We are on the homestretch for Thanksgiving. If you don’t have a plan for your bird yet, I’ve got some great ideas to help from start to finish. For TikTok Tuesday, here are 5 foolproof turkey tips for Thanksgiving.

Turkey is traditionally the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal. For the person cooking, it can be a source of both pride and stress. Especially if it is your first time. Even if you have cooked dozens of birds, there can still be little things that would make the experience easier and more tasty.

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Turkey Tips For Thanksgiving

Raise your hand if you have ever had a turkey disaster at Thanksgiving. My mom forgot to take the bag of turkey parts out of the cavity once. I’ve been to dinners where the host forgot to thaw the turkey in time. It never made it to the table while I was there. Thank God for the side dishes.

Speaking of side dishes, if you sill need some ideas click here for a few options that are simple and delicious. Also, a couple of weeks ago I shared some recipes for creative and delicious desserts. Click here for those.

If you don’t have a TikTok account, don’t worry. I’ve made it easy by taking these links from mine. Simply scroll down and watch from this post. Some of the recipe details are in the captions so you might have to click to see them in full. Turn up the volume as well for good advice and instructions.

Finally, share these videos and recipes with friends who also enjoy cooking or might be looking for a few turkey tips for the holidays.

Enjoy These 5 Foolproof Turkey Tips For Thanksgiving

• Great Prepping And Seasoning Tips

  I have never removed this bone before. I haven’t even though about it to be honest. But look at how it changes the presentation of the turkey. It is suppose to be easier to cut as well.

   

  @maxthemeatguy

  The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey… Happy thanksgiving! I’ve gotten tons of messages about last year’s turkey so here it is again. See details below! Deciding how to cook the thanksgiving turkey can be stressful. In fact I recently read this poll: the average person will make “3 frantic phone calls for family help when cooking TG dinner this year” and even if they aren’t cooking, 61% will still get stressed out (SWNS 2020). But a switch went off in my brain when I realized it’s pretty much the same thing as just roasting an extra large chicken. We can do this! There’s a few things we need to prioritize: 1. Crispy skin 2. Juicy dark and white meat 3. Timing The key to all of these is “spatchcocking”. Crispy skin: The flat shape of a spatchcocked turkey faces all the skin upwards, allowing us to cook evenly at a higher temp. Juicy meat: The exposed dark meat will cook faster and finish 20F degrees hotter than the lean breast meat, for optimal internal temps (If cooked whole, the turkey would need to be pulled at around 160-165F, at which point the breasts would be over cooked, thighs undercooked). Timing: Lastly the thinner shape allows an average sized turkey to be done in about 1.5 hours! Dry brining is another important step (avoid if turkey is pre-brined), and the compound butter is an update from last years recipe. It imparts flavor under the skin, but perhaps more importantly, leaves us with buttery herb drippings that can be used to moisten up the turkey prior to serving. Note: the USDA recommends cooking turkey to 165F (at this temp, poultry is pasteurized immediately). However pasteurization is a combination of temperature AND time. After pulling at 150, it will carry over to 160F during the rest, for a fully pasteurized (and way more juicy) turkey. Check out the full recipe on my website! Let me know if you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer all of them in the comments! Guest chiropractor appearance: @Dr. Alex #thanksgiving #turkeyrecipe #holidayrecipe

  ♬ original sound - Max The Meat Guy

• Demystifying Deep Frying

  Deep frying a turkey has become wildly popular over the years. It might sound simple but it can challenging. There are lots of subtlties and this guy covers one of the biggest one. How much oil do you really need?

   

  @founder_dan

  Deep fried turkey #thanksgiving #deepfried #deepfriedturkey #turkey #howto #thanksgivingrecipe

  ♬ original sound - Dan O

• Brining The Bird

  Prepping the turkey is a vital step. Some folks perfer a dry rub. Others do the soak and brine technique. Here are some good ways to execute a savory brine. 

   

  @carishaheen

  The Best Turkey Brine 🦃 1 Gallon of Water 1 cup salt 2 cups Brown sugar Rosemary Thyme Sage Garlic 6-8 Shallots 3 Follow this recipe for every gallon of water used! #BetheReasonVisa #IntuitTouchdownDance #AEHolidayCard #thanksgiving #thanksgivingvibes #thanksgivingdinner #thanksgivingrecipes #turkeyrecipe #turkeybrine #turkeybrinerecipe #turkeybrineprep #turkeybrining #thanksgivingfood #thanksgivingturkey #recipes #recipesoftiktok #recipesforyou #foodie #foodtiktok #foodlover

  ♬ original sound - Cari Shaheen

• Carve Like A Pro

  Once that beautiful bird comes out, what do you do with it? Here are some easy tips for carving so you dont destroy it after it is cooked.

   

  @maxthemeatguy

  How to carve a Turkey 🦃 #turkey #thanksgiving I made this video last year, reposting as a reminder if you are carving the turkey this year! Ever since I can remember, I volunteered to be the one to carve the turkey on Thanksgiving. It rarely went well and this is a better way to do it! Join my newsletter to get my favorite thanksgiving recipes! I will be sending out my turkey recipe in the next couple days, as well as more behind the scenes/recipes moving forward!

  ♬ Ninja Hardcore Freestyle Rap Beat - Aesuno

• Cooking And Sesoning

  Seasoning is key. This one uses lots of herbs and lots of butter. The bird looks golden brown and beautiful.

   

  @chefgenevieve

  Roasted Herb Butter Turkey 🦃 Step-by-step instructions on how to roast a whole herb butter turkey that’s golden, juicy, and packed with flavor! Perfectly seasoned with fresh herbs and butter 🍗✨ Ingredients: 1 12-14lb turkey Salt and pepper TT For the herb butter: 3/4 cup or 12 oz salted butter, room temperature 2 tbsp fresh minced thyme 2 tbsp fresh minced rosemary 1 tbsp fresh minced sage 1/2 tsp pepper For the cavity: 1 onion, peeled and quartered 1 small apple, quartered 1 lemon, quartered 1 pack (0.66oz) fresh thyme 1 pack (0.66oz) fresh sage 1 pack (0.66oz) fresh rosemary For the roasting pan: 3 carrots, peeled and diced 4 ribs celery, diced 1 large yellow onion, diced 1-2 tbsp olive oil Salt and Pepper TT 1 cup chicken or turkey broth Equipment: Scissors Roasting pan with rack Meat thermometer Butchers twine Instructions: Thaw turkey for 4-5 days ahead of time in fridge. Allow to sit at room temperature for one hour, drain any remaining juices and pat dry. Remove neck and giblets from the inside of the cavity. Remove any plastics and trim off any excess fat or skin. Generously season the entire turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. To a bowl, combine room temperature salted butter with the fresh minced thyme, rosemary and sage and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix well. Carefully loosen the skin on the breasts and spread the herbed butter under the skin and all around the surface of the turkey. 
Tuck the wings under then stuff cavity with quartered onion, apple, lemon and fresh thyme, sage and rosemary sprigs. Fold the skin over covering the cavity opening and tie the legs together using butchers twine. To a rosting pan add the diced celery, carrots and onion and toss with olive and salt and pepper Place turkey on roasting rack over the veggies then pour in 1 cup of chicken broth Bake in a 325°F oven for 14 min for every pound or until the breast and thigh register at 160° (my 12 lb turkey took 2hrs and 45min) Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy! #thanksgiving #thanksgivingturkey #HerbButterTurkey #ThanksgivingRecipes #ThanksgivingDinner

  ♬ original sound - Chef Genevieve LaMonaca

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