Educated Cook

Meat

How to carve a turkey, joint by joint

Rest it, take off the legs at the hip joint, then the wings, then lift each breast off whole and slice across the grain. Steps from extension and USDA.

Published

01

What

Check doneness before the bird comes out. USDA’s 165 degrees F check, and where to put the thermometer, is on how to dry brine. If you stuffed the bird, USDA says to remove all the stuffing from the cavity.

Then let it rest. How long depends on the source. USDA FSIS says to let the turkey stand 20 minutes before carving, for quality, so the juices set and it carves more easily. Illinois Extension also says 20 minutes. The National Turkey Federation, an industry group, allows at least half an hour and up to an hour, and says: “Don’t tent the turkey with foil, which can make the skin soggy.” That differs from the more general resting advice on how to rest meat, which also explains why resting works.

Tools, per Illinois Extension: a meat fork with long tines, a sharpened carving knife or chef’s knife, a small cutting board on the side and a kitchen towel or napkin. The National Turkey Federation’s guide adds a large board with a moat to catch juices, a spare platter or board for pieces as they come off, and a knife at least 8 inches long, preferably 10. It advises against serrated and electric knives, which it says tend to shred the meat.

Before you cut, the National Turkey Federation tips the bird so juices in the cavity run back into the roasting pan for gravy, and removes any trussing string.

02

Why (ELI5)

ELI5

A turkey comes apart cleanly where one bone meets another, so you cut through the joints, not the bones. University of Illinois Extension puts it bluntly: hacking through the bone is not an option. A short rest first helps too. USDA says a turkey that stands 20 minutes before carving carves more easily. Both Illinois Extension and the National Turkey Federation then take each breast off in one piece and slice it across the grain on the board.

03

How

Legs and thighs

  1. 01Steady the bird. Illinois Extension holds the turkey at the breastbone with a carving fork, or better, a folded napkin.
  2. 02Cut through the skin between one leg and the body (Illinois Extension, National Turkey Federation).
  3. 03Find the hip joint. Illinois Extension presses the leg down until it lies flat against the platter, which exposes the joint. The National Turkey Federation gently pulls the leg outward to find where the thigh meets the body.
  4. 04Cut through the joint, not the bone, and move the whole leg and thigh to the cutting board (Illinois Extension).
  5. 05Repeat on the other side.

Wings

  1. 01Untuck the wings if they are tucked behind the bird (National Turkey Federation).
  2. 02Cut through the skin between the wing and the body, pull the wing outward, and cut through the joint (National Turkey Federation). Illinois Extension cuts into the joint slightly above the wing.
  3. 03Cut each wing in two at its joint. Slice the meaty part or serve it whole, and save the tip for soup (Illinois Extension).

Order varies by source. The National Turkey Federation takes off the legs, then the wings, then the breasts. Illinois Extension does the dark meat, then the breast, then the wings.

Breasts: lift each one off whole, then slice across the grain

  1. 01Hold the turkey steady at the breastbone with a fork (Illinois Extension, National Turkey Federation).
  2. 02Make the bottom cut. The National Turkey Federation makes a deep horizontal cut through the skin and breast meat toward the bone, just above the thigh and wing joints. Illinois Extension makes its horizontal slice across the grain of the meat.
  3. 03Cut down along the breastbone. Illinois Extension slices about 2 inches down one side of the breastbone, gently separating the meat from the bone. The National Turkey Federation starts at the neck end and slices downward along the breastbone, following the ribs, until it meets the horizontal cut.
  4. 04Lift the whole breast section off in one piece and move it to the board (Illinois Extension, National Turkey Federation). Repeat on the other side.
  5. 05Slice it across the grain. The National Turkey Federation places each breast skin side up and cuts crosswise, about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick, then slides the stacked slices onto the platter with the knife or a spatula.

Thighs and drumsticks

  1. 01Separate each thigh from its drumstick by cutting through the joint between them (Illinois Extension, National Turkey Federation).
  2. 02Thigh: Illinois Extension removes the skin and slices around both sides of the thighbone to take the meat off. The National Turkey Federation cuts the meat off along the length of the bone in a few large pieces, then slices them crosswise about 1/3 inch thick.
  3. 03Drumstick: leave it whole (Illinois Extension, National Turkey Federation), or slice parallel to the bone, turn it and repeat (Illinois Extension).

After carving: leftovers and the carcass

Food safety: USDA FSIS says to throw out turkey, stuffing and gravy left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 degrees F.

Save the carcass. The National Turkey Federation says not to throw it away, and it is the start of turkey stock. Refrigerate it within the same 2-hour window if you won’t make stock right away.

04

Common mistakes

Cutting through bone instead of the joint. Find the joint and cut through it (Illinois Extension). Carving straight out of the oven. Rest it first: 20 minutes per USDA and Illinois Extension, longer per the National Turkey Federation. A dull knife. Illinois Extension calls for a sharpened knife; the National Turkey Federation says the sharper the better. Tenting the resting bird with foil. The National Turkey Federation says foil “can make the skin soggy.” Leaving the platter out through dessert. The 2-hour rule applies to the turkey, the stuffing and the gravy (USDA FSIS).

Sources