Thanksgiving Turkey FAQs
Forget Turkey Trauma! Here are the Answers to the Most Popular Turkey Questions
1. Is it Better to Buy a Fresh or Frozen Turkey?
Fresh vs. Frozen:
This is big debate that my family and friends drag me into every year!
I prefer a frozen turkey or a deeply chilled one that is not injected or seasoned with artificial flavors. A pre-brined turkey is just fine and soaks in the salt and sugar solution, and is not injected.
Turkeys that are already injected tend to be injected with a very salty broth and or vegetable oil. If you plan on brining something already injected, your turkey might be too salty. There are two downsides to a frozen turkey. One is that you have to plan in advance because it can take up to five days to thaw in the refrigerator, depending on size (the cold water method is much quicker). And two, a frozen bird loses some of its natural juices as it thaws—making brining a necessity and a magical process for a juicy roasted turkey. But all in all, I still prefer a turkey that is flash frozen just after it is processed.
Generally speaking…
Fresh turkey is processed around the same time as the frozen turkey is processed. Frozen turkeys are flash frozen the minute they are processed, so it’s basically preserved at that point. Fresh turkeys are held just above freezing point from the time they are processed, so they are still considered fresh. Since the turkey can travel in this state for a month or so before it is cooked, I think that a fresh turkey isn’t as pristine as the one that is flash frozen. This generalization does not pertain to fresh turkey farms or heirloom turkeys that you may order and/or pick up when the turkey is processed.
DISCLAIMER: Thanksgiving is about tradition above all things. And because of that, tensions, turkey trauma and opinions run high regarding Thanksgiving. And, I feel that the most important thing is to keep that tradition alive so if your happy Thanksgiving depends on an injected turkey or anything else that I might not prefer, you should keep doing what makes you and your family happy for the holidays!
2. What do you do if your turkey is still frozen?
Rule of Thumb: If you are buying a frozen turkey, you should buy your turkey the weekend before Thanksgiving. Place it on a tray in the fridge in its original wrapping and let it slowly thaw during the days leading up to Thanksgiving. If it is still frozen on Thanksgiving morning, place it in a large clean sink under cold running water for 2-4 hours depending how frozen it is; if it’s solid frozen it could take longer. Do not use hot water, you’ll create the perfect temperature for bacteria to grow and may have a food safety issue on your hands.
3. How do You Guarantee That Your Turkey Will be Juicy?
Brining is an absolutely no-fail guarantee for a perfectly seasoned and juicy turkey. And, brining has an added bonus which is it ensures that your turkey is thawed.
However, you only want to brine a turkey that has not been pre-seasoned (by the processor). Brine your turkey at home with a simple basic brine like below, or a flavor brine such as my orange brine.
What is a Brine?
Originally, a brine was a strong salt-water solution used for preserving meat. Today, cooks use a salt-and-sugar-water solution to enhance the flavor of lean meat. A “flavor brine” adds spices, fruits, juices and other ingredients to the basic brine formula.
How do you Brine?
Think of a brine as a simple marinade. Brining is simply submerging the meat into the salt-and-sugar-water solution and letting it “soak” for up to 24 hours for a turkey and as short as 1 hour for small cuts of poultry, pork or fish.
Basic Brine
This recipe can be multiplied to accommodate larger pieces of meat.
Makes about 1 Gallon
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar or sweetener such as honey or maple syrup
4 quarts cold water, divided
Boil 2 quarts of water, add sugar and salt, stirring until completely dissolved.
Add rest of water and let cool before submerging meat, poultry or fish in the Grill Friends™ Brining Bag™
(Note: add ice cubes to the boiled salt/sugar solution to cool the brine down faster.)
It’s optimal to brine the turkey in fridge or in a cooler outside (depending on the outside temperature). Brine the turkey up to 24 hours. It will be completely seasoned inside and out and will require very little else to get it ready for the oven or the grill. To finish the turkey, all you have to do is brush a light coat of olive oil on the skin to seal in the juices. And roast it in a pre-heated 325ºF oven in an open pan—or on a grill. The result will be a beautiful golden-brown colored skin, crispy with virtually, no muss and no fuss.
Oven-Roasted Turkey
Serves 12 to 15
12-14 lb. turkey, thawed
Olive oil
Basic Brine
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry. Remove the neck and giblets and reserve for other uses or throw away. Remove and discard excess fat. Twist wing tips under back—this is called “wings akimbo.”
Place turkey, breast-side up, on a flat rack in a shallow pan, about 2-inches deep. Brush skin with a light coating of olive oil. Place in a preheated 325°F oven.
Let roast 11-13 minutes per pound or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone) registers 180°F and the juices run clear.
Transfer turkey to a platter and let stand for 15-20 minutes before carving.
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TURKEY SAVE: If you didn’t brine the turkey and you’ve over-cooked your turkey or it is dry for any other reason, you can do slice the turkey, put the gravy directly on top of it, and gently heat it in a 300ºF. oven.
4. What if You Don't Have Enough Drippings for the Gravy?
I have a great gravy trick I learned from my mother that I utilize every single year.
1. Take all of the giblets and the neck packed inside the turkey, toss them with olive oil and salt, chop up some onions, celery, and carrots and roast them at high heat (400ºF) just to caramelize and intensify their flavors.
2. Put everything into a sauce pan with a couple cups of chicken broth and then simmer it for several hours (do this while you’re making everything else) until it reduces down.
3. Add white wine for depth of flavor which will create a light turkey gravy. If you prefer your gravy chunky, strip the meat off the neck and chop up the giblets and add it to the gravy.
5. How do You Remove the Giblets?
The giblets and the neck bone are tucked away inside the cavity of the bird. You will have to stick your hand in the cavity of the turkey (I generally put a glove on) to remove them. And, you will have to stick your hand in both sides of the turkey – one side has the neck bone and one side has the giblets.
This is also a good indicator to see how thawed the turkey is. If it is still frozen, it will be hard to remove the package of giblets and the neck bone. If it is still frozen, place the turkey in cold running water until you can remove the neck and giblets.
6. Are There Different Ways to Carve a Turkey?
There are two ways to carve a turkey. The traditional method is to make a lower cut underneath the breast and carve it into thin slices off of the breast.
The less popular way is something I call the “butcher cut” because it is the way butchers carve a turkey. I learned it from my friend who is a butcher. This method keeps the turkey juicier, avoids shredding the meat, and I think the turkey looks better when presented.
Instead of carving large slices from the breast lengthwise, remove the whole breast from the bone and cut across it to make crescent-shaped chunks. Put it back on the platter as the whole breast; repeat with the other side of the breast and the thigh meat. Carve the rest of the bird in pieces, adding the drumsticks and wings.
7. What if the Turkey is Not Completely Cooked Through?
Number #1! Serve everyone another drink and eat later!
1. Depending on how under-cooked it is, you can cut the turkey into chunks/large pieces (breast, drumstick, thigh) and put the whole thing back in the oven or grill. Once the turkey is cut into pieces, it will cook faster.
2. Or, carve the turkey into thick slices and sauté in butter or olive oil (or a mixture of the two) in a hot heavy-bottomed pan. The meat will be cooked and the outside will become crispy. This is something my sisters and I called “fried turkey” when we were growing up and we loved doing this with leftover turkey as well.
8. What Should I do with an Already Cooked or Smoked Turkey Purchased online or at the Grocery Store?
There are three good ways to serve a turkey that you have purchased pre-cooked:
1. Serve the turkey at room temperature, which is a great thing to do if you’ve purchased a smoked turkey. By the time everyone sits down to eat, it’s usually not steaming hot anyway.
2. Slice the turkey, pour gravy directly over it, cover it with aluminum foil, and gently reheat it in a 300ºF oven.
3. Heat the whole turkey so you can have the ritual of carving it at the table. Heat the turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan, in an oven preheated to 325ºF. Be careful, this method is prone to overcooking if you don’t keep a watchful eye over it.
9. What Should I do if I Have Limited Oven Space?
1. The easiest thing to do is to utilize your outdoor grill and turn it into an outdoor oven. Reheat side dishes and casseroles on the grill, or grill your turkey, which will free-up the entire oven. You can easily reheat bread and rolls in aluminum foil—be sure to add a few drops of water to the foil packet, which will keep the bread soft—and grill over indirect heat for 10 minutes. Make sure you heat or re-heat everything using indirect heat. You food will likely burn if you use direct heat.
2. If you don’t have a grill, look at your menu—most of the sides and desserts can be made in advance. Come up with alternatives for classics, as well. For example, instead of serving green bean casserole, serve a marinated green-bean side dish that doesn’t have to be served hot. The most important thing you can do is map-out your dishes and make one dish a day until Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving morning, bake everything off and cook the turkey and the gravy. The gravy can be made a couple of days before and reheated if you use my make-ahead method.
3. If you’re really limited on space and time, ask your guests to bring a dish, and be very specific on what you need them to bring.
10. How do I Get a Crispy Crust on my Turkey?
How to Get Crispy Skin:
Brush a brined turkey all over with extra-virgin olive oil. If the turkey has not been brined, brush with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper or your favorite spice blend.
Roast the turkey in an open-pan at 325ºF.
I don’t recommend roasting the turkey at a higher temperature because you run the risk of having it be over-done on the outside and under-done, a.k.a. raw, on the inside. Since it’s such a large piece of meat, you need the outside to be golden brown at the same time the turkey meat is done. A higher temperature may very likely create an unevenly cooked turkey.
I use extra virgin olive oil specifically because I love the taste and it has a thicker viscosity, meaning that it sticks to the turkey and doesn’t drip off and leave a puddle of oil in the roasting pan or cause flare-ups on a grill. It promotes caramelization and a crispiness with a light, thin coating. Vegetable oils will work as well but may create a pool of oil at the bottom of the pan and I don’t think they taste as good. Butter tastes great but burns easily so I don’t use butter.
DISCLAIMER: Thanksgiving is about tradition above all things. And because of that, tensions, turkey trauma and opinions run high on Thanksgiving. I feel that the most important thing is to keep that tradition alive. If your family tradition differs from any of my family traditions or opinions, I say keep doing it, the same way you’ve been doing it—if you are happy with it! Otherwise, try it my way and see if it works better for you, and Happy Thanksgiving!!