Learning how to butcher a turkey might be simpler than you think. By the end of this post, you’ll know everything that you need to know about butchering turkeys. I hope that it will make this task a bit less intimidating for you.
My friend raised turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She was seeking assistance from someone to demonstrate how to butcher them, so I was happy to step in and help.
I know that this task can be a little intimidating. I remember how overwhelmed I felt the first time that we processed meat chickens. I wanted to make sure that I am being as human as possible because I wasn’t sure if I could actually kill them.
A few years later, after butchering a number of chickens and my own ducks, it’s not nearly as horrific or upsetting.
If you’re sick of boring old chicken, it’s time to focus on the other bird: the renowned Thanksgiving turkey, which is currently performing on Headbanger’s Kitchen! In this blog, we’ll explore the process of butchering a turkey at home, advancing you from beginner to expert butcher in no time!
Butchering your own turkey offers several advantages:
- Better Cooking: Breaking down the bird allows you to cook white and dark meat separately, ensuring perfect doneness for each.
- Multiple Dishes: This technique unlocks a world of culinary possibilities, allowing you to create a variety of delicious dishes from a single bird.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Butchering your own turkey can be more economical than buying pre-cut pieces.
Before you begin your butchering adventure gather these essential tools:
- A sharp butchering knife
- Sharp kitchen scissors
- Roasting tray with a wire rack
Ready to get started? Let’s break down the process step-by-step:
Step 1: Prepare the Turkey
- Defrost: Thaw your frozen turkey safely in the refrigerator at 4-5°C for at least 24 hours. Alternatively, submerge the packaged turkey in a large container of cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes to ensure even thawing.
- Remove Packaging and Excess: Take the defrosted bird out of its packaging and pat it dry. Remove the red pin from the breast, if present, and discard any giblets found in the cavity.
Step 2: Begin Butchering
- Split the Skin: Start by splitting the skin at the legs.
- Remove Wings: Cut through the joints to remove both wings.
- Separate Legs and Crown: Split the legs and cut through the center to separate them from the crown.
- Remove Individual Legs: Cut each leg off the remaining half-spine.
- Separate Breasts: Cut along the center of the breastbone to remove both breasts.
- Trim Wingtips: Remove the wingtips from the wings.
- Break Down Carcass: Carefully break down the remaining carcass with scissors for later use in making stock.
Step 3: Season and Rest
- Season with Salt: Place the separated turkey parts on a roasting tray with a wire rack and season generously with salt on both sides.
- Dry Brine: Refrigerate the broken-down turkey for 24-48 hours for dry brining.
Step 4: Final Butchering (Optional)
- Separate Drumsticks: If desired, separate the drumsticks from the breasts by cutting along the joint.
- Separate Thighs: Separate the thighs from the legs by cutting along the joint.
Step 5: Cook and Enjoy!
Your perfectly butchered turkey parts are now ready to be cooked to your liking. Roast, grill, or bake them to create a delicious and impressive feast.
Bonus Tip: Don’t forget to check out Headbanger’s Kitchen for a plethora of mouthwatering turkey recipes to tantalize your taste buds!
Remember: This guide provides a basic framework for butchering a turkey. Visit the Headbanger’s Kitchen YouTube channel to view the corresponding video for a more visually stimulating experience.
What You’ll Need to Butcher a Turkey…
Gather your butchering supplies and make sure you have everything you’ll need before you murder the turkeys.
When I prepare for butchering, I like to think about the flow in stations.
We are going to move between four stations:
Here are the tools that we are going to need in each station…
The killing station – there are a few different ways to kill a turkey. They are large animals and most likely are not going to fit in the chicken killing cone.
Cones aren’t usually used when killing turkeys, but you can try to find one that fits or even make one yourself.
Some homesteaders set the turkey down on a table while another chops the main artery beneath the jaw.
Some homesteaders put the turkey inside a feed bag with its head sticking out, drill a hole in the bottom corner, and then use a hatchet to chop off the head.
Even though they can occasionally be heavy, I like to use twine to hang the turkey by its legs from a plum tree branch. I kill the turkey by hanging it upside down, just like I kill a chicken (more on this later).
You have to decide how you want to do this and make sure that you have everything that you need on hand. If you are going to use a butchering knife, make sure that you sharpen it before you use it.
The plucking station: after the turkey is killed, it is salted and plucked (presuming you want the skin). If you don’t, check out my post on how to skin a chicken. You can do the same with a turkey).
We are going to need a pot that is large enough to fit a turkey. I find that a turkey fryer works best (make sure that you have a propane tank ready to go).
We’ll also need a thermometer to check the temperature of the water.
The only real tool required for plucking is your hands, but as you can see below, I like to use a half barrel to keep the feathers in check.
The butchering station – here we are going to need the sharp butchering knives again. We are going to need a table to work on as well. It should be a table that is easy to clean. A simple plastic folding table will do just fine.
Make sure you also have a few five-gallon buckets for the head, feet, and other parts (you can purchase them at Walmart or Lowe’s for a small fee).
Make sure to set your butchering station close to a water source. I set it close to my garden hose for easy clean up.
The packing station – the best way to handle the meat after butchering is to let it sit on ice or in the fridge for 24 hours before placing it in the freezer. If you don’t have enough room in your fridge, you will need a large cooler and a couple of bags of ice.
If you’d like, you can break apart your turkey. I prefer doing that because for just the kids and me a turkey thigh and drumstick is enough meat for a meal. Or sometimes I might cook one breast. So I break apart the turkey at the time of butchering and freeze portions in one-gallon Ziplock bags.
If you want to leave your turkey whole, you can wrap it with freezer paper and then plastic food wrap.
Another option (and what you’ll see us using below) are turkey shrink bags. These bags shrink around the turkey when dipped into hot water and protect it in the freezer. If you are using these, you’ll also have to use your turkey fryer again to heat the water.
All right, we’ve got everything that we need. Let’s butcher turkeys.
Preparing to Butcher a Turkey…
Butchering is much easier if the bird’s digestive system is empty. So remove all feed 12 to 18 hours before butchering. You can let the turkeys have access to water.
Also, try to work on a cool day. If it’s a warm day and the flies are a concern, just make sure there’s a cooler with ice close by to store the bird, and be ready to move quickly between the steps.