How are you cooking your turkey this year?

[jfmorris]

I've done quite a few methods over the years - smoked it whole, rotisserie turkey (very good!), spatchcocked, split, and deconstructed.

By deconstructed, I mean split into two breasts, two leg quarters (with deboned thighs that are tied up), and random wing parts. I feel that the deconstructed cooks the fastest and has the best results. You are just moving the carving of the turkey to before the cook instead of after the cook, and doing most of the work with a filet or boning knife.

Anyway, I have two to cook on Thursday, for a 2pm dinner - a 20 pounder and a 12 pounder. Thinking of deconstructing the big bird, and just spatchcocking the small bird. I would run the big one on the SNS Kamado, in kamado mode with the diffuser, at 325 indirect. I would put the small spatchcocked bird on the Weber kettle (Performer) with the SNS, also at 325.

[Jfrosty27]

You need to add a choice in your poll Jim. “Somebody else is cooking it” or something like that. We’re going to our son’s house. I have no idea how he’s cooking it but I know it will be great! Happy T-Day.

[jfmorris]

Done!

The years we have Thankgiving with my family, I can count on warm/hot/juicy turkey, whether I cook it, or my parents make it. I am sure my sister could do a nice turkey in her oven for that matter. My inlaws? Not so much! If I don't bring smoked turkeys over there for that crew of 30, they will be eating store bought presliced boneless skinless turkey breast picked up on Wednesday from the Honey Baked Ham store, COLD - not even reheated.

[smokin fool]

....or, store cooked Thanksgiving turkey meals, my son gets his meal provided by his employer, Christmas too.
A grocery chain called Longo's up here cooks the turkey for you along with mashed taters, stuffing, veggies and gravy, all you do is re-heat everything.
Had it 3 or 4 years now and it is a quite passable meal.

[WillTravelForFood]

We should cook our turkey like we like our steak: a bit on the rare side, right?

That's about what, 125 degrees - nice warm/pink red center?

[jfmorris]

Barfing about now. As one who has been food poisoned in the past by someone else's cooking, that not something I mess with. I tend to carry my Thermopen with me to these events if I am not the one cooking, and offer to help finish things...

[smokin fool]

....keep the cell phone charged for the 911 call....holey smokes, my stomach just did a back flip....

[rlozinak]

We stuff the turkey with stuffing and cook at 325 until done. Done is when the temp is 165, or about 4.25 hours for a 18 lb turkey
Same way we have been doing it since Mom was making it.

[jfmorris]

Stuffing is a northern thing for sure - down south we cook the same stuffing in a separate pan from the turkey, and call it "dressing". Not sure why the difference, but been like that my whole life.

[smokin fool]

Lately started cooking our turkeys un-stuffed if I'm doing the boid on the smoker.
Just find it takes less time and the meat is done better.
In the oven I still cook the boid stuffed.
Like anything there's pro's and con's to each method.

[shify]

jfmorris - Born and raised northern (although not quite Buffalo north). I've always called it stuffing but have never had it cooked inside the bird, always in a pan on the side

[Spinaker]

No turkey cooking this year. Not worth the battle. My stepmom likes to make one so I do other things. I like to make my Mom's Oatmeal Raisin Dressing. I use chicken fat to make it. I know it sounds gross, but it is so good. Best thing about Thanksgiving. And I have great memories of waking up Thanksgiving day and smelling that stuffing/dressing. ugh, I can't wait.

I have the recipe written in my mom's handwriting still. I keep that in my safe deposit box at the bank. (No I am not joking) Before I put it in there, I took a picture of it with my phone, so I have a copy.

The step mom can have the bird. I've got my mom's dressing/stuffing.

[Oak Smoke]

I am the dressing cook for our family. Both my wife’s family and mine have made southern cornbread dressing for generations. I’ve got everything ready to make it today then bake it Thursday. Both families recipes use half cornbread and half biscuits both made the day before and torn into chunks to dry overnight.

[Spinaker]

Will do! Can't wait for the smells! Skip

[Alan Brice]

My momo’s stuffing has always been the crown of the Thanksgiving feast! Never any left over, always cooked in the bird. Yummm

[mrteddyprincess]

My personal preference is that I smoke spatchcocked turkey breast to 155 F. It's the most delicious poultry I can consume. I have abandoned dark meat and only prepare breasts for the holidays.

For Thanksgiving I am preparing smoked turkey breast sliders on Hawaiian buns toasted with chestnut butter and topped with homemade cranberry sauce...

[jfmorris]

Hmmm. So you spatchcock just a breast? Is that just breaking the breast bone and flattening it a bit? I smoked a breast for my daughter a while back, and that thought never crossed my mind, as I have only done that to whole birds.

[mrteddyprincess]

I cut the backbone out of the turkey and lay the breast bone-in out flat just like I would if I'm spatchcocking the entire turkey. Temp probe deep into the breast allows me to pull it in the 150's so it doesn't dry out.

[Grillin Dad]

Option 6: Deep Fried!!

[jfmorris]

Added! I've got a turkey fryer setup, but never used it for that - used it to brew beer instead!

[Attjack]

I'm cooking mine exactly like a ham.

[jfmorris]

My nephew is bringing a ham... He's big into grilling (stuff like tri-tip) but not so much smoking, so I am curious to see what they bring...

When I found out he was bringing it, I already had the 20 and 12 pound birds defrosting, otherwise I would have left the 12 pounder in the freezer. Oh well - more turkey leftovers!

[Attjack]

We're just not big on turkey. I would rather eat chicken. So ham it is 🐖

[Sdell]

My Turkey will be dry brined and then seasoned with a rub of brown sugar, smoked paprika, pepper, onion and garlic powder along with some dried rosemary, dried sage and dried thyme. I am going to try mayonnaise as the binder based on Kenji Lopez Alt's recipe. Supposedly mayonnaise stays on the bird better and the egg proteins help in browning. We will see.

I am going to cook it on my offset with cherry at about 300f. I plan to pull when the breast hits 155f and let it carryover up to 160ish. I am still debating spatchcocking versus cooking it whole. I have done a bird both ways, with good results. I like the faster cooking time with spatchcocking, but it is hard to beat a whole bird for presentation.

[Sdell]

jfmorris the recipe for the rub is below. I used it the last two years and everyone loved the turkey. Since I am dry brining I will leave out the salt.

https://heygrillhey.com/smoked-turkey-rub/

[jfmorris]

Thanks for the link! I don't think I've ever had any bad results using recipes from Hey Grill Hey.

[fzxdoc]

I saw Kenji's article in the NYT about using mayo when prepping the turkey. Let us know how it turns out!

Kathryn

[CaptainMike]

Out of town for Thanksgiving and having someone else's prime rib, but I'm doing a turkey dinner when we get back. Wet brined, spatchcocked and plopped into the LSG pellet pooper. I usually do something like the S&G poultry rub, but I'm liking what Sdell is laying down up above and will try that approach.

[Clawbear57]

+1

[Dan Deter]

SWMBO does a fantastic turkey whole in her electric turkey roaster.

[radiodome21]

We have 2 birds. My wife likes to do the 16 lb one in the oven and I’ll do the 12 lb outside. This is actually our third time hosting in four years. The first two times I did spatchcock the turkey on the WSM. this year and I’m leaning towards doing something on the SNS kettle. I’m debating if I want to go low and slow and then turn the temp up to crisp the skin or just go at it with a higher temp. I am going to inject it as well. The weather is looking nice in the Chicago area on Thursday so we’ll see.

[shify]

Always spatchcock my turkey and roast in a hot oven. I usually dry brine; however, this year I'm trying a buttermilk brined turkey that I read about in the NY Times. Spatchocking and getting it in the brine today - hopefully its not a terrible mistake...

Edit: I also have a few separate turkey thighs that I cooked SV as a quasi-confit. Those have already been cooked and are chilling in the freezer and will be reheated on t-day

[Jerod Broussard]

I turned it into a chuck roast. Someone else had me turn it into four racks of ribs, and she is picking those ribs up today.

[Panhead John]

She? Is there a new lady in your life? 🧐 Inquiring minds need to know. 🥸

[Jerod Broussard]

Panhead John People at work know I'm single just by the smile on my face.

[tamidw]

I will be spatchcocking my behemoth turkey and possibly breaking it down further if it doesn’t fit right on my smoker. Probably at least pull the legs off and split completely in half.