Turkey Terminology

• Young
  According to USDA regulations, a "young" turkey is a turkey of either sex that is less than 8 months old at the time of slaughter. Most turkeys reach market maturity at 4-5 months of age.
   

• Hen vs. Tom
  Turkeys weighing 8-16 pounds are usually female hens, while larger birds are male toms. Since supermarket turkeys are slaughtered at a young age—under 28 weeks old—both hens and toms are about the same in terms of taste, juiciness, and tenderness. Buy a turkey based on weight and don't worry about sex.
   

• Natural
  Natural turkeys have only been handled as necessary to slaughter, clean, and make them ready for cooking. These turkeys contain no added flavors or ingredients. Look for the words "natural, "minimally processed", and "no additives" on the label.
   
  The label on a natural turkey may include a phrase like "Contains up to 6% retained water." Do not confuse this with a self-basting turkey. Retained water is water that is absorbed and retained by the skin and meat as a result of washing and water-immersion chilling of the turkey after slaughter. The USDA requires that poultry producers prove that the retained water is an unavoidable consequence of the process used to meet food safety requirements, and that they list the actual or maximum percentage of retained water on the label.
   

• Commodity turkey
  Commodity turkey describes those birds raised by large regional and national producers in high volume using modern agricultural methods, in accordance with USDA guidelines. This is your basic supermarket Thanksgiving turkey that is tasty, safe, and inexpensive.
   

• Free-Range
  Free-range or free-roaming turkeys are produced by a growing number of regional producers that offer their birds as a higher quality, better tasting, and more humane alternative to commodity turkey. According to the USDA, turkeys must have access to the outdoors in order to be called free-range.
  
  Producers like Norbest say that their free-range birds have unrestricted access to the outdoors and "may roam freely outside in the fresh air and sunshine, but still have access to shelter, fresh water, and nutritious feed." This means the birds have the ability to go outside if they want to, but it doesn't mean they actually did.
  
  Free-range turkeys command a higher price due to the inefficiencies of the process, including problems with disease and predator control.
   

• Organic
  Organic turkeys are free-range birds that have not been treated with hormones or antibiotics, and were fed pesticide-free feed. Look for the "USDA Organic" symbol on the package. This turkey will cost even more than a normal free-range bird.
   

• Heritage
  Heritage or heirloom turkeys are unusual breeds that were once quite common in America, but fell out of favor as growers concentrated on the specially bred, big-breasted birds preferred by consumers. Heritage varieties include Narragansett, American Bronze, Jersey Buff, and Bourbon Red.
  
  Producers like Diestel say that their heritage turkeys are free-range and organic. "Being range grown in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, our Heirloom Turkeys enjoy the large open pens covered in grass and shaded by large oak and pine trees. The deep well water complements their vegetarian diet of certified organic corn and soy, free of animal by-products, GMOs, antibiotics, growth enhancers and hormones. Bringing back these bronze birds provides our customers with the 'best of both worlds'—old world history, flavor and beauty in combination with a wonderful yield of meat and that great old-fashioned turkey flavor."
  
  Heritage turkeys tend to have less breast meat and are stronger in flavor than commodity turkeys, but may also contain less fat and water, too. This turkey is the most expensive of all and is found in limited numbers at high-end supermarkets and butcher shops.
   

• Self-Basting
  Self-basting turkey is injected with a solution to improve the flavor and juiciness of the meat. Some manufacturers inject only the breast meat, while others inject the entire bird. The package label must carry the phrase "basted" or "self-basted" and must list the quantity and common name of the ingredients used in the solution. Look for the phrase, "Contains up to 7% of a solution to enhance juiciness and tenderness..." on the label. The net weight of the turkey includes the weight added by the solution.
   

• Kosher
  Kosher turkey is raised and processed in accordance with Jewish religious law and is clearly labeled as kosher. These turkeys are hand-slaughtered rather than killed by machine, and the carcass is buried in salt for about an hour and rinsed to remove blood and impurities before packaging, in what amounts to a short brining process. Empire Kosher is one of the largest producers of kosher turkeys in the United States and has a detailed description of the koshering process on its Web site.
   

• Fully-Cooked
  Fully-cooked turkey is a whole turkey that has been pre-cooked and frozen by the processor. After thawing, it can be reheated or served cold. These turkeys sometimes come in a variety of flavors, like baked, honey-roasted, and smoked.
   

• Fresh, Refrigerated, And Frozen
  "Fresh" and "frozen" are defined by the USDA as follows:

  "The term 'fresh' may only be placed on raw poultry that has never been below 26°F. Poultry held at 0°F or below must be labeled 'frozen' or 'previously frozen.' No specific labeling is required on poultry between 0 and 26°F.

  "...the term 'fresh' should not be used on the labeling of raw poultry products that have been chilled to the point they are hard to the touch."

  So in the context of turkey, "fresh" has to do only with the temperature at which it's been maintained from the time it was processed until the time you bought it at the store. It has nothing to do with how long it's been sitting in the display case at the store.

  The USDA does not define the term "refrigerated", but producers like Norbest use it to denote turkeys that are handled at temperatures between 0-26°F.

White Meat And Dark Meat

Myoglobin is a protein that stores oxygen in muscle cells. This substance is primarily responsible for the color of meat, and the more myoglobin in the muscle cells, the darker the color of the meat. Turkeys and chickens have lower levels of myoglobin in their muscle cells than cattle, which accounts for the lighter color of poultry compared to beef.

Within an individual animal, the amount of myoglobin varies depending on the muscle group in question. Muscles that work the hardest contain the most myoglobin, and as a result are darker in color compared to muscles that don't get much exercise. In a turkey, which basically just stands or walks around all day, the legs and thighs get the most exercise and are therefore dark meat; the wings and breasts, white meat.

Inspection And Grading

All turkeys sold in retail stores in the U.S. are inspected for wholesomeness by either the USDA or a state agency using equivalent standards.

Grading is voluntary and takes into account meatiness, appearance, and freedom from defects. Grade A is the highest quality grade and is the only grade you are likely to find at retail stores. The USDA describes Grade A turkey as being "virtually free from defects such as bruises, discolorations, and feathers." It should have no broken bones, no tears in the skin, good fat coverage under the skin, and plenty of meat on the bones.

Hormones, Antibiotics, And Additives

According to the USDA, hormones are not approved for use in the production of turkey in the U.S.

Antibiotics can be administered to turkeys to prevent disease and increase feed efficiency. However, a "withdrawal" period is required to allow these substances to leave the turkey before it is slaughtered, ensuring there are no residues in the bird.

The USDA does not allow the use of additives in fresh turkey. If turkey is processed, additives like salt, MSG, or other substances must be listed on the label.

Food Safety, Product Dating, And Freezer Life

Frozen turkey should be stored at 0°F or below. Fresh or refrigerated turkey should be stored below 40°F.

The USDA does not require product dating on turkeys, but some producers provide it on a voluntary basis.

• Turkeys should be purchased before the "sell-by" date.

• Fresh turkeys should be cooked or frozen before the "use-by" date.

• Frozen turkey is safe indefinitely from a food safety standpoint; however, taste and quality begins to suffer after 12 months.

Turkey should be cooked within 1-2 days of thawing. Keep turkey refrigerated until at least two hours before barbecuing. Make sure to wash your hands, counters, cutting boards, knives, utensils, and anything else that comes into contact with raw turkey using hot, soapy water or a bleach solution. Avoid cross-contamination by not letting raw turkey, turkey juices, or your hands come into contact with foods that will be eaten raw.

USDA guidelines state that bacteria found in turkey are destroyed by cooking to 160°F or higher. These include salmonella, staphylococcus aureus, campylobacter jejuni, and listeria monocytogenes.

How Much Turkey Should I Buy?

When buying whole turkey, figure 3/4 pound per person for a generous serving with no leftovers, or 1 to 1-1/2 pounds per person with leftovers. For a bone-in breast only, figure 3/4 pound per person.

Choosing A Turkey For Barbecue

• Fresh, Refrigerated, Or Frozen?
  Fresh or refrigerated turkey is convenient because it does not require thawing. On the other hand, frozen turkey can be purchased when prices are low, stored for a long time, and barbecued at your convenience.

  Some people think fresh or refrigerated turkey tastes better than frozen, while others believe that frozen is actually "fresher" since the birds are flash-frozen immediately after slaughter. I don't think most people can tell the difference. You'll have to judge these claims for yourself.
   

• Natural, Self-Basting, Or Kosher?
  If you intend to flavor brine the turkey, choose a natural turkey, either fresh or frozen. This turkey will be a "blank canvas" on which you can apply whatever flavors you like. Look for the words "natural", "minimally processed", and "no additives" on the label.
   
  If you won't be flavor brining, buy a self-basted or kosher turkey. These turkeys are essentially already brined—just apply your favorite rub and barbecue.
   
  I don't recommend that you cook a natural turkey without flavor brining it—it's just too bland.
   

• How Big A Turkey Should I Buy?
  The largest turkey I've heard of being cooked in the WSM is 22 pounds on a vertical roasting stand on the bottom cooking grate.

  Cook's Illustrated says, "We find that the larger the bird, the higher the likelihood that it will be overcooked. With its delicate breast meat and tougher legs, a turkey is already hard to cook. But if the bird weighs 22 pounds, it's very difficult to get the meat close to the bone cooked through without causing the outer layers to dry out."

  Their recommendation? Cook two turkeys weighing 12-15 pounds instead.

Thawing Turkey

Never thaw a frozen turkey on the kitchen counter at room temperature. Instead, use one of these safe methods to thaw a frozen turkey, still in its unopened package:

• Place breast-side up on a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator. Allow 1 day of thawing for every 4-5 pounds of turkey.

• Fully submerge in cold water in a large container placed in the refrigerator. This accelerates thawing compared to the method described above. Thanks to Konrad Haskins for sharing this method with TVWB.

• Fully submerge in cold water in the kitchen sink or in a large container. Let sit 30 minutes, then drain and replace the water. Repeat until thawed, approximately 30 minutes per pound of turkey.

Thawed turkey should be cooked within 1-2 days.

Prepping Turkey

• Remove and discard the leg truss.

• Cut off the tail and any large lumps of fat at the cavity opening.

• Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. The neck is usually found in the body cavity, and the giblet packet found in the neck cavity. Reserve giblets for gravy or discard.

• Rinse the turkey under cool running water, and pat dry inside and out with paper towels.

• Flavor brine the turkey (optional). See next section for more information.

• For neat appearance, tuck the wing tips behind the back and pin the neck skin to the back using toothpicks or short skewers.

• If using a vertical roasting stand, you may want to leave the neck skin loose so heat can flow up through the body cavity.

• Apply rub to the turkey (optional).

• Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.

Flavor Brining

Let's be honest, turkey doesn't have much taste. It also tends to dry-out, even if slightly overcooked. The self-basting bird is the turkey industry's response to these problems.

If you're looking for an alternative to a self-baster, consider flavor brining. Flavor brining is a popular method for enhancing flavor and moisture throughout the entire turkey. It even provides a cushion of moisture even if you slightly overcook the meat.

If you decide to try flavor brining, your best bet is to buy a natural turkey so you have complete control over the flavor and moisture added to the meat. However, there's no harm in flavor brining a self-basting turkey. It's just more difficult to know how much of what you're tasting is the result of brining versus the self-basting injection.

See All About Brining for flavor brining recipes.

Don't Stuff The Bird

Sunset Magazine says, "A stuffed turkey may be traditional, but it carries a slightly higher risk of incubating harmful bacteria than an unstuffed one; moist dressing in a warm cavity is bacteria's ideal growth environment. You can avoid this problem by cooking the bird and the stuffing separately. Another advantage of separation is that both cook more evenly and quickly."

If you insist on stuffing the turkey, cook the bird at 325-350°F. According to Sunset, harmful bacteria are killed after 3 minutes at 140°F and instantly at 160°F. "Check the temperature in the center of the dressing; if the stuffing hasn't met either of these guidelines, scoop it from the bird into a casserole and bake, covered, until it achieves the right temperature."

One trick is to preheat the stuffing in the microwave to 120-130°F. Wrap loosely in cheesecloth and stuff the package into the cavity. Remove the package immediately after cooking and serve.

Basting

There are two schools of thought about turkey basting. Many people believe basting is essential for beautiful, tasty skin. Others believe it's a waste of time and energy, it interrupts the cooking process, and it doesn't add anything to the skin. Alton Brown of "Good Eats" on Food TV is famous for saying, "Basting is evil." He suggests that since skin is waterproof, the flavor and moisture of the basting liquid will not penetrate the skin, and so much heat escapes during basting that cooking time is extended, which can result in dry meat.

Should you baste? Yes, if you want to, or if a recipe suggests it. Just remember that every time you open the cooker, you lose heat and extend the cooking time a bit. If you're cooking a self-basted turkey, however, it may not be necessary.

Vertical Vs. Horizontal Cooking

I prefer to cook a turkey on the top cooking grate, breast side up, just like in the oven.  I have used a vertical roasting stand on the bottom cooking grate, but this method has several problems. If you put water in the water pan, then the breast cooks faster than the legs/thighs, because the cooker is hotter at the level of the breast than at the legs/thighs. If you use an empty water pan (my preferred method for poultry), then the radiant heat coming off the empty pan cooks the legs/thighs faster than the breast. That's why I gave up on vertical roasting and just smoke the turkey on the top cooking grate.

Big turkeys will only fit vertically on the bottom grate. If using a vertical stand, put some water in the pan to protect the legs/thighs, and place foil over the breasts/wings at some point during the process to keep them from overcooking.

Cooker Temperature

Turkey is naturally tender and does not benefit from "low and slow" cooking the way a tough old brisket does. I've cooked turkeys from 225° all the way up to 350°F, and I'm convinced that 325-350°F is the way to go. This temperature gets the fat under the skin hot enough so that it sautés the skin. At lower temps, the fat just renders out without crisping anything, and the result is rubbery skin.

Another benefit of cooking at 325-350°F is that the turkey will cook as quickly as if you did it in the oven. Don't worry, the turkey will have plenty of time to pick up whatever smoke flavor you choose to impart to it.

If you insist on cooking at a traditional barbecue temp of 225-250°F, Butterball says that to assure food safety the turkey must reach an internal temperature of 140° within the first 4 hours of cooking. A turkey weighing 12-15 pounds should be fine, but a turkey over this weight should either be cooked at 325-350° or flavor brined in a solution that includes a curing agent like Morton Tender Quick to slow the growth of bacteria.

Why gamble? Just smoke that turkey at 325-350°F. You'll be glad you did.

To achieve a temperature of 325-350°F, you'll have to cook with an empty water pan. Methods for running the Weber Bullet at 325-350°F can be found on the Firing Up Your Weber Bullet page.

Where To Measure Internal Meat Temperature

Internal temperature should be measured in the deepest part of the breast and thigh. Measuring in the thigh can be tricky, so I just measure in the breast from the front of the turkey, parallel to the breast bone, using an accurate instant-read thermometer.

You can monitor the breast temperature during cooking with a probe thermometer, but don't trust it completely—it may give a false low reading. Take a look at the estimated cooking times below and begin paying attention to internal temp at least 30 minutes before the low end of the estimated time range. Double-check the temperature by either inserting the probe thermometer in several locations in the breast, or by using another instant-read thermometer in addition to the probe thermometer.

Ignore The Pop-Up Timer

If your turkey comes with a pop-up timer, do not rely on it to determine doneness. These spring-loaded devices pop at 178-180°F. At this temperature the dark meat is thoroughly cooked, but the white meat is overcooked. You're better off using a probe thermometer or an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. You can leave the pop-up timer in the bird or remove it before cooking—it doesn't matter.

Cooking Times & Temperatures

The USDA, the National Turkey Federation, and turkey producers all agree that turkey should be cooked to 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thigh. Unfortunately, this often results in dry, overcooked turkey.

Other authorities like Cook's Illustrated suggest that unstuffed turkey can be cooked safely to 160-165°F in the breast and 170-175°F in the thigh.

I follow the Cook's Illustrated recommendation when I cook turkey. With a 30 minute rest after cooking, the internal temp will rise 5-10°F. For a brined bird, you can cook the thigh up to 180°F without worrying about drying out the breast.

The chart below provides approximate cooking times for unbrined, unstuffed turkey at 325°F. Remember, every turkey is unique and they often cook faster than expected, especially if brined. Start checking for doneness at least 30 minutes before the low end of the time range.