How to prep a turkey
Step 1 Selecting Your Turkey
- How large of a turkey do you need?
- Think about the number of servings you hope to get, as you’ll only end up with 50% of the overall weight.
- A 19 Lb. turkey gives you about 9.5 Lb. of meat (both light and dark).
- Plan for each person to have between 1–1 1/4 Lb. of cooked turkey.
- Seasoned vs. Solution-Free
- Solution-Free Turkey
- Label should include “contains naturally retained water” with no other ingredients listed.
- This type of turkey allows for control of the flavor from package to plate
- Seasoned Turkey
- This type of turkey will contain a percentage of solution or broth, meaning there is already some brine in it.
- With a seasoned turkey, you only need to season the outside before you can start cooking.
- Solution-Free Turkey
PRO TIP
Step 2 Defrosting the Turkey
The most food-safe method is to keep your turkey in the freezer until the recommended time, then move the turkey to the fridge to defrost over a period of up to several days. Put the turkey in a pan to catch any juices as it defrosts.
PRO TIP
Bonus Prep Tips
When you’re ready to start cooking, open the packaging to the turkey and allow the juices to drip into the defrosting pan. Remove the giblets from the front neck, under the flap of skin, and remove the neck from the cavity.
Trim both the neck skin and tail portion, if desired. Rinse the cavity and turkey and put the rinsed turkey in a clean pan. After that, tuck the front wing tips under the turkey.
Now you’re ready to add flavor. Choose between brining, injecting, butter coating and more (See our tips and advice article “How to Make Your Turkey Juicy” for help deciding what method you want to try.).
