3 Ways To Clean A Turkey - WikiHow
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This article was co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University. There are 19 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 391,033 times.
Nothing looks tastier in the center of a holiday feast than a turkey! Whether you caught your bird yourself or bought it at the store, the first step in the preparation process is cleaning. Skinning, plucking, or simply removing the wrappings from your turkey in the proper manner can ensure that it’s cooked safely and make it the hit of your dinner spread. We talked to professional chefs JoAnna Minneci and Ollie Cigliano to show you how to properly prep your bird.
Cleaning Turkeys
- Turkeys do not need to be washed or rinsed before cooking, as this can lead to bacterial growth. Simply defrost the turkey in the fridge about 3 days beforehand.
- For wild turkeys, aim to pluck or skin the turkey as soon as possible after it’s killed to prevent bacterial growth.
- Plucking is the better option for cooking a whole turkey, while skinning and quartering is ideal for cooking the parts separately.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:Plucking and Cleaning a Wild Turkey
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1 Start plucking your turkey as quickly as possible after the kill. Plucking takes longer than skinning a wild turkey, but it’s the way to go if you’re planning to roast, smoke, deep-fry, or if you’re cooking it whole in any way. It tends to preserve the turkey’s moisture more effectively as well.[1] We’ll show you how in the following steps, but for now, it’s important that you get started ASAP, since the goal is to cool the turkey down as quickly as possible so the meat doesn’t spoil.[2] - Aim to pluck the bird no more than 3 hours after it’s killed. Otherwise, harmful bacteria can begin to grow, and the turkey will go bad.[3]
- Plucking is a messy process, so do it outside or in a garage, if possible.
- If you’d rather skin your turkey, which is simpler and the better choice if you plan to cook parts of the bird separately, check out the section below where we show you how.
Meet the wikiHow Experts
JoAnna Minneci is a retired professional chef based in the Nashville, Tennessee, area with 18 years of experience teaching others how to cook.
Ollie George Cigliano is a private chef, food educator, and owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California, with over 20 years of experience.
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2 Remove the ends of the wings along with the head and neck. Use a sharp, strong knife to cut off the turkey’s head and neck, starting 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) above the neck’s connection to the body. Also, cut away the wings at the first joint, leaving a drumstick-shaped section behind. The wings are edible, but they’re difficult to pluck and typically don’t have enough meat near the ends to warrant the extra effort.[4] - Feel free to skip this step and butcher the bird after it’s plucked.
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3 Dip the turkey in hot water for 30 seconds to make it easier to pluck. Heat a large pot of water to about 140–150 °F (60–66 °C). Hold the turkey by the feet and dip it into the water for about 10-30 seconds. Lift the turkey out and try to pull out a feather. If it comes out easily, it’s ready to pluck. If you have to tug hard, dip the turkey again for a few seconds.[5] - Make sure the water isn’t boiling, as this will start to cook the bird.
- Soaking the turkey for longer than 30 seconds might start to cook it, which you don’t want to do while the feathers are still attached.
- If you like, you can also skip this step and dry-pluck the bird. That said, dry plucking tends to be a bit more difficult and tedious, since the feathers don’t come away as easily.
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4 Hang the turkey upside-down at about the height of your head. Pull the turkey out and use a strong rope, cord, or hook to hang it up by the feet.[6] Tie it to a strong tree branch or a sturdy beam in your garage—whatever gives you easy access to it. Hang it from about the height of your head, making sure to keep it over the pot to drip dry.[7] - Use thick gloves when transferring the turkey to the hanger, since the exterior will be hot!
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5 Pluck out the feathers a few at a time. Starting at the back, pull out just a few feathers at a time, grasping them by the roots and plucking with a gentle tug. Pull the feathers up toward the feet, along the grain, so that they give way easily and the skin doesn’t tear.[8] Keep working until the turkey is completely free of feathers. Tip: If you have any small, hair-like feathers left over after plucking, pat them dry, then burn them away by carefully passing over them with a lighter or kitchen blowtorch.
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6 Remove the turkey’s innards by cutting beneath the breastbone. Once your bird is plucked, remove it from its hanger and place it on its back on a flat surface. Using a sharp knife, locate the breastbone in the center of the turkey’s chest. Follow it down to wear it stops above the anus, then make a deep horizontal cut between them to access the main cavity.[9] Wear gloves to protect your hands, and make sure to remove all of the lung material, which is connected to the backbone and can rot quickly. - Remove everything from this main cavity so that the bird is hollow and none of the organs remain.
- Discard these innards in the trash. Or, if you have a specific recipe in mind which uses them, bag them and place them in the fridge for up to three days, or freeze them indefinitely.
- Also, give the inside and outside of the bird a close scan to look for shot pellets, and remove them with a knife if you spot them.
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7 Remove the legs and place the turkey in a baking dish to cook it whole. If you prefer to cook or preserve your whole turkey, first cut off the legs at the knee or second joint using a sharp, strong knife.[10] Keep the thighs and drumsticks attached, but not the scrawnier part of the leg, which won’t have as much meat. Place it on a large baking dish if you’re ready to cook. - If you want to freeze your turkey, put it in 2 plastic freezer bags and seal it as tightly as possible. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer indefinitely.[11] That said, cook it within 7 months for best quality.
- Dispose of the parts of the leg that you’re not cooking.
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8 Separate the breast fillets, thighs, and legs to cook it in separate pieces. To cut the turkey into sections, lay it on its back and cut back the skin from the breast. Then, cut the turkey along each side of the breastbone and on the inside of either wing. Pull at the breast fillet and use the knife to loosen it and lift it away from the breast bone, working from the rear to the front.[12] - To remove the thigh and leg of the turkey, cut through the thigh muscle at the back, then pull it up with your hand until the joint pops. Continue cutting through the thigh until you can remove it.
- If you have a smaller freezer, cutting your turkey into smaller pieces will make it easier to preserve. Put each section in 2 sealed plastic freezer bags and keep the turkey for up to 7 months before using it.
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Skinning a Wild Turkey
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1 Skin the turkey as soon as possible to cook it in separate pieces. Skinning a turkey is typically faster and cleaner than plucking it. It’s a great option if you’re planning to grill or fry your turkey in separate pieces. Get started as soon after kill as you can, though, since the heat from the turkey’s body will quickly harbor dangerous bacteria.[13] - Aim to skin the bird no more than 3 hours after it’s been killed for the safest preparation.[14]
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2 Lay the turkey flat on its back and remove the beard, legs, and wings. Use a solid, flat surface like a cutting board. Grasp the beard close to the body, twist it halfway around, then give it a firm tug to remove it from the breast. Cut away any loose skin, then set the beard aside or discard it. Then, move on to the wings, cutting them off at the elbow or the second joint. Finally, cut away the lower portion of the legs, where the feathers meet scales.[15] - Discard these in the garbage or compost, but away from where wild animal scavengers might find it.
- Keep in mind that many areas require hunters to keep the head or a wing attached during transport out of the hunting ground. Check with your local game warden to familiarize yourself with local laws before you set off on a hunt.[16]
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3 Turn the bird over to skin the tail and remove the neck. Flip the turkey onto its belly. Grab the fan, or tail, by the base and find where it pivots on the body. Insert your knife into the base of the tail and cut it away just above the anus and a little ways up the back to fully remove it.[17] Then, lay the neck straight and find its base. Use your knife to chop the neck and head away from the bird.[18] - Aim to cut the neck at about 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) from the body.
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4 Cut down along the breast and peel away the skin. Make a shallow cut just through the skin, starting at the top of the breast near the neck and all the way down the front center of the bird, following the “keel” or breastbone. Then, make a horizontal cut between the keel and the anus. Peel away the skin from the bird with your hands, using your knife to separate it from the body in trickier parts.[19] - It might help to pluck some of the feathers around the breastbone to prevent them from getting in the way or sticking to the meat.
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5 Open the main cavity of the bird and remove the internal organs. Pull the thighs apart to open up this incision, or use your hands to reach in and separate the pieces. Reaching in, grasp the gizzard and other organs, and pull them out from the bottom portion of the bird.[20] - Be sure to remove every part of the lungs, which rot the fastest. You may need to use your fingertips to separate them from the ribs and spine.
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6 Separate the breast fillets, thighs, and legs to cook in separate pieces. Now, you can stop here if you’d like to cook the turkey whole. Otherwise, to cut the turkey into sections, lay it on its back and cut it along each side of the breastbone and on the inside of either wing. Pull at the breast fillet and use the knife to loosen it and lift it away from the breast bone, working from the rear to the front.[21] - To remove the thigh and leg of the turkey, cut through the thigh muscle at the back, then pull it up with your hand until the joint pops. Continue cutting through the thigh until you can remove it.
- If you have a smaller freezer, Minneci recommends cutting your turkey into smaller pieces, which will make it easier to preserve.[22] Put each section in 2 sealed plastic bags and keep them in the freezer indefinitely.[23]
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Cleaning a Store-Bought Turkey
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1 Thaw your turkey for a few days before you clean and cook it. Cigliano says that most frozen turkeys need about 3 days to thaw.[24] To thaw your turkey, simply set it in the refrigerator in a large dish, allowing 24 hours to thaw every 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of turkey.[25] For a slightly faster thaw, place the turkey in a leak-proof bag and set it in a sink or bucket. Completely submerge it with cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes and allowing 30 minutes to thaw every 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of turkey. - In a pinch, thaw the turkey in the microwave—that is, if it fits. Use the “defrost” setting on your microwave, choose “poultry” if it’s an option, then defrost it for 6 minutes per 1 pound (0.45 kg).[26]
- Keep the turkey in its wrapping, unless you’re thawing it in the microwave.
- If you thaw your turkey in the refrigerator, you can keep it there for up to 2 days before cooking it. If you thaw it in water or the microwave, start cleaning and cooking it as soon as it’s ready. Otherwise, bacteria may begin to form.
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2 Wash your hands, then set the turkey in a large dish. Before you handle raw meat, always wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap to prevent the spread of bacteria. Then, using a knife, carefully cut open and pull off the turkey’s packaging and discard it in the trash can. Place the naked, thawed turkey directly into your baking pan or dish, or onto a large cutting board, Cigliano instructs.[27] - Wipe down any surface the turkey touches with warm water and soap. The fewer surfaces you let the raw turkey touch, the less you’ll need to clean when you’re done cooking.
- Don’t let any part of the turkey or its juices come into contact with other food items, with the exception of food cooked inside the turkey, like stuffing. If accidental contact occurs, throw away the other food.[28]
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3 Remove the neck and giblets from inside the turkey. Cigliano tells us that the first step to dressing a turkey, after thawing it, is to “remove any unnecessary parts,” like the neck and giblets.[29] With store-bought turkeys, these are often inside the turkey’s body cavity, stored there for people who might want to cook them in stews, stocks, or specialty recipes. Carefully reach inside and draw them out, leaving the inside hollow.[30] - If you like, save these in a plastic bag for other recipes. They’ll keep for 3 days in the fridge, or a few months in the freezer.[31]
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4 Wash your hands, sink, and anything that has touched the raw turkey. To avoid cross-contamination, wash your hands and forearms with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds after handling the turkey. Then, use hot, soapy water to clean any utensils and kitchen surfaces you used, such as the countertop or sink. Rinse with clean water afterwards.[32] - For extra protection, sanitize kitchen surfaces with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of liquid chlorine bleach mixed into 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water. Let these surfaces dry thoroughly before using them.
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Community Q&A
Search Add New Question- Question Should you remove the hock locks from a turkey?
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer The hock locks are plastic loops that are sometimes placed around the legs of store-bought turkeys. The hock lock is heat resistant, so you can safely leave it on if you like, and even use it to hold the legs together to help keep the stuffing in. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1 - Question How do you get all the stuff out of a turkey?
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Typically, when you buy a turkey in the grocery store, the giblets are tucked inside either the neck cavity or the main body cavity. The giblets are usually wrapped up in a small paper bag. The neck may also be tucked inside the body cavity. Simply reach in and pull them out by hand, then wash up with soap and water when your'e done. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1 - Question Do you need to wash a turkey before cooking it?
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer No—in fact, food safety experts recommend not rinsing or washing fresh poultry. Rinsing the turkey will only splash potentially dangerous germs around your kitchen. The one exception is if your turkey is brined, in which case it’s okay to rinse the excess brine out of the body cavity. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1
Video
Tips
- If you’re making stuffing in your turkey, make sure it’s completely mixed and ready to go before you start cleaning the turkey. The stuffing should also be cooked to at least 165 °F (74 °C).[33] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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References
- ↑ https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/youve-harvested-your-first-wild-turkey-now-what/
- ↑ https://myodfw.com/learn/skill/after-shot-field-dressing-and-cooking
- ↑ https://www.turkeyandturkeyhunting.com/turkey-scratchings/prepare-cook-wild-turkey
- ↑ https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/how-to-skinning-vs-plucking
- ↑ https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/how-to-skinning-vs-plucking
- ↑ https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/how-to-skinning-vs-plucking
- ↑ https://myodfw.com/learn/tip/how-pluck-wild-turkey
- ↑ https://myodfw.com/learn/tip/how-pluck-wild-turkey
- ↑ https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/how-to-skinning-vs-plucking
- ↑ https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/youve-harvested-your-first-wild-turkey-now-what/
- ↑ https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/foodsafety/foods/turkey.html
- ↑ https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/youve-harvested-your-first-wild-turkey-now-what/
- ↑ https://myodfw.com/learn/skill/after-shot-field-dressing-and-cooking
- ↑ https://www.turkeyandturkeyhunting.com/turkey-scratchings/prepare-cook-wild-turkey
- ↑ https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/how-to-skinning-vs-plucking
- ↑ https://myodfw.com/learn/skill/after-shot-field-dressing-and-cooking
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GJCrRRkAAA&t=73s
- ↑ https://youtu.be/1GJCrRRkAAA?si=LaXsdNUAibx0lrhA&t=97
- ↑ https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/how-to-skinning-vs-plucking
- ↑ https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/01803/wdfw01803.pdf
- ↑ https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/youve-harvested-your-first-wild-turkey-now-what/
- ↑ JoAnna Minneci. Professional Chef. Expert Interview
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/turkey-basics-safe-thawing
- ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/turkey-basics-safe-thawing
- ↑ https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/how-safely-thaw-turkey
- ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/holiday-turkey.html
- ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
- ↑ https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--431/cleaning-turkey.asp
- ↑ https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/How-long-can-you-keep-leftover-cooked-turkey
- ↑ https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/wash-or-not-wash-your-turkey
- ↑ https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/11/dont-rinse-your-turkey-and-other-safety-tips-for-thanksgiving/
About This Article
To clean a turkey, start by thawing it completely and then taking off the packaging. Then, put the turkey in the baking dish you'll be cooking it in. Next, reach inside of the turkey's body cavity and pull out the neck and giblets inside so that the inside of the turkey is hollow. If you're cooking a turkey that's already been brined, rinse out the cavity with cold water. Otherwise, after you take the neck and giblets out, the turkey is ready to be cooked. To learn how to pluck and clean a wild turkey, scroll down! Did this summary help you?YesNo
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