How To Carve A Turkey

Name: How To Carve A Turkey
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 (12 to 14-pound) roasted turkey

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Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings
8 servings
Calories
681 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American

How To Carve A Turkey

Adam Gates

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Not sure How to Carve a Turkey? Don’t stress – it’s much simpler than you may expect! Follow my comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide below for beautifully plated roasted turkey that will be the talk of Thanksgiving dinner.

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Ingredients

Servings

1 (12 to 14-pound) roasted turkey

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Instructions

Set-up: Place the turkey breast side up on a large cutting board with the legs facing you. Have a sharp knife, clean paper towels, and a serving platter nearby. If the bird is tied up, cut and pull away the butcher’s twine and discard.
Remove the leg and thigh pieces: Using a sharp knife, slice through the skin that connects the breast and the leg quarter. Once the skin is cut away, hold the breast with one hand and use the other to bend the leg quarter away from the turkey, to expose and separate the hip joint from the backbone. (You may hear a small pop). Use your knife to cut through the joint and the skin, then along the backbone to remove the leg and thigh piece. (Don’t forget the oyster, the small, circular piece of dark meat tucked into a crevice on each side of the backbone!) Repeat on the other side.
Remove the wings: Pull gently on one of the wings to pull it away from the breast. Cut through the skin and the joint closest to the breast to release the wing. You can cut off the wing tip and discard it if you like- the drumette and flat have the most meat. Repeat with the other wing.
Remove the breasts: Rotate the turkey so the wishbone side faces you. Feel through the skin for the keel bone, which runs between the two breasts. Starting on one side of the keel bone, cut through the skin and between the bone and the breast meat. Using long strokes with the knife, rather than a sawing motion, stay close to the bone to cut away and release the whole breast. (Keep the tenderloin piece connected to the underside of the breast, if you can.) Repeat on the other side.
Separate the drumstick from the thigh: Hold the end of the drumstick in one hand, while holding the thigh on the board. Bend the drumstick away from the thigh to expose the joint that connects the two. Cut through the joint to separate the two pieces. Repeat with the second drumstick and thigh.
Carve the meat from the thigh: Using the tip of the knife, or a boning or paring knife, cut along the thigh bone on all sides. The meat may start to fall off the bone and separate on its own. If it stays intact, hold the skin in place on the meat and slice it against the grain, keeping a little bit of skin on each slice of meat.
Carve the breast meat: Place one of the breasts on the cutting board lengthwise. Slice the breast crosswise into ½-inch thick slices, keeping some of the skin on each slice.
Plate the turkey: Place the thigh meat in the center of the platter. Arrange the sliced breasts around the sides, keeping the shape of the breast intact. Top the thigh meat with the drumsticks and the wings. Garnish the platter and serve.

Notes

Let the turkey rest before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat rather than run all over the cutting board, making the cooked turkey moist and flavorful.
Carving tool alternatives. If preferred, you can use an electric carving knife to dismantle the legs and wings and slice the meat. While I do not think it is a must-have tool, it does make cutting through the leg and wing joints a bit easier. A carving fork or large serving fork can help keep the turkey in place while you work.
Garnishing options. Once plated, top the turkey with your desired edible garnishes, such as fresh figs, sliced citrus, or persimmons, kumquats, or pomegranate arils. You can also garnish it with fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 681kcal (34%) Protein 105g (210%) Fat 27g (42%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 0.3g Cholesterol 348mg (116%) Sodium 541mg (23%) Potassium 1082mg (31%) Sugar 0.3g (1%) Vitamin A 271IU (5%) Calcium 53mg (5%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 681 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	681kcal	34%
Protein	105g	210%
Fat	27g	42%
Saturated Fat	7g	35%
Polyunsaturated Fat	7g	41%
Monounsaturated Fat	9g	45%
Trans Fat	0.3g	15%
Cholesterol	348mg	116%
Sodium	541mg	23%
Potassium	1082mg	23%
Sugar	0.3g	1%
Vitamin A	271IU	5%
Calcium	53mg	5%
Iron	4mg	22%