How To Debone A Turkey For Dummies Like Me

As Thanksgiving approaches, many home cooks start panicking about roasting the star of the holiday meal – the turkey! While a beautifully bronzed whole bird makes for a glorious presentation, attempting to carve around all those bones can be anxiety-inducing, even for experienced cooks. So this year, why not try deboning your turkey? Removing all the bones allows the meat to cook faster and more evenly. And just imagine how much easier it will be to slice neat portions of tender, juicy meatloaf-style!

I’ll admit, the first time I tried to debone a turkey, I was petrified. I thought I would butcher the poor thing! But with some patience and the right techniques, I discovered even a total newbie like myself could master this skill. If I can do it, you can too! In this article, I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to debone a turkey. I promise, it’s much easier than it looks. Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need

Before we begin, make sure you have:

• A sharp boning knife with a thin, flexible blade. This is essential! A regular knife won’t cut it (pun intended).
• Kitchen shears
• Cutting board
• A turkey, 13 lbs or smaller works best
• Plenty of time – plan on 30 mins to 1 hour for your first try

Step 1 – Remove the Backbone

The first step is getting rid of that big old backbone. Here’s how:

• Place the turkey breast-side down on your cutting board. Locate the backbone running down the center.
• Using your kitchen shears, cut down along both sides of the backbone, all the way from the neck to the tail.
• Once cut on both sides, remove the backbone in one piece. Set it aside for making stock later.

Step 2 – Flip and Detach the Skin

Now flip the turkey over so the breast is facing up. Time to go undercover!

• With your hands, gently work your fingers between the skin and breast meat, loosening the skin from the meat.
• Be very gentle during this step to avoid tearing the skin. Work slowly and carefully.
• After the skin is detached from the breast, locate the wishbone near the neck and remove it. This will make carving much easier later on.

Step 3 – Remove the Rib Cage

Here’s where the real deboning begins!

• Starting at the breastbone, begin making incisions along one side of the rib cage, keeping your knife tip touching the bones as you cut.
• Follow the contours of the ribs, working down towards the bottom of the rib cage.
• Once you reach the shoulder joint, cut through the joint to release the ribs.
• Repeat on the other side to remove the entire rib cage.

Step 4 – Detach the Leg Bones

You’re on a roll now! Just two more bones to go.

• Lay the turkey flat, skin-side down. Cut around the hip joints to release the leg bones.
• Bend each leg backwards to pop the thighbones out of the hip sockets.
• Cut through the joints and finish detaching each leg from the carcass.

Step 5 – Remove the Wing Bones

Last step, I promise!

• Cut through the wing joints, then scrape the meat off the bones with your knife. It’s just like carving a chicken wing.
• Be thorough to remove any small bones or cartilage.

Voila! You Did It!

Wow we made it to the end! Don’t you feel like a rockstar? Look at that boneless turkey! Nice job!

Now your turkey is ready to be stuffed, seasoned, and cooked. Roasting time will be reduced by about 30 minutes, so be sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure it reaches 165°F. Let it rest at least 15 minutes before slicing into perfect portions.

The bones can be used to make a deeply flavored turkey stock. Simmer them in water with some veggies for 4-6 hours then strain out the bones. Use the stock for soups, gravy, or even risotto!