Your favorite cooking method to eat a turkey | The Boneyard

Your favorite cooking method to eat a turkey

Your favorite cooking method to eat a turkey?

  • Total voters
    71
I’ve experimented over the past few years. I did a tandoori turkey, was delicious but man, the spice smells stuck around for weeks. Oh, it’s crap load of work and buying ingredients you will never use again.

Last 2 years I’ve done a rotisserie turkey on the grill. Also came out pretty good and low maintenance for the most part.
Will try a fried turkey one of these days.
 
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Hamms30 said:
Dry brined and roasted to 150*. Other one gets spatchcocked and smoked. In Kenji I trust.
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I want to get a smoker but have no idea what to get- worried about cost and learning curve. Are they complicated? Budget would be 500-1000.
 
Start with brine, then I alway inject mine with a mix of butter, apple cider/juice, salt, paprika and a lil secret extra something.

Then I smoke it on the Kamado.
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I was thinking about doing a rotisserie turkey on the smoker for the 1st time, but I would have to do a test run. Can't play around with the holiday turkey.
 
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Conndog said:
I want to get a smoker but have no idea what to get- worried about cost and learning curve. Are they complicated? Budget would be 500-1000.
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A traeger pellet smoker might slot right into your price range. Those ones are really easy because it's like picking the settings on an oven and then just leaving it alone. Super easy to deal with and I'd say no learning curve on those. I have one of the large Big Green Eggs, which may be a couple hundred bucks over your price range and then there's the different grates and accessories they can ding you on as well... but I love the Egg. Not really a learning curve other than getting the hang of starting lump hardwood charcoal and not letting the temperature get too high, because the Egg retains heat really well. So if you go over your heat target, it's a bit of a pain in the hole to get the temperature to go down. It's nice too after smoking low for a few hours, you can open the air vents and the temp goes up to like 800* and you can start turning out pizzas the save afternoon.

It can be a little cumbersome so I probably only fire it up once every couple months when people come over for football or a holiday. If I had something like the Traeger where I could just turn it on when needed, I'd probably have it going every week doing homemade bacon, ribs, sausage.. whatever.
 
Kitaman said:
Start with brine, then I alway inject mine with a mix of butter, apple cider/juice, salt, paprika and a lil secret extra something.

Then I smoke it on the Kamado.
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I was thinking about doing a rotisserie turkey on the smoker for the 1st time, but I would have to do a test run. Can't play around with the holiday turkey.
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my test turkey is thawing in the fridge. Will use the carcass for stock and make gravy early and have it done and out of the way for game day.
 
Conndog said:
I want to get a smoker but have no idea what to get- worried about cost and learning curve. Are they complicated? Budget would be 500-1000.
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This is what I have, and it works fantastic: Linky
 
Fried turkey was a fad and it’s overrated in my opinion.

Regardless of the cooking method brining is a must. And if you roast it, definitely toss the “bag” of innards in the pan and chop them up for the gravy. Game changer.
 
Smoked turkey is the best, but even that isn't particularly good.
 
Friend did a test a couple of years ago, fried one, smoked another. Fried was the most juicy and moist, smoked had the best flavor. Both beat oven roasting handily, but are also more difficult or time consuming. Chickens are honestly better on the smoker than turkey.
 
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All this info is cool and really interesting. But I haven’t had anything but an oven roasted turkey in 64 years of existence. From Gramma to mom to now my wife or sister all the same. And I can’t remember having anything other than a great day. Has there been a somewhat drier one than others, yeah a couple. Nothing that gravy and a few beers along with great sides doesn’t cure.

I have mad respect for the variety of ways to prepare but fk that, way too much time for a couple nice big slices along with the other goods. And it tasted even better on a nice Pepperidge Farms potato bread toasted the next few days as well!!!
 
If you have the time, try a George Foreman grill.
 
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Conndog said:
I want to get a smoker but have no idea what to get- worried about cost and learning curve. Are they complicated? Budget would be 500-1000.
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Large BIG GREEN EGG
 
Conndog said:
I want to get a smoker but have no idea what to get- worried about cost and learning curve. Are they complicated? Budget would be 500-1000.
Expand ...
We've had a couple threads about this. Start on this one and inside that is a link to the more extensive first one. Bottom line, get a pellet smoker if you want to get into it without a lot of learning curve.
 
GlastonTim said:
Anyone try spatchcocking a turkey?
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My son has. It was tender and delicious. Not for Thanksgiving but just a trial run family dinner. He is very good at most things cooked.
I have had turkey duty for many years and tried baked, brined and not, assorted spices, deep fried which has been the popular favorite, but I don't care for it.
Being in charge, I decided to smoke it last time. It got rave reviews. Very tender and juicy and the applewood smoke gives it a taste that works with the bird. It will be my choice going forward.
 
Been smoking a turkey for the last couple of years. I have a Pitboss combo smoker/grill and for a 20lb bird it doesn't leave a lot of room.

I just bought a used Pitboss vertical smoker and will have plenty of room for that this year. Brand new vertical smokers can be had for around $500 for a pellet style or cheaper for electric or propane.

I brine for 24hrs with a citrusy brine and then stuff the cavity with apples, oranges, mandarins, lemons and cook at 250 or so. Nice and juicy
 
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