ANKENY, Iowa — Whether you're celebrating with family or friends, Thanksgiving meals can come with high expectations – especially if you're in charge of the turkey.
If you have questions about cooking your Thanksgiving turkey, Local 5 is On Your Side. We met with Tim Jensen, a hospitality careers instructor and executive chef for the Iowa Culinary Institute, to answer some of the most common questions about preparing your turkey dinner.
When should I thaw my turkey for Thanksgiving?
The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the fridge over the course of several days. In general, home chefs should allow 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds. That means if you have a 16 lb. turkey, you should thaw it in the fridge four days before Thanksgiving.
So, if you're reading this two or three days before Thanksgiving, you're probably asking: Is it too late to thaw my turkey in the fridge? Jensen says yes, but you don't have to panic yet – you can still thaw your turkey quickly and safely.
"You can thaw in cold water, preferably running cold water, just a slow trickle to keep the water moving," Jensen said. "Otherwise, you'd want to change [the water] every half hour or so. That will dramatically speed up the thawing process. In fact, the 20 to 24-pound turkey in cold water can thaw in about 10 to 12 hours."
What's the best way to cook a turkey?
There's no one "best" way to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving, but roasting it in the oven is the most common tactic. To make your turkey your own, consider brining the bird or using a dry rub.
"Personally, I like to go with the traditional compound butter, like an herb butter, rub it under the skin," Jensen said. "A lot of vegetables, mirepoix: carrots, celery, onion, apples, fill the turkey with that. Get it up into the roasting pan and let it roast like that to get a good caramelization on the skin."
How long does it take to cook a turkey?
Cooking times for turkey will always be dependent on the type of oven. In general, however, Jensen says it's good to aim for 15-20 minutes per pound.
Jensen also notes that filling your turkey with stuffing or vegetables will affect cooking time.
"The more density there is that has to be heated, the longer it takes to cook," he said.
How long should I brine a turkey?
If you're wondering how to brine a turkey, your best bet is to find a recipe online. Different recipes will call for different lengths of time for the brining process, but in general, Jensen says a good rule of thumb is about one hour per pound of turkey.
"Brine is going to help infuse flavor and moisture into that turkey so that when you cook it, it comes out nice and moist because nobody wants dry turkey ... everybody gets it but nobody wants it," he said.
Online brine recipes:
How to (safely) deep fry a turkey
If you're deep frying a turkey this Thanksgiving, safety is key. Always deep fry turkeys while outside and far away from any buildings.
The second priority: make sure your turkey is as dry as possible. When your turkey is too wet, the water starts to boil instantly when the turkey hits the oil. From there, the oil bubbles up out of the pot and hits the flame, which often causes fires.
"You want to make sure your turkey is nice and dry, and you're far enough away from anything that can catch on fire, that should something go wrong, you don't burn your house down," Jensen said.
This safety advice is echoed by the Des Moines Fire Department.
"One of the most important things we want to pay attention to is making sure that we use a completely thawed turkey. We want to make sure that that bird is also dry before submerging it in the oil itself," said Ahman Douglass, a firefighter with DMFD. "And we want to make sure that we're not using turkey fryers on garages on decks. And we want to stay at least 10 feet away from anything combustible ... sides of the garages, sides of houses, things of that nature."
How to carve a turkey
Carving a turkey is up to each family's interpretation, according to Jensen.
"What you want to do is carve it in a way that makes nice, consistent slices that are easy for people to eat," he said.
One way to do this is by taking the whole breast off the turkey before slicing it for easy serving and eating. This technique will also minimize the number of bones you might find in your Thanksgiving dinner.