Cleaning a Turkey
Novice turkey hunters are often intimidated to clean this large bird. Just like chicken or other fowl, there are two basic ways to clean a turkey: plucking and skinning. Plucking is the best option if you want to keep the moisture in the turkey while cooking it whole.
To pluck the turkey, remove feathers from the turkey the same way you would pluck a chicken. This method does take more time than skinning and it is messy.
Skinning the turkey is faster and cleaner, but you need to wrap the bird in foil or place in a baking bag to cook whole. Here are some tips to make skinning the turkey easier:
- Hang the turkey by both feet at chest level. The turkey should hang so the feet are 12 to 18 inches apart.
- If you want to save the beard, remove it now. Grasp the beard as close to the body as possible, give it a half-twist, and then sharply pull it away from the breast. The beard will pull away with a little tissue on it.
- Remove the fan by cutting the skin away from the tail.
- Cut off the wings at the elbow or second joint.
- Grasp the skin at the tail and begin pulling it down. Work the skin off around the wings and pull it down to the neck.
- Cut off the neck and the skin. The feathers and head will come off in one piece.
- Open the body cavity and remove the entrails, if you have not already done so in the field. Be sure to remove all lung material from the backbone, as it tends to spoil quickly.
- Cut off the legs at the knee or second joint.
- If you don't want to cook or freeze a whole turkey, consider cutting it up into smaller portions. Remove the breast and other meat from the carcass and cut off the legs and wings. Package in appropriate servings for cooking. Double-bag the turkey in plastic freezer bags and seal as airtight as possible to prevent freezer burn.
Preparing a Turkey
As you decide how to prepare the wild turkey, keep in mind whether your turkey is an older, tougher bird or a younger, more tender bird. Older birds should be cooked with a moist-heat method, while younger birds can be grilled or fried. Look at the Department's list of turkey recipesfor some ideas.
FAQs
Fill it with 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) of cold water, then rinse out the cavity of the turkey with a gentle stream of cool water. Drain the turkey by holding it up over the sink, then set it down in the roasting pan. You don't need to scrub or rinse the outside of the turkey at all.
What is the best way to clean a turkey? ›
Just like chicken or other fowl, there are two basic ways to clean a turkey: plucking and skinning. Plucking is the best option if you want to keep the moisture in the turkey while cooking it whole. To pluck the turkey, remove feathers from the turkey the same way you would pluck a chicken.
Does turkey need to be rinsed before cooking? ›
According to a study by the food safety experts at the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. There's only one time you should wash a raw turkey, and that is after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking.
Why do you clean turkey with vinegar? ›
The acidity of lemon and vinegar helps disinfect and. tenderize the meat, and it also provides a clean base.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350? ›
We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).
Should you wash out inside of turkey? ›
Just like with the outside of a turkey, there's no need to rinse the cavity. All you need to worry about is removing the neck and giblets. Now, if you're working with a brined bird, you will need to rinse the inside.
Do you rinse salt off a turkey? ›
Pat It Dry
And if you're wondering, no—you don't need to rinse the bird, whether it's been dry-brined or wet-brined, before adding more seasoning and roasting.
What happens if you don't rinse a turkey? ›
❌ DON'T Rinse the turkey. This just spreads bacteria. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and carry on! (Exception: if you do a wet brine, you will need to rinse).
What should I soak my turkey in? ›
Brining your turkey in saltwater adds extra moisture to the lean bird, helping it stay juicy as it roasts (even if you accidentally overcook it).
Does vinegar sanitize meat? ›
Acidic solutions like white vinegar and lemon juice may lower the number of bacteria on raw meat, although this practice is influenced by cultural practices and purchasing habits.
Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature. The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that's about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb. turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.
How many minutes per pound of turkey at 325? ›
These times are based on a room temperature turkey at 325 degrees F the entire time; plan on about 15 to 17 minutes per pound (the times below are based on 15 minutes per pound).
Should you bake a turkey covered or uncovered? ›
To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.
Is it worth plucking a turkey? ›
Many of today's turkey hunters prefer skinning to plucking. Skinning a turkey allows you to cook the bird by frying or grilling the pieces of meat. You can skin and fillet the turkey breasts and slice as much meat from the legs and wings as necessary.
Do you skin or pluck a wild turkey? ›
When preparing your turkey for the pot, you can either skin it or pluck it. Because wild turkeys have such thin skin, many hunters prefer skinning their turkeys as it's must faster than plucking the bird.
Should I soak my turkey? ›
I brine a Thanksgiving turkey every year because it's the right thing to do. Brining involves soaking a turkey in a very salty solution for a certain length of time, long enough for the salt to infiltrate the turkey and actually alter the molecular structure of the meat. It doesn't turn it into a salty mess, either.
