The 5 Biggest Thanksgiving Turkey Mistakes & How To Avoid Them

Even though Thanksgiving isn't upon us yet, it’s time to talk turkey.  Buying and roasting a bird can be intimidating, especially if you’re a first-time host or hostess. Even those of us who have done it before have a hard time shaking those nagging thoughts revolving around whether the bird will be juicy or dry or—worse yet—underdone.

Related:
EatingWell's Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
Our Complete Thanksgiving Guide--Recipes Menus, Planners & More!

It’s understandable. After all, if you’re like most people, you’re only roasting a turkey once, maybe twice a year. We’ve roasted quite a few turkeys in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, and through trial and error, we’ve picked up on some common turkey mistakes and how to avoid them.

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Mistake 1: You buy the wrong bird.

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What To Do Instead: Not all turkeys are created equal. Some birds are self-basting, meaning that they are injected with a solution of broth, salted water or other flavorings to keep them moist during cooking. We found these turkeys do stay moister, but if you’re watching your sodium intake you may want to avoid them. Check the label if you’re buying a turkey from the grocery store. The label will tell you the percent of solution in the bird and will also include all the ingredients in the solution. Related: Turkey Buyer's Guide Photo from Flickr: alecea

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What To Do Instead: Not all turkeys are created equal. Some birds are self-basting, meaning that they are injected with a solution of broth, salted water or other flavorings to keep them moist during cooking. We found these turkeys do stay moister, but if you’re watching your sodium intake you may want to avoid them. Check the label if you’re buying a turkey from the grocery store. The label will tell you the percent of solution in the bird and will also include all the ingredients in the solution.

Related: Turkey Buyer's Guide

Photo from Flickr: alecea

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Feel ready to start roasting? Check out this recipe to inspire you to pull off a flawless turkey this year:

Lemon-Garlic Roast Turkey & White-Wine Gravy

More to Inspire You This Thanksgiving:

Stunning Thanksgiving Desserts

Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Luscious Pumpkin Desserts

By Hilary Meyer

Hilary Meyer is assistant editor for EatingWell Media Group. Hilary spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.

More from EatingWell:

• Save 1,273 Calories with this Thanksgiving Menu


• Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole and More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes


• A Full Thanksgiving Menu for Less than $7 Per Person


• Get a Free Trial Issue When You Subscribe to EatingWell Magazine and Sign Up for Our Free E-Newsletters!

 

Follow EatingWell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/eatingwell

Comments

[charles116]

06:35 PM on 11/19/2010

The biggest Thanksgiving mistake? Not getting drunk before 11:00 AM.

[Tony Dorman]

12:47 AM on 11/19/2010

Scared to cook the turkey this year? No worries! We break it down to 8 easy steps at: www.8stepstoaperfectturkey.blogspot.com Check it out!

[IMDATRAINER]

12:59 PM on 11/16/2010

Great suggestions! But how do you avoid eating 8000 plus calories at holiday meals! Take a look at my list of the worst holiday foods so you don't end up wearing sweatpants for New Years!
http://www.angrytrainerfitness.com/2010/11/top-10-biggest-holiday-diet-dangers/

[newtom]

04:14 PM on 11/15/2010

A story with a little laugh and a lesson:

A few years ago on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I went to the grocery store to pick up a couple last-minute items I needed for dinner the next day. Just a couple things that needed to be fresh. I also checked out the turkeys to see if I could get one cheap for another day.

While I was sorting through the freezer case, a nice young lady was digging toward the bottom, wrestling with the biggest bird I think I've ever seen. It was marked at 36 pounds! I asked her if I could help and she accepted. Once I got it to the surface, I asked her if her intent was to serve this the following day, to which she replied yes. I then asked her how she planned to thaw this thing safely and get it cooked by then. She hadn't thought about that.

I talked her into buying a couple smaller, already-thawed turkeys and she seemed really grateful for the advice.

[Silverwolf72]

01:18 PM on 11/15/2010

Like some one else said, brine your turkey
I started smoking my turkeys several years ago and will never go back to baking one!

[justwhendoesitend]

11:48 PM on 11/14/2010

We eat turkey on a regular bases, it is so much better cooked at home. Carved turkey sandwiches are great. So many folks seem to not cook these days. I can cook several turkeys at a time on the BBQ cooker. I cook low and slow for the most part and turns out great. My wife and daughters will cook one whenever, just a change from chicken. It is not a huge mystery but it seems many are intimidated by cooking a whole turkey. We cook stuffing in the bird but also outside because we have a large family, I do prefer the stuffing in the bird. But cooking low and slow seems not to dry out the breast meat, just take longer. In oven in higher temps we cover the breast with foil.

BTW you can inject the turkey you self just the way folks do with BBQ. My sound crazy but I sometimes like to use apple juice in the "basting".

[Beth Grierson]

12:05 PM on 11/15/2010

Not crazy at all, I baste with cider - makes for fantastic gravy, too :)

[Lisa Shields]

04:03 PM on 11/13/2010

Sorry Guys...but stuffing baked in the bird is too exquisite to pass on.
The texture is different---and since I make mine from scratch, it is a once a year treat. Stuffing baked outside the bird will never duplicate an internal stuffing. I've never had a single illness from my dinners...nor did my mother, or anyone else who cooked this way.

Just my opinion...

[Majorbob53]

05:33 PM on 11/14/2010

I agree 100%. I do both actually. But in-bird stuffing is simply the best and like you I have never had a problem. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Vivian Alicia Evans]

10:11 PM on 11/11/2010

Can I visit you my American friends for Thanksgiving? Reading this I want another Thanksgiving this year as we have already ours in Canada.

[Vivian Alicia Evans]

10:04 PM on 11/11/2010

I prefer a turkey that has not been frozen. You will not get a dried out turkey even if you stuff the turkey with dressing.

[fishnetdiver]

07:18 AM on 11/12/2010

I remember the first time we had a fresh turkey. I was around 10 and my great aunt Bea (yes...I had an Aunt Bea) and uncle Murrey had the hosting honors that year. He was a very traditionalist so as we were playing in the backyard (read: get out of the adults way so they can cook) we suddenly heard this scream and ran around the corner to see a flailing headless turkey hopping around the yard as my dad and uncle tried to catch it...
needless to say there was a TON of leftover turkey since none of us kids could stop crying long enough to eat any...

[Vivian Alicia Evans]

11:53 AM on 11/12/2010

Sorry to hear that. I just order one from my favorite deli. And believe me there are never enough left over of turkey in our house.

[Lisa Shields]

04:05 PM on 11/13/2010

I never had a problem...and i did try the free range, never frozen, organic type.
My turkey is always moist...even the free frozen ones i get from the market!

[hdohighdesertobserver]

04:17 PM on 11/11/2010

The best way to avoid dry, tasteless turkey: serve ham.

[Puffin16]

03:56 PM on 11/12/2010

LOL

[tinkertoy]

01:44 AM on 11/14/2010

Brining the turkey can make a huge difference in moistness - http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/turkey-brine/Detail.aspx.

For only the second time in my very long life of hosting Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd, we're going to a restaurant for a Thanksgiving buffet. They have crab legs and roast beef too! Yee haw and no dishes! However, I'm going to cook a turkey breast the next day just because it's so awesome to graze on the next few days.

[Midnightrain]

03:24 PM on 11/11/2010

Well, my mom always stuffed the bird with cornbread dressing and made extra on the side. The turkey was always moist and the dressing done just right. She came from the old school, though. Things are done differently now I suppose.

[Vivian Alicia Evans]

10:07 PM on 11/11/2010

My mom alway stuffed her turkey with spiced sausage stuffing. The turkey was delicious and moist and the dressing had a flavor that could not be matched. Man I miss my mom's cooking but thankfully she shared her recipe for dressing with me. This year I will be making her traditional dessert for XMAS (thanks to my aunt who shared the recipe with me.) I can't wait. It's been two years since I have had it and I really miss it.

[MadHeart]

02:22 PM on 11/11/2010

Take that pack of giblets and the neck out of the bird, put in a 3 qt pan w/salt and a sprinkle of sage and pepper, cover with water (almost filling the pan up) and simmer on the stove for a couple of hrs. This makes a great stock that you can use in stuffings and other turkey dishes. Chop up the kidneys, liver and heart and use in the gravy. Strip the neck of the meat, dice, and return to the broth. Freeze in a plastic bag if it's not all used up and use it later to season rice or in turkey pot pie, etc. You can easily freeze cooked turkey, which I remove from the bones the morning of the second day to use in pot pies and other turkey dishes. You can then put the bones in a large stock pot and get more broth for turkey soup or to freeze. Let the broth cool, remove the top jell and strain for a clearer broth. You really don't have to waste any of this bird, but if you have lots left over, I recommend freezing because you'll easily tire of it after a couple of days.

[tinkertoy]

01:47 AM on 11/14/2010

Turkey is the best protein value around, next to eggs, and it's so versitale and delicious. We eat it all year long.

[TheMightyMidget]

10:56 AM on 11/11/2010

Tp prevent the white meat from overcooking before the dark is ready, cover the entire breast of the turkey with bacon slices. Then chop up the cooked bacon into fine bits and add some to the gravy.

[colinmeister]

10:31 AM on 11/11/2010

I have always stuffed turkeys with a stuffing made from sage, onions, breadcrumbs, milk and suet. The suet adds extra fat which counteracts the dryness of turkey meat, and the sage and onions add a great flavour.

[Treehuggindirtworshiper]

10:28 AM on 11/11/2010

I always brine my Turkey then cook at 400 degrees until the outside is seared and brown then reduce heat to 300 and cook till the meat thermometer says 150-155. Take it out of the oven and the temperature will continue to rise to about 165. Bacteria dies at 160. Best bird you'll ever eat.