10 Mistakes That Ruin a Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving Is the One Dinner Where Everyone Is Watching

<

Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, and for most home cooks the turkey is a once-a-year project with no practice runs. That is why the same handful of mistakes show up in kitchens every November. Most of them happen days before the bird touches the oven, from thawing too late to skipping the salt. Others happen at the end, when a nervous cook carves a turkey straight out of the oven and watches the juices run onto the board. A turkey is a big, lean bird with two kinds of meat that cook at different speeds, so the margin for error is narrower than it looks. The good news is that the fixes are simple and cheap: a thermometer, a few days of planning and a little patience. Food safety guidance from the USDA and state extension services is clear on the basics, and it is worth following. The ten mistakes below start with the planning stage and end with the carving board, so use them as a checklist for the week.

Buying the Wrong Size Bird

The first mistake happens in the grocery store, where a bigger bird feels like the safe choice. The usual guidance is about one to one and a half pounds of turkey per guest, which covers the bone weight and leaves a little for leftovers. That puts a dinner for ten at 10 to 15 pounds. Birds over 20 pounds are harder to cook evenly, because the breast overcooks long before the thighs finish, and they take a lot of oven space, refrigerator space and thawing time. Many cooks do better with two smaller turkeys or a turkey and a separate breast, which cook faster and offer more skin. Check your roasting pan and oven before buying, because a large turkey needs a few inches of clearance around it. Fresh turkeys need to be bought one or two days before cooking, while frozen birds should be purchased early. Heritage and pasture-raised turkeys cost more and can be leaner, and they need less time. Order specialty birds weeks ahead, and ask the butcher how much the weight includes.

Thawing It Too Late, or on the Counter

A frozen turkey is the most common cause of Thanksgiving panic. The safest method is the refrigerator, which takes about 24 hours for every four to five pounds, so a 20- to 24-pound bird needs five to six days. That means buying the turkey by the weekend before the holiday at the latest. Once thawed, a turkey can stay in the refrigerator for a day or two before cooking. If you are short on time, use the cold-water method: submerge the bird in its wrapper in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes, and allow roughly 30 minutes per pound, then cook it immediately. Never thaw a turkey on the counter, because the outer layers sit in the danger zone for bacterial growth while the center is still frozen. Do not cook a partly frozen bird at the normal time, either, since the cooking time and evenness will be off. Keep the turkey on a tray on the lowest shelf to avoid drips on other food.

Washing the Raw Bird

Rinsing a turkey in the sink feels hygienic, but food safety agencies, including the USDA, advise against it. Washing poultry splashes bacteria such as salmonella and campylobacter onto the sink, counters and nearby dishes, and cooking is what kills them. The splatter can travel up to a few feet, and studies have shown that bacteria remain on surfaces after cleaning. Instead of washing, remove the turkey from its packaging, take out the neck and giblet bag from the cavities, and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the towels at once, and wash your hands, the sink and any surface the raw bird touched with hot, soapy water. Use a separate cutting board for raw poultry and keep it away from vegetables and anything that will not be cooked. Wipe the sink and nearby surfaces with a sanitizing solution. If the bird has a bit of residue or stray feather, wipe it off with a paper towel. The oven will take care of the rest.

Skipping the Salt Days Ahead

The most consistent way to get a juicy, seasoned turkey is to salt it well in advance. A dry brine, which is simply salt and sometimes herbs and sugar rubbed on the skin and under it, works by drawing moisture out and pulling it back into the meat as a seasoned solution. A common ratio is about one tablespoon of kosher salt for every four to five pounds of turkey, and the bird is left uncovered in the refrigerator for one to three days. The uncovered rest dries the skin, which helps it crisp in the oven. A wet brine, in which the bird soaks in a salt solution, also adds moisture but takes up a huge amount of room and can make the skin soggy. Check the label first, since some turkeys are sold pre-brined or injected with a solution, and extra salt would make them too salty. Pat the bird dry before roasting, and use less salt in the drippings for gravy, which will taste concentrated.

Roasting a Wet, Pale Skin

Crisp, mahogany skin is the visual payoff of the holiday meal, and it needs a dry surface and enough heat. Moisture on the skin turns to steam in the oven and delays browning, so pat the turkey thoroughly dry after thawing or brining, and consider leaving it uncovered in the fridge overnight. Rubbing a thin layer of softened butter or oil over the skin helps color and flavor. Start the oven hot, around 425 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 30 minutes, then reduce to 325 or 350 degrees to finish cooking, which gives the skin a head start. Use a roasting pan with a rack to let hot air circulate under the bird, and avoid crowding the oven with other dishes at the same time. If the breast browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil. Basting is optional; each time you open the oven, you lose heat and add moisture to the skin. A well-prepared bird needs little more than a final brush of butter near the end.

Trusting the Pop-Up Timer

The little plastic pop-up timer that comes in many turkeys is notorious for being inaccurate, and it often triggers late, which leaves the bird overcooked, or never at all. Food safety agencies say the only reliable way to know when poultry is done is a food thermometer. Whole poultry must reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, measured in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing. Insert the thermometer without touching bone, which conducts heat and gives a false reading. Many cooks pull the bird when the breast hits 160 or so and let it rise to 165 while it rests, and cook the thigh until it reads closer to 175 for tenderness. An instant-read thermometer costs little, and a leave-in probe with an alarm lets you track progress without opening the oven. Check the thermometer's calibration in ice water before the big day, and test the stuffing temperature separately if you stuff.

Stuffing the Bird Too Tightly

Stuffing cooked inside the turkey tastes wonderful, but it is a food safety gamble. The stuffing absorbs raw juices and must reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center to be safe. By the time the stuffing is hot enough, the breast meat has often dried out. Several extension services recommend cooking stuffing in a separate casserole dish, where it can crisp on top and reach temperature evenly. If you insist on stuffing the bird, pack it loosely, just before roasting, never the night before, and expect to add roughly 30 minutes of cooking time. Check the stuffing temperature in the center of the cavity, as well as the thigh temperature. Remove all the stuffing from the bird right after cooking so it can cool and be stored properly. For flavor without the risk, fill the cavity with aromatics such as halved onions, apples, citrus and fresh herbs, which perfume the meat and keep the airflow open, and bake the stuffing alongside with a little of the pan drippings.

Cooking the Breast and Thighs the Same Way

White and dark meat are done at different temperatures, and a whole bird forces you to compromise. The breast is lean and dries out above about 165 degrees, while the thighs and drumsticks, which have more connective tissue, are best at 175 or above. Roasting a turkey whole means the breast usually overcooks while waiting for the legs. There are fixes. Spatchcocking, which means removing the backbone and flattening the bird, exposes the legs to more heat and cuts cooking time to around 90 minutes for a standard turkey. Another is to start the bird breast-side down for the first stretch, or ice the breast before roasting to give the legs a head start. Many cooks simply cut the turkey into parts and roast them on separate trays, which allows each to finish at the proper time. A foil shield over the breast during the last stretch helps too. Whatever method you choose, use a thermometer in each part, and take the white and dark meat out as they finish.

Carving It Straight Out of the Oven

The urge to carve is strong when the bird comes out of the oven smelling like heaven, but cutting too soon sends the juices onto the board. Resting a turkey lets the muscle fibers relax and reabsorb liquid, and it also allows the internal temperature to rise a few degrees through carryover cooking. Plan to let a large bird rest for 30 minutes, loosely tented with foil, which gives you time to finish gravy and sides. A rested turkey stays hot for longer than most people expect. When you carve, remove the legs first by cutting through the joint, then slice the thighs from the drumsticks. Cut the breast off the bone in whole halves, then slice across the grain for tender pieces. Use a sharp carving knife and a board with a juice groove, and serve the slices on a warmed platter. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking, store them in shallow containers, and use them within three to four days.

Frying a Turkey Without a Plan

Deep-fried turkey is crisp and juicy, and it is also one of the most dangerous ways to cook a holiday dinner. Fire safety groups warn each year that turkey fryers can cause serious burns and house fires, because hot oil can ignite quickly. The top mistakes are frying a turkey that is still frozen or wet, which makes oil erupt; overfilling the pot, which makes it spill over the flame; and frying indoors, in a garage or on a wooden deck. Test the oil level first by placing the turkey in the pot, filling it with water until it just covers the bird, then removing the turkey and measuring the water line. Dry the bird completely, lower it slowly with the burner off, then relight. Keep the fryer outdoors on level ground, well away from buildings, and keep a fire extinguisher rated for grease fires nearby. Never leave the pot unattended or let children or pets near. Oil-less electric fryers are a safer alternative.

More Galleries