The simplest way to save yourself a ton of money on your grocery bill is to buy in bulk when possible. That includes meat purchases. What will save you even more money on your grocery bill is doing some of the work yourself.
(O.K. I know. I know. We’re not technically butchering a turkey. We’re parting a turkey, or parting out a turkey, or breaking down a turkey. It depends on who you talk to. But a lot of people have asked me how to “butcher a turkey”, so that’s what I’m calling it, okay?)
Breaking down a whole turkey into parts before roasting is a game-changer for getting deliciously golden and flavorful meat. Roasting a turkey whole often leads to dried out breast meat and undercooked dark meat. By breaking down the bird into parts, you can ensure even cooking and ideal doneness.
As a home cook who roasts turkey just once a year for Thanksgiving, I used to struggle with getting perfectly cooked meat when roasting a whole bird. But after learning how to break down a turkey into parts, I’ll never go back to wrestling a whole turkey into the oven again! Here’s my guide to this easy process for foolproof turkey roasting.
Why Break Down a Turkey
There are several benefits to separating a turkey into parts before roasting
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Faster cooking time – Individual parts like breast, thighs and wings roast much quicker than a 15 lb whole turkey. The parts may only take 60-90 minutes while a whole bird can take 3-4 hours.
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Even doneness – When roasted together, the white breast meat overcooks while the dark thighs remain underdone. Breaking down the bird allows each part to cook evenly to ideal doneness.
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Ideal crispiness – Roasting a whole turkey makes it hard to get crispy skin, as some areas are piled on top of others. Breaking it down lets all the skin get direct heat contact and crisp up beautifully.
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Better seasoning – Spices and herbs can deeply penetrate each part when separated, unlike just coating the outside of a whole bird.
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Easier carving – Carving cooked parts is much simpler compared to wrestling with carving a whole hot turkey at the table.
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More options – The parts can be used in a variety of dishes, like turkey tacos, pot pies or turkey salad.
How to Break Down a Turkey into Parts
Breaking down a whole turkey is surprisingly straightforward. Here are the simple steps:
Ingredients/Equipment Needed
- Whole raw turkey, 12-14 lbs
- Sharp chef’s knife and kitchen shears
- Large cutting board
- Bowl for parts
- Paper towels
Prep the Turkey
- Remove neck and giblets from cavities; reserve for making stock.
- Pat turkey dry thoroughly with paper towels.
Remove the Wings
- Pull a wing away from the breast to expose the joint.
- Cut through the joint with the knife to detach the whole wing.
- Repeat with the other wing.
Remove the Legs
- Cut through the skin connecting one leg to the body.
- Pull the leg away, popping the ball joint out of its socket.
- Cut through the ball joint to separate the leg completely.
- Remove the other leg the same way.
Split the Breast
- Use shears to cut along one side of the breastbone, separating it into two halves.
- Alternatively, leave the backbone attached for roasting.
Season the Parts
- Make a dry brine with salt, pepper, sugar and herbs.
- Generously coat the wings, legs and breast pieces.
- Let sit for 1 hour or overnight.
And that’s it – the turkey is fully broken down into parts ready for high heat roasting!
Roasting Broken Down Turkey Parts
Once prepped, the parts can be roasted on a sheet pan at 450°F to crisp the skin, then the temperature lowered to evenly finish cooking.
- Place wings, legs and breast pieces skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast at 450°F for 30 minutes.
- Reduce temperature to 350°F and continue roasting until done, about 30 minutes more.
The breast should reach 160°F and thighs 175°F when finished. Let the parts rest before serving for ultra juicy meat.
Benefits of Broken Down Turkey
Roasting turkey parts instead of a whole bird has huge advantages:
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Shorter cooking time – The parts roast in just 60-90 minutes compared to 4+ hours for a whole turkey.
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Even doneness – No struggles with overdone breast or pink thighs. Everything finishes cooking at the same time.
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Ideal crispiness – All the skin gets maximum contact with the hot oven air so it gets super crispy.
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Better flavor – Seasonings and rubs penetrate deeply into each part instead of just coating the exterior.
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Simpler carving – No need to wrestle with a whole hot turkey; just slice up the ready turkey parts.
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Flexible use – The wings, thighs, legs and breast can all be used in different recipes.
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Less waste – Breaking down a turkey allows cooking just what you need for a small gathering.
While it takes a bit more initial work than roasting a whole bird, the benefits of breaking down a turkey into parts are incredibly worth it. You’ll get moist, tender meat and crispy browned skin every time. It’s a game changing roast turkey method for home cooks. Give it a try – your Thanksgiving turkey will never be the same!
Now on to the legs and thighs.
You might think this step is daunting, but it really isn’t.
Flip the turkey around so that the legs face away from you. Firmly grasp the drumstick and pull it back and away from the bird. You can see where the thigh and the breast pull away from each other.
Give the skin between the breast and the thigh a gentle slice. This will expose the muscles and the joint. Just let the knife follow the natural gaps in the muscle.
Finding the thigh joint can be a bit trickier. Bend the thigh firmly away from the carcass until the joint pops loose. At this point you should be able to see it clearly and move the thigh freely.
Again, we’re going to let gravity do most of the work for us. Just pull up on the leg to expose the joint, and carefully slice along the backbone, through the joint, and out the other side.
There you have it. A perfectly broken down turkey leg quarter.
In case you had trouble visualizing this cut, I’ll show you from the other side. Pull up on the leg and give a quick slice along the natural muscle separation between the breast and the backbone.
Pop the joint loose, then slice through. Done.
Now Then, let’s talk turkey.
For this particular job, you’re looking for a whole fresh or frozen turkey. This isn’t the time for an injected bird, a smoked turkey, or a “cook in the bag” thing. I’d say your best bet is a Honeysuckle White or a Young Tom. You can’t really expect to butcher a turkey that’s been cooked, dried, or stuffed with butter, can you?
If you’ve bought yourself a frozen bird, toss it in the fridge and let it thaw (Do not quick thaw under running water!). This can take up to 6 days depending on the size of your turkey and how cold you keep your refrigerator. Refer to the thawing instructions on the package for a rough guideline.
For instance, this guy came in at around 24 pounds, took 7 days to defrost, and was still ice cold. We bought it for around $0.79 per pound, so it cost around $20.00 total. Of course, prices in your area may vary, and if it’s around the Holidays, you might even be able to find better deals than this.
Now that we’ve got our bird defrosted, it’s time to get set up.
First; clean your counters well. Get rid of anything you don’t need on your surface and scrub it well. I usually cover mine with freezer paper while working, just so I have less clean up at the end. (In this case I skipped the paper, because this is a messy one, and I was going to have to scrub everything down at the end anyway.)
As long as you’ve got a bleach cleaner to finish up the job with, the paper isn’t necessary. You’ll also need a cutting board, so that you don’t dull your knives or scratch your counters.
Next we need to consider knives.
For most of my previous butchering guides, I’ve suggested a Traditional 8-Inch Slicing/Carver Knife
Breaking Down a Whole Turkey
FAQ
How do you deconstruct a whole turkey?
- Step 1: Prepare the turkey. Start with a defrosted turkey. …
- Step 2: Remove the wings. Place the bird breast-side down on the cutting board. …
- Step 3: Remove the legs. Flip the turkey onto its side and pull the leg away from the body. …
- Step 4: Remove the breast. …
- Step 5: Admire Your Handiwork.
How do you break down a cooked turkey?
- Step 2: Use a Sharp Knife. …
- Step 3: Remove the Leg and Thigh. …
- Step 4: Cut Off the Wings. …
- Step 6: Slice the White Meat. …
- Step 7: Slice the Dark Meat.
How do you break down a whole turkey?
Follow these simple steps to break down a whole turkey: Start with a 12-14 lb turkey, thawed if frozen. Remove giblets and neck. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, inside and out. Have a sharp chef’s knife ready. Grip a wing and pull it away from the breast to expose the joint. Cut through the joint to detach the whole wing from the body.
What are the health benefits of ground turkey?
Ground turkey has multiple benefits. It is a good source of minerals, and B vitamins, rich in proteins, low in fat and it is lower in calories than common turkey.
Why do I need to break a turkey into parts?
Keeping the turkey whole looks beautiful when presented at the table, but it causes issues when roasting The breast cooks much faster than the legs since it sits higher up and gets direct heat This leads to dry, overcooked breast meat and underdone legs and thighs. By breaking the turkey into parts, you can:
Should you break down a Turkey before cooking?
Roasting a whole turkey broken down into parts encourages even cooking and allows you to cook each piece to it’s ideal internal temperature. Roasting a whole turkey often ends in dried out breast meat and undercooked thighs. Breaking down the bird before cooking leads to more evenly cooked deliciously crispy turkey.
Should you roast a broken-down Turkey in parts?
Roasting a broken-down turkey in parts has distinct benefits over roasting a whole bird. When I say “in parts,” I mean breaking it down into legs, wings, and a bone-in breast, and roasting these on a large rimmed baking sheet.
How do I choose a Turkey to cut up?
A utility grade turkey is a good option when selecting a turkey to cut up, ensure that you select one that is not pre-stuffed or has a pop-up timer built in. The turkey should be well chilled or even not quite fully thawed, which will allow it to be cut up more easily because the tissue will still be somewhat stiff.