How To Carve A Turkey Like A Pro

Now that you've made that delicious turkey - how to you carve the darn thing? I've man handled a few baked turkeys and chickens in my life that I'm not proud of. They turned out to be a mess and I was left with lots of meat on the bones and turkey hands. So how to carve a turkey like a pro you ask?

Carved turkey on a platter, garnished with oranges.

What Kind of Knife Do I Need To Carve A Turkey?

Let's start with the tools.

First you need a good carving knife. The Zwilling Pro Carving Knife is so beautiful and so dang sharp. You'll be slicing and dicing like a pro with this baby. If you want a chance to win your very own Zwilling Pro Carving Knife - head over to our instagram page where we have one up for grabs.
Next you will need a pair of kitchen tongs or a large carving fork or serving fork.
Third you will need a large cutting board.
Forth you will need a kitchen towel. Placing a towel under the bird keeps it from sliding around and absorbs some juices.

Carving knife laying next to a baked turkey on a white counter.

How Long Do I Wait To Carve A Turkey?

First and foremost let your turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before you cut into it. If you carve before the turkey rests all those delicious juices will be all over your cutting board instead of in your meat.

While the bird is resting, the turkey will continue to cook. The internal temperature will rise about 5-10 degrees, so pull it from the over when the temperature reaches 165, not a degree more.

A baked turkey resting before being carved.

How To Carve A Turkey

Now let me give you that basics of carving a turkey.

1. Start with the legs. Cut through the skin and meat until you get to the joint. Bend the leg down until is snaps and remove it completely. Some prefer to eat the turkey legs whole, so if that's the case - serve them whole on your platter. If you'd like - slice the meat off of the legs and thighs and serve that on your platter.

2. Find the breast bone and cut straight down. Remove the entire breast lobe. Set aside for slicing.

3. Remove the wings completely in the same manner that did the legs and thighs. Once again, these can be served whole, or set aside for slicing.

4. Slice the breast against the grain.

5. If desired, slice the dark meat from the legs and wings.

6. Transfer to a platter and devour.

Pro Tip: Put a kitchen towel under your bird to absorb juices and keep if from sliding on the cutting board.

Instructional Video

I do better with visuals - so I've made a little video for those visual learners out there.

Did You Try This Technique?

Please let me know if you carved your turkey using this technique. I love to hear from those who make my recipes. If you want to keep up with our newest recipes, make sure you follow is on Facebook and Instagram, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.