Whole Turkey

Cooking a whole turkey often brings a number of challenges, mainly due to its large size and diversity of meat types. Ideally, a turkey should finish with juicy, tender white meat and fully cooked, flavorful dark meat. However, because white meat and dark meat cook at different rates, this balance can be hard to achieve. Many home cooks end up with overcooked, dry white meat in an attempt to fully cook the dark meat. But this can be avoided with a few tips and tricks. One common pitfall is relying on the pop-up timer included in many store-bought turkeys. These devices can be unreliable, and oftentimes pop up when the turkey is already overcooked. To overcome this issue, use an accurate meat thermometer, checking the temperature in the thickest part of the breast and thigh. Brining, or soaking the bird in a mixture of salt, water, and other seasonings, can greatly improve the flavor and tenderness of the turkey. However, it's critical to thoroughly rinse the bird after brining to prevent an overly salty end result. Finally, remember it's okay to carve the bird before all the meat is fully cooked. The dark meat (legs and thighs) can return to the oven to finish cooking while the white meat rests, preventing it from overcooking. A lesser known tip is to cook the bird breast-side down for the first half of roasting. This allows the juices to flow into the breast, resulting in moist and tender white meat.