Anyone who’s seen the 1989 movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with Chevy Chase knows the importance of having a juicy, succulent turkey when hosting friends and family — especially on Thanksgiving Day, when the turkey is the star of the show!
But don’t be worried. Preparing your first Thanksgiving turkey isn’t as daunting as it sounds. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps.
- First, here’s how to pick out the best turkey.
- Watch the video above to make sure your turkey is thawed before cooking. And if you forget to thaw your turkey, it is possible to cook a frozen turkey.
- Brine the turkey to make sure it’s extra tender and juicy.
- Then you’re ready to roast your turkey.
- Make sure your turkey is fully cooked or your whole dinner will be delayed. Here’s how to use a meat thermometer.
- You don’t want any of the meat to go to waste, but you also want to make sure the final product looks great, so be sure you know how to properly carve a turkey.
10 mouthwatering turkeys to gobble up
Malt-beer brined turkey to bacon and sage roasted turkey, rosemary-lemon turkey to wild rice and cranberry-stuffed turkey breast, one of these 10 turkey recipes will surely do the trick!
To be fully prepared to cook your first Thanksgiving feast, read this list of Top 10 Thanksgiving fails and how to prevent them.
If you have any questions along the way, check out our Hotline page for tips like:
- How do I store a fresh turkey?
- What color should the turkey skin be?
- What is a free-range turkey?
- Do I have to rinse my turkey?
- Do I need to remove the giblets?