How to Sous Vide a Whole Turkey for a Perfectly Cooked Bird

Sous vide cooking has revolutionized the way home cooks prepare juicy, tender meats And it’s an especially game-changing technique when cooking a whole turkey. Sous vide delivers a turkey that is moist and flavorful, with no overcooked meat.

In this comprehensive guide we’ll walk through everything you need to know to sous vide a whole turkey from start to finish. Follow these tips and you’ll have a showstopping centerpiece for your next Thanksgiving or holiday meal.

Benefits of Sous Vide Turkey

Let’s start with why you should cook your turkey using sous vide

• Juicy, tender meat – Sous vide gently cooks the turkey, preventing the meat from drying out. The breast meat comes out unbelievably moist and tender.

• Infuses flavor – Seasoning and aromatic herbs penetrate deep into the meat when it’s sealed in a vacuum bag.

• Cooks evenly – The precise temperature control of sous vide means all parts of the turkey cook perfectly. No dry breast or underdone legs.

• Frees up oven – With the turkey cooking in the sous vide bath, your oven is available for cooking side dishes and pies.

• Foolproof – Just set the time and temperature. Sous vide takes the guesswork and stress out of roasting a turkey.

• Convenient – Cook the turkey 1-2 days ahead. Simply reheat and crisp the skin before serving.

Equipment Needed

To sous vide a whole turkey, you’ll need just a few tools:

• Immersion circulator – This attaches to a pot to precisely control the water bath temperature. The Anova Precision Cooker and Breville Joule are popular options.

• Large plastic bags – Look for heavy duty bags that can hold a 15+ lb turkey. Vacuum seal bags work best.

• Meat injector (optional) – Useful for infusing broth deep into the turkey.

• Container – A pot, cooler, or stove-top roasting pan big enough to hold the turkey and water bath.

• Meat thermometer – To check the internal temp of the turkey before serving.

Brining the Turkey

Before cooking sous vide, we highly recommend brining your turkey. Brining involves soaking the raw turkey in a saltwater solution, which seasons the meat and helps it retain moisture.

Make a basic brine with:

• 1 gallon water
• 1⁄2 cup kosher salt
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• Herbs and spices

Brine a 10-15 lb turkey for 12-24 hours. Rinse turkey, pat dry, and rub with oil before sealing.

Seasoning and Sealing

Next, boost the turkey’s flavor by:

• Generously seasoning the cavity and under the skin with salt, pepper, and herbs
• Stuffing the cavity with aromatics like onion, apple, herbs
• Placing turkey in a large vacuum seal bag
• Adding broth, wine, citrus, or compound butter to the bag
• Removing as much air as possible before sealing

Sous Vide Time and Temperature

The two key factors are temperature and time.

Temperature: Cook between 140-150°F for juicy, tender meat. The breast meat is safest at 140-145°F and dark meat can go up to 150°F.

Time: Cook for 1-2 hours per pound, so 24-48 hours for a 15-20 lb turkey. The extended time tenderizes the meat.

For example, cook a 15 lb turkey at 145°F for 30-36 hours. Monitor thickness and increase time for larger birds.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps for perfect sous vide whole turkey:

1. Thaw turkey completely in the refrigerator.

2. Prep turkey by removing giblets, trimming excess fat, and patting dry.

3. Make brine and submerge turkey 12-24 hours.

4. Remove from brine, rinse and pat very dry.

5. Season generously inside and out with salt, pepper, herbs.

6. Stuff cavity with aromatics like onion, apples, herbs.

7. Place turkey in a large vacuum seal bag, add broth or compound butter.

8. Seal the bag tightly, removing as much air as possible.

9. Cook at 140-150°F for 1-2 hours per pound.

10. Chill in ice bath if not serving immediately.

11. To serve, remove from bag and pat dry. Crisp skin at 400°F for 30-60 minutes.

12. Let rest then carve and enjoy!

Finishing the Turkey

After sous vide cooking, the turkey is fully cooked but needs crispy skin. To serve:

• Remove turkey from the bag and pat very dry
• Rub skin with oil or brush with melted butter
• Roast at 400°F for 30-60 minutes until skin is crispy and golden brown
• Let rest 15 minutes before slicing

Serving Suggestions

A sous vide whole turkey is fantastic for:

• Traditional holiday meals
• Turkey sandwiches with leftovers
• Dicing or shredding meat for casseroles, soups, salads
• Turkey pot pie, tetrazzini, enchiladas
• Layering on nachos, tacos, pizza

Get creative with the leftovers! Sous vide turkey stays incredibly moist and juicy.

Turkey Sous Vide Tips

• Inject broth into thick parts like breast and thighs for extra moisture
• Cook stuffed turkey 1-2 hours longer
• Air dry turkey uncovered overnight for crispiest skin
• Add broth, wine, citrus, or coconut milk to bag for flavor
• Quick chill in ice bath before refrigerating to prevent overcooking

Take Your Turkey to the Next Level

Cooking a whole turkey with sous vide delivers a masterpiece bird – incredibly juicy, tender meat with crispy, golden skin.

It provides much more reliable results than traditional roasting methods. Sous vide makes achieving the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey easy and foolproof.

Once you try a sous vide whole turkey, you may never go back to roasting! It eliminates the stress and guesswork to make this centerpiece shine.