Did you know? You can bake your turkey ahead of time!
For me, this is the only way.
Now, of course, this means that at our house we don’t have a fancy “carve the turkey” tradition on Thanksgiving or Christmas day. But the trade-off is that I don’t have to walk into the kitchen and deal with a tepid, saggy turkey carcass after enjoying a special holiday meal. Worth it? A million times over.
Why should you bake your turkey ahead of time?
Let me count the reasons…
- Because of the tepid, saggy turkey carcass, but we’ve already been through that already.
- But speaking of the turkey carcass, when you make your turkey ahead of time, you’ll be able to save the said carcass and make incredibly Rich Broth and fantastic Turkey Gravy. So long live the turkey carcass (so to speak).
- Not only will your turkey be baked ahead of time, but you’ve also already made several gallons of broth too. And it’s not even Thursday yet.
- When you follow these methods of baking your turkey before the big day, your pre-cooked turkey will be perfectly moist, juicy, and tender at serving time.
- Instead of slaving over meal preparation on a holiday, YOU WILL GET TO ENJOY EATING THE ACTUAL HOLIDAY MEAL. That was me yelling to share the good news. I am so happy about this. Come one. Come all. Bake your turkey ahead of time!
I’ve shared before, but it’s worth sharing again…
How to Bake Your Turkey Ahead of Time
- 1 Turkey
- 1 Large Roasting Pan
- Foil if necessary
- Place the turkey in the refrigerator for 3-4 days until thawed.
- Remove the bag of giblets from the inside of the turkey.
- Empty the giblets into your roasting pan as they help make a good, rich broth.
- Place the bird, breast side up, into a large baking pan or roaster.
- Cover with foil or with your roaster lid.
- Cook at 325° for 15-20 minutes per pound.
- You know your turkey is done cooking when the red thing pops up, or when the legs start to pull away from the body. It should be golden brown and slightly crisp looking.
- Be sure to save the broth that formed naturally!
- Allow the turkey to cool, then de-bone completely. Store meat in baggies or in covered pyrex dishes in the refrigerator.
- Save turkey carcass to make another round of broth for gravy, soup, and other nourishing meals.
- On serving day, drizzle a liberal amount of broth (one-two cups per 9x13 inch pan of meat) over turkey, cover and warm in 300°-350° oven for 30-45 minutes or until meat is hot and steamy.
- Serve right away.
What about the rest of your holiday meal?
Indeed, you can prepare your entire holiday meal ahead of time!! Turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cream cheese corn…the list goes on.
Here’s a run-down of how to prepare all your holiday dishes ahead of time. And even better? Grab our Holiday Prep Guide Packet filled with 9 fun printables to help you get ahead for the holidays! Sign up here to receive it for free!
I started doing this a few years ago. Changed. my. life. (at least on Thanksgiving Day!). No more crossing my fingers that the turkey was finished by dinner time. No more dragging my husband away from the guests to carve the thing. No more picking the carcass after dinner when I’d rather be spending time with guests. Just so much easier.
Yes, this is the first time i’m hosting in 4 years and since I read your advice about doing this and so I’m doing this on Tuesday!!!! So excited. Following your plan. Got the sweet potatoes, stuffing in freezer, cranberry sauce, mulled cider made and stored in extra fridge. Made some cranberry orange bread to serve with hot cider on Thanksgiving morning. Most of the shopping done. Working on pies and green bean casserole tomorrow! Thank you for your awesome plan!!!
YES! My mother and aunts have done this for years. So much LESS STRESS! Agreed. Agreed. Agreed. I don’t know if it’s a Canada thing, or just my smart family there (I live in New England, but was born and raised in Ontario).
Other dishes I have made ahead of time are gravy (or save broth and make fresh that day), cranberry sauce, squash (mashed/pureed butternut), and stuffing.
To each their own, I guess, but these directions will yield a dry, stringy turkey. By time the “red thing” pops out, your bird is already overdone. And leaving it in the fridge for a couple of days only to reheat it will result in your turkey tasting like…well, reheated turkey, to paraphrase Julia Child. Really the smart move is to roast the turkey early on the holiday, and allow it to rest for the same amount of time as you cook it. The bird will then be perfectly juicy, and, believe it or not, still plenty warm. Chop up the neck and giblets (reserve the liver; it will make stock bitter and cloudy), brown them in a pot, add aromatics (onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme), and simmer at least one hour, barely covered in water. Make a roux separately (I keep a batch on hand at all time), and use it to thicken the stock. At service time, add the drippings, and voila, you have perfect turkey and gravy. Sorry, but I cannot imagine have leftovers for Thanksgiving. My least favorite dish on Thanksgiving? Anything that tastes like a shortcut!
I did this this year and I am never going back! By Tuesday afternoon the pans of meat were in their brothy bath and the carcass was in the freezer to make stock in January. we do a turkey for Christmas so I’ll have two and make enough stock to last the year. My adult children all agreed the meat was delicious. THANKS!