg.
- One-at-a-time, poke a skewer through the centre of each sausage. Remove any excess skin and then carefully run a knife around the sausage in a spiral movement from one end to the other.
- Gently use your hands to ease it out into a spiral shape. Take your time as the sausages can be a little fragile here! Repeat until all sausages are done.
- Dip each Twizzler into the flour and turn to coat, ensuring the mixture gets into all the gaps! Shake off any excess then dip into the egg (I use a pastry brush to help get the eggwash into all the crevices!).
- Finally, dip the Twizzler into the bread crumbs and use your hands to really press them in to get an even coating.
- Pour the oil into a large frying pan to around 1-2cm deep. Heat to around 160C (320F) – I use a food thermometer but see notes for other ways to test your oil without this!
- Fry the Turkey Twizzlers for 3-4 minutes, carefully turning during this time to ensure they cook evenly, until golden brown all over. Cook in batches if you need to, ensuring they do not touch while frying.
- Remove from the oil onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to blot any excess oil, then serve hot.
Notes
- To Test Your Oil: If you don’t have a food thermometer, you can drop a small cube of gluten free bread in. It should take around 30 seconds to go brown at the correct temperature. You can also drop a little pinch of the flour mixture into the oil and it should gently sizzle. Rapid sizzling or smoking means it’s too hot, and no sizzling at all means it is not hot enough.
- No Turkey Sausages? Obviously these are Turkey Twizzlers, but they also work really well with chicken sausages too. Just check whatever you use is gluten free!
- To Air Fry Your Gluten Free Turkey Twizzlers: I have tested these in the air fryer and they work quite well – though I prefer deep frying! To make air fryer Turkey Twizzlers, simply spray liberally with oil to fully coat (a spray bottle like this helps a lot!) and air fry at 220C (428F) for 7-8 minutes until golden brown all over.
Nutrition
More Retro School Dinner Recipes
If you love this gluten free Turkey Twizzlers recipe, why not try some of my other nostalgic gluten free school dinner recipes next?
- Gluten Free Pizza Pinwheels
- Gluten Free Bread Pudding
- Mini Gluten Free Pizzas
- Gluten Free Jam Roly Poly Pudding
- Jam and Coconut Sponge
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