How Do You Cook Your Thanksgiving Turkey

[slocagolfer]

Last year I spatchcocked mine and cooked it on the grill. Bird was in the 15 pound range. I've done a few chickens that way too. I'm a convert.

[GHIN n Juice]

Hold on, let me ask my wife how she does it. 🤣

[Myherobobhope]

Going to smoke it this year on my

gravity fed… picking up a bird from

a local farm… 

[nitram]

Wet brine for 12 hours and hickory smoke for 12-16 hours @ 240*.

[ksher84]

Just in the over with oil/seasoning
I would like to try to deep fry one but seems like it's messy and dangerous

Edited November 14, 2021 by ksher84

[TiScape]

Wet brine and smoked as well. Combo of apple and hickory.

[bscinstnct]

12 hours ago, ksher84 said:

Just in the over with oil/seasoning
I would like to try to deep fry one but seems like it's messy and dangerous

 

My fil deep fried them a couple times.

 

Hands down the best flavor ever. Although never had one smoked low and slow. 
 

I imagine you just need to plan it out, have the right tools, and be meticulous and safe. 
 

I love the dark meat! 
 

Man, remember the turkeys my Mother made when I was really little so dry I nearly choked to death one year! But she became excellent chef over the years 😊

 

The problem at me in-laws, more so before my fil passed away, was there was so much insane Italian antipasto and then the course of manicotti, barely room for turkey!

 

 

[Myherobobhope]

15 hours ago, nitram said:

Wet brine for 12 hours and hickory smoke for 12-16 hours @ 240*.

How big a bird? I'm going to spatchcock mine, but have no idea how long it will take... I'm hoping it's 12ish lbs...

 

I can always up the heat if necessary, but I have no idea how long to prepare to smoke it for.

[againstthegrain]

Wet brine in buttermilk, rinse, and roast in the oven - because gravy.  

[nitram]

1 hour ago, Myherobobhope said:

How big a bird? I'm going to spatchcock mine, but have no idea how long it will take... I'm hoping it's 12ish lbs...

 

I can always up the heat if necessary, but I have no idea how long to prepare to smoke it for.

This one is in the 15.5-16 lb. range. I'll get the smoker set and steady at 240* and leave the lid closed 'til the inner thigh hits 180* and the breast stays below 155*.

 

I'm sorry but I don't have a reliable formula for X-pounds = X-temp for X-time. I just put a temp probe in the inner thigh and the breast and watch it climb from my la-z-boy.

[Mr. Grumpy]

Love a fried turkey. It's not all that hard/dangerous if you take your time and follow the simple steps. But, it can get scary if you don't. 

 

I want to fry again this year, but I need to replace my burner and pot. This part of the process has gotten expensive!

[TiScape]

1 hour ago, Mr. Grumpy said:

Love a fried turkey. It's not all that hard/dangerous if you take your time and follow the simple steps. But, it can get scary if you don't. 

 

I want to fry again this year, but I need to replace my burner and pot. This part of the process has gotten expensive!

Frying a turkey is a part of natural selection. If you are too stupid to grasp the concept of displacement… You’ve been unselected! 😂 

[Myherobobhope]

3 hours ago, nitram said:

This one is in the 15.5-16 lb. range. I'll get the smoker set and steady at 240* and leave the lid closed 'til the inner thigh hits 180* and the breast stays below 155*.

 

I'm sorry but I don't have a reliable formula for X-pounds = X-temp for X-time. I just put a temp probe in the inner thigh and the breast and watch it climb from my la-z-boy.

I hear you… and there isn’t a reliable answer… I’m not sure how big the turkey is yet… family will just have to wait!

[Obee]

Spatchcocking looks like it's might be the new way we will cook our birds. Makes so much sense ...

[shoot4par]

Typically deep fryer, god knows this year, might go out to eat. 

[Kaysquare]

I've cooked turkeys in Reynolds Cook'in Bags for years.....super moist, lots of juice for gravy.  Never had a disaster, ever.  And the turkey cooks in much less time than conventional ways.  I don't stuff the turkey, I cook the dressing separately.  Never had any complaints..... 😅

[FairwaysToHeaven]

On 11/14/2021 at 5:38 PM, Mr. Grumpy said:

Love a fried turkey. It's not all that hard/dangerous if you take your time and follow the simple steps. But, it can get scary if you don't. 

 

I want to fry again this year, but I need to replace my burner and pot. This part of the process has gotten expensive!

check out an oiless fryer. no oil, crispy skin, little cleanup, and can season bird with a rub without having oil wash it off. some of the best turkey comes from these oilless fryers. 

[NoTalentLefty]

Ordered from my cousin’s catering business . 

[Shushwap]

Up here in Canada we have to start the fire outside the igloo as the dam thing melts and snuffs out the fire

[jak77]

I like to brine, season, and fry. Fell in love with the flavor and juiciness after one of my friends' dad did this every year growing up on our annual dirt bike trip.

 

I used an electric fryer for the first time last year and it worked pretty well.  Takes away all the risk of starting an oil fire.

[bad coffee]

Last one I did Spatchcock, Dry brine for three days in the fridge, then oven.

I've done some deep fried ones (including inside apartments!) They're good, but not worth the mess of cleanup inside.  Outside on cardboard on the patio was easy cleanup.

Inlaw's smoke theirs.  Some of the best turkey I've ever had.  Although it makes weird tasting soup the next day.

[touch]

In years past I used to cook my turkey like this....

 

 

 

 

Now in 2021 I cook my turkey like this..........

 

 

 

Oven roasted with properly seared in juices.

A plate of white meat only with extra gravy for me please.

Oh, and toss in a few of those crispy pieces of skin as well. 

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2021 by touch

[Hawkeye77]

I've mostly roasted, tried one in the Pit Barrel Cooker, grilled a turkey breast - as much as I like to cook and do pretty well most of the time (IMO, lol) turkey often confounds me.  Last two years I've made the mistake of getting too small a bird.  I even tried the small farmer nature route courtesy of a friend's daughter a few years ago but there were issues that year with their feeding and it was kind of a small and wiry bird (good, but small, so we supplemented with a breast). 

 

This year I've decided to go with an 8 lb. fresh turkey breast (everyone else here clamors for white meat). And frankly it's the gravy that is the star here, and it's always great.  

 

So ....... it's either sous vide which I've been experimenting with (so far successfully on beef, pork and pheasant) after hearing for years how great it is from @DavePelz4 (and he's right) or I'll set up my double aluminum foil pan roasting station (one on top of another resting on little foil ball supports with holes cut in the bottom of the top one and stock in the bottom pan and all covered in foil until the end for more browning) but do it in the oven instead of on the grill.

 

Completely a Thursday morning game time decision - been back and forth on it since Friday, as someone says in The Quiet Man, "I'm sick of the talk of it." 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Hawkeye77

[nitram]

@Hawkeye77Gregg, if you use the sous vide on a turkey breast, set it for 120*. Once it hits the mark, take it to an awaiting smoker stabilized at 200-210* and let it smoke for 2-3 hours or whatever it takes to hit 155* at the deepest portion of the breast. 155 is the magic number. I know, I know, it's less than the temp.recommended by the US Govt., but I promise it won't hurt you and more importantly, it won't ruin your bird. It will still be moist and tender and worthy of the praise you will receive.

Edited November 24, 2021 by nitram

[lefthack]

Since it's just the wife and I this year, I am smoking a breast in apple chips. Not sure why we still make a ton of food for just two of us, but the leftovers are the best part anyway.

[touch]

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's that time of year again. Thought I'd give this thread a bump. 

[bscinstnct]

Nice touch! I don’t cook turkeys, be a disaster, best left to the ladies in this case lol

 

But!

 

Seeing this thread after we had tacos for dinner just inspired me to plan some

 

Thanksgiving leftover soft tacos!

 

Like turkey, stuffing, gravy, and just throw in any other tasty sides that come to mind. 
 

Gonna be dope! 

Edited November 16, 2022 by bscinstnct

[mshills]

I’ve done just about every method under the sun, and the Pit Barrel Cooker gives me the best results. Fried is a close second!
 

It’s like a smaller ugly drum smoker…it burns hotter than a gravity feed or offset. Sort of like a cool oven with good, not overdone, smoke levels. The birds hang by meat hooks on rebar rods across the top. The fire burns in the bottom of the drum — I use a mix of lump and briquettes which doesn’t over-smoke.  
 

I dry brine the bird if I have time. Wet is too difficult / messy for me, then use a rub under the skin and on the skin.  I separate the thighs and legs from the breast and wings so I can remove each section when it is done and not overcook a breast while the thighs come up to temp, etc. Hang them all and walk away for a couple hours before starting to check temp. Have to use a meat thermometer, and give myself plenty of flexibility on the time, as it’s impossible to predict. Cook to temp not to time. 
 

Only down side is it doesn’t make gravy but no one’s ever complained about that!

[AimingAtHazards]

We usually rotate between deep fry and rotisserie turkey but I’ve wanted to try to smoke one, maybe next year, this years plans already set.
 

For the rotisserie I have an attachment for the Weber and it works well but needs to be under 12-13 pounds in order to rotate freely. For seasoning we do a Peruvian style wet rub - https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2013/11/peruvian-turkey-for-thanksgiving-what.html and with the green jalapeño sauce.

[Pastit]

3 minutes ago, AimingAtHazards said:

We usually rotate between deep fry and rotisserie turkey but I’ve wanted to try to smoke one, maybe next year, this years plans already set.
 

For the rotisserie I have an attachment for the Weber and it works well but needs to be under 12-13 pounds in order to rotate freely. For seasoning we do a Peruvian style wet rub - https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2013/11/peruvian-turkey-for-thanksgiving-what.html and with the green jalapeño sauce.

I’d take pro advice on the smoking option. It’s high fat products which smoke best, maybe try the legs this year but poultry must reach a high temp before it’s safe to eat.