How To Carve A Turkey: A Step By Step Guide

Prep your tools

Avling Kitchen and Brewery’s executive sous chef Steve Allery, who has also worked as a butcher, says a standard chef’s knife is the most important tool. You’ll also need a platter to put everything on, a large chopping board, and a carving fork or tongs.

Legs first

Find the separation between the leg and turkey breast,and run your knife down it until you cut all the way through the leg joint. For smaller servings, separate the thigh and the drumstick by cutting through the knee joint.

Make a wish

Slice through the skin covering the bird’s neck cavity and remove. You’ll find a v-shaped wishbone that you should be able to pull out.

Breast next

With the tip of your knife, follow the breast bone located between the two pieces of breast meat, and carve out the meat from one side.Repeat on the other side. Check for any bone pieces that may have been taken off with the meat. To serve, slice against the grain for a more tender bite.

Wings last

Chef Alley says you can either pull the wings off with your hands or remove them with a knife following the joints. You can even break them down further by separating the flat and the drum by cutting through the wing joint.

Save the carcass

Reserve the carcass for stock to make turkey wonton soup or turkey congee. If you’re turkeyed out, separate the leftover meat from the bones and freeze both separately, within 24 hours of cooking, for up to four months.

Now, put this technique to use with one of our all-time best roast turkey recipes.