Knowing how to carve a turkey can be as or more intimidating than roasting it! But if you know a few simple points, like where to start and exactly which places to cut, it’s actually quite easy. Thanks to my foolproof guide, you can expertly carve a Thanksgiving turkey, whether it’s your first or 50th time.
All you need is a handful of common kitchen tools, paper or kitchen towels, and a willingness to dive in! You’ll have a beautiful turkey platter in just a handful of easy steps, leaving you time and energy to enjoy your meal with family and friends! For more helpful Thanksgiving turkey recipes, check out my easy guide for how to cook a turkey, a simple recipe for turkey brine, and a delicious turkey seasoning.
What You’ll Need
Carving board — use a large cutting board (big enough to fit your whole turkey on), ideally one with grooves along the edges to catch excess juices from the turkey.
Chef’s knife or sharp carving knife — a flexible carving or boning knife with a blade about 5 inches long is ideal, but a very sharp chef’s knife can also work well. If you have a small, sharp paring knife and a pair of kitchen shears, keep them nearby. They help to make small cuts or snip through the skin.
Paper towels or kitchen towels — put a damp towel underneath the cutting board to keep it in place while you cut. I also recommend keeping towels on hand to place around the board to catch any juices that could run off. Paper towels can also help hold the turkey or be used to wipe your hands while you carve. If your turkey slides on the board as you work, you can use the towels to wipe up the juices and grease so it stays in place.
Serving platter — Choose a large enough platter to hold all of the sliced turkey or divide the white meat and dark meat between two platters to make it easier to pass at large tables. Keep the platter or platters nearby as you work so you can plate each piece once carved.
How To Carve A Turkey
1. Place the turkey breast side-up on a large cutting board with the legs facing you. Have a sharp knife, clean paper towels, and a serving platter nearby. If the bird is tied up, cut and remove the butcher’s twine. Using a sharp knife, slice through the skin that connects the breast and the leg quarter. Once the skin is cut away, hold the breast with one hand and use the other to bend the entire leg quarter away from the turkey to expose and separate the hip joint from the backbone. You may hear a small pop. Use your knife to make a deep cut through the joint and the skin, then along the backbone to remove the leg and thigh piece.
2. Repeat this step on the other side of the turkey, placing the thighs aside.
3. Pull gently on one of the wings to pull it away from the breast. Cut through the skin and the joint closest to the breast to release the wing. Repeat with the other wing. Remove the wing tips and discard them if you’d like – the drumettes and flats have the most meat.
4. Rotate the turkey so the wishbone side faces you. Feel through the skin for the breastbone (also called the keel), which runs between the two breasts. Starting on one side of the breastbone, cut through the skin and between the bone and breast meat. Using long strokes with the knife, rather than a sawing motion, stay close to the rib cage to cut away and release the whole breast. If you can, keep the tenderloin piece connected to the underside of the breast. Repeat on the other side.
5. Hold the end of the drumstick in one hand while holding the thigh on the board. Bend the drumstick away from the thigh to expose the leg joint that connects the two.
6. Cut through the joint to separate the two pieces. Repeat with the second drumstick and thigh.
7. Using the tip of the knife or a boning or paring knife, cut along the thigh bone on all sides. The meat may start to fall off the bone and separate on its own. If it stays intact, hold the skin in place on the meat and slice it against the grain, keeping a little bit of skin on each slice of meat.
8. Place one of the breasts on the cutting board lengthwise. Slice the breast crosswise into ½-inch thick slices, keeping some of the skin on each slice. Plate the carved meat on the platter by arranging the thighs in the center and thin slices of the breast around the sides, keeping the shape of the breast intact. Top the thigh meat with the drumsticks and the wings. Garnish the platter and serve.
Serve The Turkey Right Away
Carving the turkey should be your last step before serving your meal so that the turkey is nice and warm. You can help keep the meat warmer for longer by serving it on an oven-safe platter warmed in a 200°F oven for 5-10 minutes before plating.
If you need to hold the carved turkey for a little longer before serving it, pour some of the drippings over the turkey on the platter, cover it with foil, and place it in a 200°F oven to keep warm. I don’t recommend holding it for more than 20 minutes, or the turkey can become tough or dry out.
Save The Bones And Trimmings
Once the turkey has been carved, you will be left with the main carcass and additional little scraps. Save these timings and any bones to make a delicious homemade turkey stock — perfect for homemade soups, savory recipes, and more. Place them in a zip-top bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days before using them. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months to make stock at a later time.
How to Store Leftovers
Cool the carved turkey to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. The turkey can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, place the turkey pieces in a baking dish with a splash of broth and cover tightly in aluminum foil. Place in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until warmed through.
Pro Tips For Carving A Whole Turkey
- Let the turkey rest before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat rather than run all over the cutting board, making the cooked turkey moist and flavorful.
- Carving tool alternatives. If preferred, you can use an electric carving knife to dismantle the legs and wings and slice the meat. While I do not think it is a must-have tool, it does make cutting through the leg and wing joints a bit easier. A carving fork or large serving fork can help keep the turkey in place while you work.
- Garnishing options. Once plated, top the turkey with your desired edible garnishes, such as fresh figs, sliced citrus, or persimmons, kumquats, or pomegranate arils. You can also garnish it with fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend letting the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour for larger birds. If you are following a recipe, they may recommend rest time specific to their instructions. If desired, cover the turkey with aluminum foil and then top it with kitchen towels to keep it warm while it rests. This will make the skin less crispy, but it is a good way to keep a turkey warm for longer if you are waiting for guests to arrive.
Though you remove the breast from the bone going with the grain, you should slice each breast into individual pieces going against it. Doing so makes for clean and tender turkey slices.
The specific color of the meat can depend on many factors, including how the turkey was raised. Use a meat thermometer in the thigh meat and breast meat to determine if it is safe to consume. It is safe to eat after it has reached 165°F in the thickest part of the meat.
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How To Carve A Turkey
Video
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Large cutting board
- Paper towels
- Kitchen towels
- Serving platter
Ingredients
- 1 (12 to 14-pound) Roasted Turkey
Instructions
- Set-up: Place the turkey breast side up on a large cutting board with the legs facing you. Have a sharp knife, clean paper towels, and a serving platter nearby. If the bird is tied up, cut and pull away the butcher’s twine and discard.
- Remove the leg and thigh pieces: Using a sharp knife, slice through the skin that connects the breast and the leg quarter. Once the skin is cut away, hold the breast with one hand and use the other to bend the leg quarter away from the turkey, to expose and separate the hip joint from the backbone. (You may hear a small pop). Use your knife to cut through the joint and the skin, then along the backbone to remove the leg and thigh piece. (Don’t forget the oyster, the small, circular piece of dark meat tucked into a crevice on each side of the backbone!) Repeat on the other side.
- Remove the wings: Pull gently on one of the wings to pull it away from the breast. Cut through the skin and the joint closest to the breast to release the wing. You can cut off the wing tip and discard it if you like- the drumette and flat have the most meat. Repeat with the other wing.
- Remove the breasts: Rotate the turkey so the wishbone side faces you. Feel through the skin for the keel bone, which runs between the two breasts. Starting on one side of the keel bone, cut through the skin and between the bone and the breast meat. Using long strokes with the knife, rather than a sawing motion, stay close to the bone to cut away and release the whole breast. (Keep the tenderloin piece connected to the underside of the breast, if you can.) Repeat on the other side.
- Separate the drumstick from the thigh: Hold the end of the drumstick in one hand, while holding the thigh on the board. Bend the drumstick away from the thigh to expose the joint that connects the two. Cut through the joint to separate the two pieces. Repeat with the second drumstick and thigh.
- Carve the meat from the thigh: Using the tip of the knife, or a boning or paring knife, cut along the thigh bone on all sides. The meat may start to fall off the bone and separate on its own. If it stays intact, hold the skin in place on the meat and slice it against the grain, keeping a little bit of skin on each slice of meat.
- Carve the breast meat: Place one of the breasts on the cutting board lengthwise. Slice the breast crosswise into ½-inch thick slices, keeping some of the skin on each slice.
- Plate the turkey: Place the thigh meat in the center of the platter. Arrange the sliced breasts around the sides, keeping the shape of the breast intact. Top the thigh meat with the drumsticks and the wings. Garnish the platter and serve.
Notes
- Let the turkey rest before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat rather than run all over the cutting board, making the cooked turkey moist and flavorful.
- Carving tool alternatives. If preferred, you can use an electric carving knife to dismantle the legs and wings and slice the meat. While I do not think it is a must-have tool, it does make cutting through the leg and wing joints a bit easier. A carving fork or large serving fork can help keep the turkey in place while you work.
- Garnishing options. Once plated, top the turkey with your desired edible garnishes, such as fresh figs, sliced citrus, or persimmons, kumquats, or pomegranate arils. You can also garnish it with fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley.
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