Chefs Share Their Secrets to the Best Turkey

Turkey week is upon us. Preparing the big Thanksgiving bird requires a lot of time, stress, and sometimes fear. Will the turkey thaw in time? Will it be dry? Will we have enough for leftover sandwiches? And, when a turkey can cost anywhere from $50 to $100, there is a lot of pressure to make sure it’s delicious.

While there are countless turkey recipes to choose from, the flavor of your bird largely depends on how you prepare and cook it. To help ease your holiday anxiety, we asked F&W Best New Chefs for their top turkey tips.   

Follow their advice, and restaurant-quality turkey will be well within your reach. 

Don’t forget to brine

A turkey is not the kind of thing you should be saving for the last minute. According to 2017 F&W Best New Chef Val Cantu, chef and owner of Californios in San Francisco, you should start brining your bird at least 24 hours before cooking. “Turkey is neutral and without brining it, it can become bland and probably dry.” 

“The brine does a number of things to the bird,” adds 2024 F&W Best New Chef Aisha Ibrahim of Canlis in Seattle. “It retains moisture [in the bird] and ultimately improves texture and flavor.” The type of brine you go with? That’s entirely up to you. 2018 F&W Best New Chef Katianna Hong of Yangban in Los Angeles does a simple dry brine of two parts salt and one part baking powder, while 2020 F&W Best New Chef Donny Sirisavath prefers a wet brine of orange and pineapple juice, ginger, lemongrass, Makrut lime leaves, peppercorns, and MSG. 

Give it time to dry

For the crispiest skin, your raw turkey should be completely dry to the touch when it goes in the oven. A long dry brine will do the trick, but if you opt for a wet brine (or no brine at all), Ibrahim recommends refrigerating it on a wire rack set over a sheet pan, uncovered, for at least 12 hours after you remove it from the brine. According to 2020 F&W Best New Chef Trigg Brown, owner of Win Son in Brooklyn, New York, you can dry your turkey for up to three days before roasting. 

Separate the legs and breast

“My biggest tip for making a Thanksgiving turkey is to break down the bird before cooking,” says 2022 F&W Best New Chef Damarr Brown of Chicago’s Virtue Restaurant. “I’m aware it’s untraditional and it changes the final presentation that everyone gets so excited about, but everyone would be even more excited about a properly cooked meat.”

Since white and dark meat cook at different rates, separating the legs, breasts, and thighs allows you to control and easily monitor the cooking time of each individual part. Plus, breaking down the turkey will allow you to use the leftover bones for stock and gravy. 

Confit the legs

If you decide to break down the turkey, consider confiting the legs and roasting the breast. Confit is the technique of covering an ingredient in oil or another fat and cooking it over low heat for hours, until it's cooked through and tender. 2023 F&W Best New Chef Amanda Shulman of Her Place Supper Club, My Loup, and Amourette in Philadelphia cooks her turkey legs low and slow in duck fat, garlic, and aromatics. “It’s dreamy, easy, and takes the stress away from overcooking the turkey breasts,” she says. You can even confit the turkey legs a day or two ahead of time, giving you more time for day-of feast preparation.

Baste with butter

Once your turkey is in the oven, continue to give it the love and care it deserves. “I like butter-basting through the cook,” says 2024 F&W Best New Chef LT Smith, owner of Chilte in Phoenix, Arizona. 2024 F&W Best New Chef Leina Horii, chef owner of Nashville restaurant Kisser, agrees. “Basting the turkey with a mixture of butter, chopped rosemary, sage, parsley, and garlic along with a healthy glug of good white wine a fruity wine — a tropical Sauvignon Blanc is a fabulous choice — makes for a juicy turkey with a complex blend of flavors.”

Use a probe thermometer

There is a very small window between a turkey that is raw and a turkey that is overcooked. Investing in a good probe thermometer can ensure that your turkey falls right within that window. “Use a probe thermometer in the thigh while the turkey is in the oven and monitor it throughout the cook,” says Cantu. ‘I would pull the bird when the thighs hit around 155°F, because it will continue to rise and reach 165°F.”

Let it rest

After pulling your turkey from the oven, Cantu suggests letting it rest for at least 20 minutes. During this time, the turkey will continue to cook and the internal juices will settle, creating a more succulent, tender bird. Need even more time to prepare your sides and set your Thanksgiving table? A turkey can rest for an hour before carving and serving. 

Have a second turkey on-hand

Cantu sings the praises of purchasing a second, smaller turkey — but not for roasting. “I buy an extra turkey to make stock,” he says. “I also render the skin to have turkey fat on-hand to baste with.” Knowing that you have leftover turkey from your roasted bird and a big pot of stock ready to go the day after Thanksgiving is a huge relief. Turkey soup, anyone?