Yahoo Lifestyle How to Carve a Turkey, A Step-by-Step Guide
It's Thanksgiving! Making sure you know where the Thanksgiving decorations are, planing the perfect Thanksgiving games, and knowing how many green beans, sweet potatoes, and stuffing per person is a great place to start. But what about the all-important question of the holiday dinner: how to carve a turkey?!
It’s just as important to plan exactly what you’ll need to cook this year’s turkey as it is to make sure all the Christmas lights are working. Once you’ve figured out how to cook the turkey, it would benefit you to know how to - gulp - carve it. Luckily, it's easier than you’d think. As long as you have a sharp knife and a steady workspace, you’re in the clear.
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It’s important to carve the turkey one side at a time so you aren’t moving the bird around too much. Prep your carving area and set the turkey up with the cavity facing you. Using this method, you should only need to turn the turkey once. So choose the turkey recipe made for you and get ready to serve up your delicious holiday centerpiece—here's everything you need to know about how to carve a turkey, step-by-step.
Tools You Need to Carve a Turkey
A carving set (we recommend this one)
A large, flat surface or cutting board
A serving platter and tongs for serving
How To Carve a Turkey:
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Step 1: Let the turkey sit for at least 20 minutes to cool. Don’t let it sit for longer than 40 minutes, as carving will add cooling time.
Step 2: While the turkey is cooling, set up your carving station. If you’re using a large cutting board, place a rag or towel beneath for stability. Select and sharpen a thin carving knife—knife experts say the thinner the better for slicing. If you don’t have a carving knife, a chef’s knife like this one will do just fine.
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Step 3: Once the turkey has cooled, place it on the cutting board. Use the sharpened knife to remove the leg and thigh from one side of the bird.
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Step 4: Cut all the way through the joint to separate the drumstick from the body.
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Step 5: On the same side, remove the breast and wing. To do so, cut through the wing joint as you did with the leg. Then, make a slice underneath the breast, as shown.
Step 6: Repeat steps 3-5 on the other side of the turkey.
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Step 7: Now it's time to slice the breast and thigh meat. While the breast meat is still attached to the bird, cut it into slices. However, if you find it easier to slice the breast meat after it's been removed from the bird, you can make a slice down the center of the bird to separate the breast pieces and slice them on a separate plate instead. Do the same for the thigh meat.
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Step 8: Arrange the sliced meat on a platter and serve.
