Carving a turkey can be a daunting task, but it's worth doing it right after all of the hours you spend cooking the perfect turkey. Don't panic. It's not as scary as it sounds.
Tools You'll Need:
- Carving board (to catch all those juices)
- Boning knife (if you don't have one, don't worry! You can carve the bird from start to finish with a chef's knife instead)
- Pretty platter
Stressing about those mashed potatoes, too? Check out our traditional Thanksgiving menu. This holiday is our Super Bowl, people. We gotchu.
Step 1: Watch How To Carve A Turkey
Carving a turkey is hard work! Watch this video to make sure you get it right every time.
Step 2: Let It Rest
Just like with any meat, the turkey should rest before you slice into it. You don't want all those aromatic juices to spill out. After you take the bird out of the oven, place it on a carving board and tent it with foil for about 30 minutes.
Step 3: Remove The String And Find The Wishbone
Use kitchen shears or a chef's knife to remove the kitchen twine tying the legs together. Then, use your fingers to locate the wishbone at the front end of the breasts. Make incisions along the bone and pull it out with your hands.
(We consider the latter part optional, so feel free to skip it if the idea stresses you out. It does, however, make removing the breasts much easier.)
Step 4: Remove The Legs And Thighs
Using your chef's knife, slice through the skin connecting the thigh and breast. Push down on the thigh to separate the entire leg from the rest of the body. The socket joint should pop out. Then use your chef knife to cut through the joint to sever the leg and thigh meat completely. Repeat with other leg.
Step 5: Remove The Breasts
If you have a boning knife, now is the time to use it. Locate the breast bone and slice downward on one side of it, as close the bone as possible. As you slice, use your other hand to pull the meat away from the bone to help the breast come off in one big piece.
Step 6: Separate The Thighs And Drumsticks
Using your chef's knife, cut through the joint that connects them. Transfer drumstick to a platter. Repeat with other leg.
Step 7: Remove The Wings
Use your chef's knife to cut through the wing joint. Repeat with the other wing and transfer them to the platter.
WHY ARE WINGS SO HARD TO REMOVE?!
Having trouble removing wings? Watch how to twist them off with your hands instead. (It's not a pretty process, but it's effective.)
Step 7: Slice The Thigh Meat
Flip over each thigh and cut along the sides of the bone with the point of your knife to take it out. When the bone is out, turn the thigh back over and slice. Repeat with other thigh. (It's okay if your slices aren't perfect. Turkey thighs are always kinda messy.)
Step 8: Slice The Breast Meat
Slice the breast meat against the grain.
Step 9: Arrange It On A Platter
Congrats! You've successfully carved a turkey. Arrange it on a platter and serve that bird with pride.
15 Creative Thanksgiving Cocktails
10 Most-Popular Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas
75 Super-Simple Last-Minute Appetizers
52 Traditional Dishes For Thanksgiving
