How to Carve a Turkey, Step by Step

What you need

• A long, thin, sharp knife. A carving knife or the longest chef's knife you own. Sharpen it the day before; a dull knife shreds the breast and tears the skin.
• A big cutting board with a groove, set on a damp towel so it can't skate around. A sheet pan underneath catches the overflow.
• A carving fork or tongs to steady the bird without stabbing it all over.
• A warm platter. Run it under hot water and dry it, or leave it in the oven with the door open while the bird rests.
• A cup of hot broth or pan juices to spoon over the sliced meat.

Before you carve

Let the turkey rest at least 30 minutes, up to 45 for a big one. A rested bird is easier to carve, loses less juice on the board, and won't burn your fingers. Snip off any string, and pull out whatever aromatics are in the cavity.

Find the joints before you cut. Wiggle a drumstick and you'll feel where the thigh meets the body; wiggle a wing and you'll find the shoulder. Every step below is about cutting through a joint, never through bone. If the knife hits something hard, move it a little and feel for the gap.

How to carve a turkey, step by step

1. Take off the legs. Cut through the skin between the leg and the breast. Pull the whole leg away from the body with your hand or the fork until the hip joint pops, then cut through the joint to free it. Repeat on the other side.
2. Split the legs. Lay a leg skin side down. You'll see a thin line of fat where the drumstick meets the thigh. Cut along it, through the joint, to separate the two.
3. Bone the thighs. Turn each thigh skin side down, run the knife along both sides of the bone, and lift it out. Slice the thigh meat across into thick pieces.
4. Take off the wings. Pull each wing out from the body, find the shoulder joint, and cut through it. Leave them whole.
5. Take off each breast in one piece. Cut straight down along one side of the breastbone, keeping the blade close to the bone. Then, with short strokes, let the knife follow the curve of the ribcage, peeling the breast away as you go, until the whole half comes off with its skin. Repeat on the other side.
6. Slice the breasts. Lay each one skin side up and cut it crosswise into slices about ½ inch thick (see below).
7. Save the carcass. Break it down and bag it for roasted turkey stock or leftover turkey soup with noodles and greens. Every scrap of meat still on it counts.

Slicing the breast across the grain

Turkey breast is built from long muscle fibers that run from the neck end toward the tail, roughly parallel to the breastbone. Slice with those fibers and every piece is made of long strings, which feels dry and chewy even when the meat is juicy. Slice across them and each bite is a stack of short fibers that falls apart easily.

That's why taking the breast off the bone first matters. On the bird, the only easy direction is downward, along the grain, and you end up with thin, ragged slices. Off the bone, you can turn it so the knife goes straight across, and every slice gets a strip of crisp skin. Use long strokes and let the knife do the work instead of sawing. About ½ inch thick holds together and stays juicy; thinner dries out on the platter.

Setting up the platter

• Lay the breast slices down the center, overlapping like shingles, skin side up so it stays crisp.
• Pile the thigh meat on one side and set the drumsticks and wings around the edge. People who want dark meat will find it without digging.
• Spoon a few tablespoons of hot broth or pan juices over the white meat just before it goes out. It keeps the slices glossy and warm.
• Tuck in a few sprigs of sage or thyme, or some lemon wedges, if you like.
• Carve only what you'll serve in the first round. Keep the rest of the breast whole on the board and slice more for seconds; it stays hot and juicy far longer that way.

Carving a spatchcocked turkey or bone-in breast

A dry-brined spatchcock turkey is easier still. With the backbone already gone, cut the legs off where they meet the breast, split them at the joint, then cut straight down the middle of the breastbone to make two halves. Each breast half lifts off its ribs in a couple of strokes.

For a roast turkey breast with herb butter, set it skin side up, cut down along one side of the breastbone, then follow the ribs down and out until each side comes off whole. Slice it crosswise the same way.

Common mistakes

• Carving too soon. The juices run all over the board and the meat cools faster once it's sliced. Wait the full 30 minutes.
• Slicing the breast on the bird. You're cutting along the grain. Take it off first.
• Sawing through bone. If you're pushing hard, you're in the wrong place. Wiggle, find the joint, and cut through the gap.
• Slicing it all at once. Thin slices sitting out for half an hour dry out. Carve in rounds.
• Carving at the table. Do the work in the kitchen and bring out a finished platter. Nobody misses the show.