Buying & Thawing

You may be asking yourself a few questions. What kind of turkey do I need? Should I buy fresh or frozen turkey? Should I brine it? How big of a bird should I get?

• Fresh vs. Frozen? With a fresh bird, you can take it home and get cooking, but you likely have to order in advance. With a frozen bird, you can buy earlier, they’re more broadly available, and they’re often the most budget-friendly option.

• How big of a bird? Aim for 1-1½ lbs per person. We like to go a little heavier when we know we want leftovers.

• What type? Conventional, Free Range, Pasture Raised, or Heritage. Conventional is going to be your budget-friendly bird with traditional flavor. Free Range, Pasture Range, or Heritage get a bit pricier and the birds are usually grain-fed and often leaner.

• How long to thaw? We like to slowly defrost in the fridge. You'll need one day of thawing for every 4 lbs of bird. So a 16 lb. turkey would take about 4 days. (Don't forget to add a day to this if you plan to brine your bird too.)

Brine & Season

With your turkey defrosted and ready to go, it's time to start infusing it with flavor. For a roasted turkey, we recommend brining. Not only will brining infuse the bird with a lot of flavor and nicely season it, but it's also going to give you a juicy, tender bird (even if you slightly overcook it).

After brining the turkey, you'll want to pat dry and season your bird. Brush the dried turkey with butter, season the exterior of the turkey, then cook breast side up in your roasting pan. Want to learn how to brine a Thanksgiving turkey? Learn how to do it with our play-by-play and learn about the brining process.

Roast Your Bird

Start with a rack in your roasting pan to encourage even roasting. Add broth to the bottom of the pan to keep your drippings juicy and ready for gravy prep.

In a 325°F oven, you'll want to roast 1 hour for every 4 lbs. of turkey. So, that 16 lb turkey will cook for around 4 hours. Center the turkey in the oven for the most even cook.

How will you know it's done? Once your bird hits about 120°F, start checking every 20 minutes or so. If the turkey is getting too brown, loosely tent it with foil. Roast the turkey until it hits 150°F then pull the turkey from the oven and let it rest until it reaches 165°F. Carryover cooking will get the turkey to the right temp and will keep the meat super juicy with a crispy golden skin.

Carve & Serve

Okay, it is time to carve the turkey. You're going to need a sharp knife and a large cutting board, then you're ready to go.

When you're cutting the turkey, think about long, sweeping motions instead of sawing. This will make for cleaner cuts. The skin will stay a little bit more around the meat instead of pulling back. Your bird will be sure to get your hands and knife a bit juicy, so keep a towel handy to wipe your hands and your knife to avoid any slipping. We have a play by play in our video walking through the order, the cuts, and the slicing to carve your bird for serving.

Be confident, commit to the slice, and get ready to serve up a golden, crispy Thanksgiving turkey.