How to Carve a Turkey

It’s easy to learn How to Carve a Turkey like a pro, so just grab a sharp knife and follow my step-by-step instructions (or watch the video) to plate your turkey beautifully!

Don’t miss all of our Thanksgiving recipes, like Pumpkin Cheesecake, Cranberry Fluff Salad, Lemon Cream Pie, or Thanksgiving Stuffing!

Supplies Needed:

• A sharp knife. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but your knife does need to be sharp. Here’s my favorite knife sharpener, that I use to sharpen my knives weekly.
• A BIG cutting board. It needs to be able to fit the whole turkey. I place mine on a baking sheet so the edges catch any liquid.
• A serving platter. Keep it next to your carving station so you can instantly plate it as you go.
• Aluminum foil to cover the carved meat and keep it warm as you carve.

Pro Tips:

• Let Turkey Rest! You’ve already done all the work of prepping and roasting the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, be patient and let it rest for about 30 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. If you slice into it too early, the juices will run out instead of staying in the meat to make it moist.
• Be Careful with the Skin: You don’t want to ruin the crispy skin, so use a very sharp knife or kitchen scissors and be careful to try to still keep it attached.
• Save Leftovers: The leftover turkey sandwich on a homemade roll with cranberry sauce or cranberry relish is everyone’s favorite! But don’t miss all of my leftover turkey recipes!
• Use Paper Towels: The turkey might still be hot, so I like to use paper towels to protect my hands to keep the turkey steady while you slice it.
• Remove trussing strings.

How to Carve a Turkey

Make sure the turkey has rested for at least 20 minutes before you begin to carve it. If you carve it too soon, the juices will run out instead of absorbing back in the meat to make it moist.

1. Remove Legs:

• Starting with one leg, use your knife so tlice through the skin and meat toward the leg joint. While slicing, gently pull the leg back and separate it from the rest of the turkey. Listen for a “pop” meaning that the thigh bone popped through. Don’t cut through the joint! Gently remove any extra skin and meat around the joint then remove the leg from the body. Set thigh and drumstick on platter then repeat with other leg.

2.Remove Wishbone:

• Removing the wishbone makes it extra easy to remove the breast meat. Plus, then everyone will be happy they get to make a wish! At the front cavity of the turkey (where the head would be), cut away the skin from the opening then locate the wishbone – it runs along the neck in an upside down “v”. Feel for the bone with your hands then gently cut along the wishbone then pull it down and out.

3. Remove Breast Meat:

• Find the breast bone that runs all the way down the center that separates the two turkey breasts. Use your knife and cut down center on one side of the bone, slicing downward. Follow the curve of the breast bone then cut and separate the breast meat until the bone is free. Place breast meat on platter then repeat with the other turkey breast.

3. Remove Wings:

• Gently pull the wings away from the body then use your knife to cut around the skin and meat then cut through the joint. Remove the wing, set it on the platter, then remove the other joint.

4. Carve the Meat:

• Slice against the grain! The most important part is slicing the meat the correct way! Slicing it against the grain means cutting the meat in the opposite direction of the way the natural muscle fibers run. Look close at your meat and you will see the fibers running in the same direction. Cut it opposite of those lines so the meat is tender and not chewy.
• Preserve the skin. Make sure your knife if sharp (or use scissors) to cut the skin to it stays on each slice of turkey meat.
• Separate Drumstick from Thigh. Place skin side down on your cutting board then slice right through the natural seam of the joint.
• Keep Turkey Warm. Keep the platter of turkey covered with aluminum foil to keep it warm until serving.
• Save the Carcass! Keep it and use it to make homemade chicken stock or toss the carcass in the freezer and make the broth another day. Use the drippings to make Turkey Gravy!

Side Dishes for Turkey:

• Thanksgiving Stuffing
• Homemade Rolls
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Mashed Potatoes
• Turkey Gravy
• Broccoli Salad
• Cranberry Fluff Salad
• Potatoes Au Gratin
• Garlic Rolls
• Corn Casserole

Recipe

5 from 27 votes

How to Carve a Turkey

Let me teach you How to Carve a Turkey like a pro! Grab your sharp knife and follow my step-by-step instructions with pictures and video to plate your turkey beautifully!

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Author Lauren Allen

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Calories 242

Cost 20

Prep 5 minutes mins

Cook 10 minutes mins

Total 15 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Sharp Knife
• Cutting board
• Serving tray
• Aluminum foil

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 Roasted turkey

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

Remove the legs:

• Start with one leg and use your knife to slice through the skin and meat toward the leg joint while at the same time gently pulling the leg back and separate it from the rest of the turkey.  As you gently pull it, listen for the joint to "pop", meaning that the thigh bone popped through.  You don't want to cut right through the joint! Then gently cut away any additional skin and meat around the joint and remove the leg from the body.  Set aside the thigh and drumstick and repeat this process with the remaining leg.

Remove the wishbone:

• Remove the wishbone next so that it's extra easy to cut away the breast meat.  Plus, then you can make a wish!  Locate the front neck cavity of the bird (where the head would be) and cut away the skin from the opening of the neck so that you have a window into the neck cavity.  The wishbone runs along the neck cavity in an upside down "v".  Use your hands to feel for the bone then gently cut along the wishbone and pull it down and out of the bird.

Remove the breast meat:

• First locate the keelbone AKA breast bone that runs all the way down the center of the carcass, separating the two turkey breasts. Take your knife and cut down center on one side of the keelbone.  Slice downward, following the curve of the breast bone and cutting and separating the breast meat from the bone until the entire breast is free.  Set breast meat aside and repeat this process with the other turkey breast.

Remove the wings:

• Gently pull the wings away from the body and use your knife to cut around the skin and meat and cut through the joint. Remove the wing, set it aside, and remove the other joint.

Carve the turkey meat:

• Slice against the grain!  The most important part of carving the meat is to cut it the correct way.  Cutting against the grain means cutting the meat opposite of the direction that the natural muscle fibers run.  If you look at each piece of your carved turkey meat, you'll see its all "running" or pointing the same direction.  Be sure to cut it opposite of this which will help ensure that the meat is tender and not chewy.
• Try to preserve the skin. Cut as carefully through the skin as you can (with a sharp knife) so that each slice of turkey has its skin still attached.
• Separate the drumstick from the thigh by placing it skin side down on your cutting board and cutting right through the natural seam of the joint.
• Keep the turkey warm: Cover it with aluminum while carving to keep it warm.
• Save the turkey carcus: Use rest of circus to make homemade chicken broth or freeze it and make broth another day!

Notes

Pro Tip: use paper towels to protect your hand and to steady the bird while you cut.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcalProtein: 37gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 192mgPotassium: 385mgSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 96IUCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg

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I originally shared this recipe October 2020. Updated November 2021 and November 2024.

Photography by The Travel Palate.

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