Forget Perfect: My Best Advice For Thanksgiving Turkey
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Photo by Sarah Plfug
Here’s the honest truth about Thanksgiving turkeys: the perfect one doesn’t exist. I have been cooking professionally and hosting Thanksgiving dinner for 25 years, and I have tried literally everything when it comes to cooking turkey. I’ve brined it, deep-fried it, marinated it, injected it, buttered it, dry-rubbed it, butterflied it, smoked it, and stuffed it. I’ve tried Kosher turkeys, organic turkeys, free-range turkeys, and self-basting turkeys.
I once even bought an oil-less outdoor propane turkey fryer called “The Big Easy,” which freed up my oven and actually made a wonderfully crisp-skinned and juicy turkey. (If you want to spend $160 on a large piece of equipment that will likely sit in storage collecting cobwebs 364 days a year, I highly recommend it!)
From all this fussing with turkeys, I’ve come to realize that my turkey will never be perfect.
Let’s face it: turkeys, on their own, just aren’t very good. That’s what gravy and cranberry sauce are for.
As Mary Risley from Tante Marie’s Cooking School humorously points out in the video below (which you should definitely watch, especially if you have any turkey-cooking anxiety), “I have never had an outstanding turkey.”
(Heads up: This video contains some foul language.)

Short of purchasing a special turkey cooker (this is the one I have), it is near impossible to cook a turkey perfectly: the white meat always cooks before the dark meat is done, and the skin on the bottom is never crisp (unless you flip the hot, sputtering bird mid-way through cooking…umm, hard pass!).
So is it really worth it to go to great lengths—brining in big coolers for days in the garage, risking life and limb deep-frying in the driveway, pre-icing the breast of the turkey so it cooks more slowly (I swear, there’s a very respectable cooking magazine that wants you to do this)—to make that be-all-and-end-all turkey?
It’s up to you, but I’m not interested in babysitting my turkey for three days to get only marginally better results at the end.
My advice to you on Thanksgiving is to keep it simple. Make an easy roast turkey recipe (I’m a big fan of dry-brined turkey), with an over-the-top delicious gravy, a rich stuffing, and some cranberry sauce to go with it. (Or, if you really don’t want to stress, go ahead and buy your turkey already roasted!) Serve lots of wine (you’ll find this food and wine pairing guide handy for the holidays) and focus your time and creativity on the side dishes and desserts because that’s what everyone really looks forward to anyway.
Wishing you a happy and stress-free Thanksgiving! ❤️
This post made my day! So funny!
Thanks Jenn!
Carole T
I have a 17.5 # turkey that will go in the refrigerator @ 37%. How soon do you recommend putting it in there, I was thinking Sunday night for Thursday, am I wrong, I still will use cold water if not all the way thawed
Hi Tom, just seeing your question now, but that sounds like good timing.
I am in love with this video!! She is me. Although I do roast my turkey breast side down and flip 1/2 way thru my roasting time. Works like a charm for moist meat. Happy Thanksgiving!
Love this! And I totally agree. I’ve hosted Thanksgiving for 30 years and have fussed with almost all of the same cooking methods. I like Martha Stewart’s method, put it in the oven and baste with a mix of butter and white wine. every 30 minutes. Easy and works like a charm.
Always delicious!
Hi! Would you recommend using the dry brine prep if I’m using “The Big Easy”? Just wondering what you used.
Hi Terri, You can use the brine (minus the butter and veggies) but omit the brown sugar – it may burn. I would brush the turkey with some oil before cooking. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi my turkey is still frozen😬
What’s the best way to defrost for tomorrow ?
Hi Veena, at this point, I’d suggest the cold water thawing method outlined here. 😊
Thanks so much😊
Loved this!
I have 2 – 7lb. turkey breasts with plans to do the dry brine and cook in the same roaster pan. Will this change the cooking time and temperature much?
As always, love the recipes!
Glad you liked it! 😊
You don’t need to change the oven temperature but your turkey breasts should not take as long to cook. To take out any guess work, I’d use a leave-in or instant-read thermometer. When it registers 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast, you can remove it from the oven. Hope you enjoy!
LOL just serve them more wine! So obvious, yes! Thanks Jenn, I needed to see this vid. Also to make my dinner simpler I am almost exclusively using your recipes because I know they are good and relatively easy. THANK YOU!
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Love the video! Ha! Love your recipes! Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful recipes with well written instructions. You are my go-to when I look for a recipe for something I want to make, or to discover something I would not have thought of. Again, that you! And Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
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Love the video! Love your recipes! Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful recipes and well written instructions. You are my go-to when I look for a recipe for something I want to make, or to discover something I would not of thought of. Again, thank you.