My Best Turkey Advice

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Turkey on a platter.

Photo by Sarah Plfug

I have been hosting Thanksgiving dinner for 20 years, and I have tried literally everything when it comes to cooking turkey. I’ve brined it, deep-fried it, marinated it, injected it, buttered it, dry-rubbed it, butterflied it, smoked it, and stuffed it. I’ve tried Kosher turkeys, organic turkeys, free-range turkeys, and self-basting turkeys.

A few years ago, I even bought an oil-less outdoor propane turkey fryer called “The Big Easy,” which freed up my oven and actually made a wonderfully crisp-skinned and juicy turkey. (If you want to spend $160 on a large piece of equipment that will likely sit in storage collecting cobwebs 364 days a year, I highly recommend it!)

From all this fussing with turkeys, I’ve come to realize that my turkey will never be perfect.

Let’s face it: turkeys, on their own, just aren’t very good. That’s what gravy and cranberry sauce are for.

As Mary Risley from Tante Marie’s Cooking School humorously points out in the video below (which you should definitely watch, especially if you have any turkey-cooking anxiety), “I have never had an outstanding turkey.”

(Heads up: This video contains some foul language.)

Short of purchasing a special turkey cooker (this is the one I have), it is near impossible to cook a turkey perfectly: the white meat always cooks before the dark meat is done, and the skin on the bottom is never crisp (unless you flip the hot, sputtering bird mid-way through cooking…ummm, no thank you).

So is it really worth it to go to great lengths — brining in big coolers for days in the garage, risking life and limb deep-frying in the driveway, pre-icing the breast of the turkey so it cooks more slowly (I swear, there’s a very respectable cooking magazine that wants you to do this) — to make that be-all-and-end-all turkey?

It’s up to you, but I’m not interested in babysitting my turkey for three days to get only marginally better results at the end.

My advice to you on Thanksgiving is to keep it simple. Make an easy roast turkey recipe, like this dry-brined roast turkey, with an over-the-top delicious gravy and some cranberry sauce to go with it. (Or, if you really don’t want to stress, go ahead and buy your turkey already roasted!) Serve lots of wine (you’ll love this food and wine pairing guide) and focus your time and creativity on the side dishes and desserts because that’s what everyone really looks forward to anyway.

Wishing you a happy and stress-free Thanksgiving! ❤️

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Comments

  • Jenn, LOVE THE VIDEO! You are my ‘go-to’ chef for all recipes! You test and prepare so well and I KNOW your recipes are going to be delicious and correct. I’ve purchased two of your cookbooks- one for me and one as a gift. We will haul our best dishes, including our spatchcocked turkey on the road from Mississippi to Austin, TX this year!
    Happy Thanksgiving! Tina

    • — Tina Brumfield on November 18, 2022
    • Reply
    • ❤️

      • — Jenn on November 19, 2022
      • Reply
  • The “Big Easy” propane turkey cooker is on sale for $99 on Amazon today

    • — Satin Doll on November 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • I always love this funny video!! Thank you for sharing again!
    And of course I love your recipes. ❤️

    • — Angela Beedle on November 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • I love Tante Marie and her Thanksgiving advice! Thank you for sharing your advice as well. Since COVID our group gathering dwindled in number so this year we’re going away for Thanksgiving. I hope to get back to gathering again or I will lose my Thanksgiving prep skills. 🙂

    • — Lulu on November 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • A few years ago I started ordering my turkey dinners from a local food store and have never been disappointed with the results. The turkey is always flavourful and moist and my only work is to reheat the turkey for a couple of hours and reheat the sides I order with it. No stress!

    • — Anne on November 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hey Jenn, love your recipes! My husband and I lost our home to Hurricane Irma in 2017. We lived in his man cave garage for 20 months during the rebuilding of our new house. That Thanksgiving we purchased the Char Broil Big Easy to cook our turkey. This will be our 6th year using the Big Easy for the big bird! We love it. And, we also do our Christmas prime rib in the Big Easy. So moist!

    • — Leslie on November 17, 2022
    • Reply
    • Good to know you like the Big Easy (and I’m SO sorry about the loss of your home)! It had to have been devastating, but glad to hear you’re in a rebuilt home and doing well. 🙂

      • — Jenn on November 17, 2022
      • Reply
  • I’ve been making Thanksgiving dinner for 40 years. The best thing I did was to buy an electric turkey roaster for maybe $50. Turkey cooks in that, which frees up the oven. I am down to a single oven and am thinking of making homemade rolls earlier in the day and then reheating in the oven for 10 minutes so other side dishes don’t get cold. Or is there a better way to reheat? Thanks and happy Thanksgiving to all!

    • — Laurie I on November 17, 2022
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    • I think using the oven to reheat the rolls is a good way to go. Happy Thanksgiving!

      • — Jenn on November 17, 2022
      • Reply
  • Do you have a recipe for the oil-less fried Turkey? Thanks!

    • — Katie on November 14, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Katie, I keep it very simple and follow the seasoning from the this recipe. As for the cook time, I would reference the manual for the fryer. Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on November 14, 2022
      • Reply
      • Thanks!

        • — Katie on November 15, 2022
        • Reply
  • Such helpful advice, thank you! I’m contemplating buying the big easy. Could you share your recipe for turkey with it? How long does it take to cook the Turkey? Thanks again!

    • — Katie on November 12, 2022
    • Reply
    • I actually used a recipe (it wasn’t mine) but I’d keep it simple and season it with salt and pepper (see how I treat the turkey in this recipe). Regarding timing, I’d consult the Big Easy manual for guidance.

      • — Jenn on November 15, 2022
      • Reply
      • I purchased a 17 lbs Butterball & planned to use your dry brine recipe. But, I read that you don’t recommend it for Butterballs. Is there a no-fuss recipe I can still use? I plan to cook the turkey in my electric roaster oven. Thank you; I love your recipes!

        • — Janet Grubbs on November 21, 2022
        • Reply
        • Hi Janet, You can use the dry-brine recipe; just cut the salt to 2 tablespoons for a 17 lb butterball turkey. I would also reduce the heat to 325. It will take about 3-1/2 hrs to cook. Happy Thanksgiving!

          • — Jenn on November 21, 2022
          • Reply
  • Your advice is fantastic! Thank you for making my Thanksgiving a success. I had many compliments on the turkey (which was wonderfully moist and had a lovely crispy brown skin) and the make ahead mashed potatoes and gravy were delicious. Being able to make the sides ahead of time enabled me to relax and enjoy my guests, as well as get dinner on the table on time! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    • — Shannon Madonna
    • Reply

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