Tells us your tips for the perfect Thanksgiving turkey!

[volk06]

Don't buy a turkey bigger than 16 pounds. The outer meat will start dry out before the rest is cooked with turkeys bigger than this. 2 -12lbs turkeys are better than 1-24lb.

Preferred way - smoke it

Back up way- Don't both brineing it. Season it up really well and let it sit in the fridge over night uncovered. When it comes time to cook it, put it in an oven bag. The turkey will being juicy with crispy skin.

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted by AZjeff
Originally Posted by Donald
Let wife cook it.


Yep. My job when is to watch for the little red thing to pop up then stab it with a meat thermometer to confirm.


Just an fyi, the red little poppers usually go off at ~190f instead of 165f for the breast and can result in an over cooked dry turkey.

 

[earlyre]

if you want tender/ fall off the bone turkey:
bag it.(plastic turkey roasting bags, your grocery WILL have them)
350-400F for an 60-90 min.
then drop the oven to 250. cook another 6 hrs.
that's it.

the Local "Soup Kitchen" gets tons of Turkeys donated, and have volunteers from the various churches in the area cook them (each church gets x number of turkeys each month, members volunteer to cook y number of those turkeys. )
My mom uses the above method for those turkeys several times a year, after Cooking, she pulls all the meat off the bones. all the kitchen wants back is the meat and the broth.

 

[Bebop367]

13 -15 lbs turkeys with lots Tony's Creole seasoning (has lots salt) sprinkled inside and out.
Store in fridge at least 36 -48 hrs. This dry brine's the bird.
I rotisserie using a Weber kettle with lump charcoal on each side of bird at 350° +.

Remove 165° in breast. Thighs will be about 175°.
Always come out moist and tender.
I think the younger smaller 13 - 14 lb. bird helps lot.
Left over birds make very good Turkey Gumbo next day.

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by Donald
Let wife cook it.


That could go either way. I'd say, make reservations.

 

[Oro_O]

I have grilled, deep-fried, and oven-roasted. Any method can make an Amazing bird.

I won't go into the grilling or frying, but if going in the Oven, brining and then following this wine/butter basted method is my very favorite and impresses most of my guests.

Recipe:

https://www.marthastewart.com/353177/perfect-roast-turkey

The cheesecloth on the breast, then the wine/butter basting just make this killer. Play with some aluminum foil and the skin will be gorgeous and tasty. PS, if you use this and don't have cheesecloth, some Bounty paper towels can be creatively used to the same effect, though not quite as well (need to baste more often). BTDT.

My Dachshund loves this recipe.

 

[Bud]

I am thankful I have a daughter that takes care of dinner. Just have to drive over.

 

[P10crew]

My tip for the perfect thanks giving turkey is being able to share an afternoon with my kids, grand kids and my babe.

 

[gman2304]

My son is smoking a turkey in his big green egg. Can't wait to try it.

 

[Duffyjr]

Wife has always uses a brown paper bag and turns out pretty good. I'm not a big fan of turkey but since we started buying just a turkey breast I think it turns out better.

 

[Rmay635703]

Butterfly and bake without stuffing, bacon grease on top if you want a little Smokey flavor

 

[Mamala Bay]

Wrap with banana leaves with foil over. Also turkey sitting on 2 banana stalks with foil wrap. Only draw back is no turkey dripping for gravy with the stalk. Need to increase cooking time at 350 F so best to use a food Thermometer.

Last 1/2 hour increase to 450 F with foil off to brown skin. Turkey is moist.

 

[GoldDot40]

I usually smoke 2 to 3 turkeys for Thanksgiving AND again for Christmas. 1 for my family dinner and a couple for extended family for their dinners.

I NEVER have used brine. I always inject with cajun butter, then apply a generous amount of Tony Chachere's orginal creole rub to the outside. Put it in the fridge overnight.

I use a Masterbuilt electric smoker and almost always use pecan wood chips for Turkey. Smoke at 227°F until the breast meat hits 170ish...thigh temp usually target 180. Take out and let it sit for 20 min before we carve. We also have an oven baked ham. Turkey is always the first to get gone...always get high praises. Never had one come out dry...always tender and juicy.

I have deep fried several over the years...prepped the exact same way. Only downside to deep frying is the price of the peanut oil...which is why I haven't fried one in a while. They are pretty hard to beat.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

I stuff garlic all over the meat. I then boil it in a 50/50 chicken stock/water for 20 minutes. I then inject it with my home made juice. I put it on the smoker and smoke 30/45 minutes per lb. I used pecan wood this year, but usually hickory or cherry wood. It's so moist I have NEVER had to use a knife to carve them.

 

[Lubener]

Set it and forget it in my Rhonco rotiserie.

 

[nthach]

For this year, I had my mom roast a turkey. It was a 21lb one from Costco. I brined it, rubbed it down in a mix of Kinder's buttery seasoning and olive oil and hit it at 500*F before ramping down the heat to 325*F.

The other two turkeys were small guys - one was done in a Weber with a snake of charcoal and a mix of hickory, apple and walnut chunks. It came out good if not a little undercooked. I picked up a 9lb turkey from the store and mixed up a simple brine: 1 cup of salt to a gallon of water and 2 heaping tablespoons of garam masala. Smoked in a friend's Traeger for 2-3 hours. I carved it up, made a turkey biryani with meat and stock with the carcass and wings.