Neither chefs nor food writers can agree on whether—or why—youd want to tie up your turkey. Some say that the splayed legs of an untrussed bird cook faster due to more exposure to hot air, plus more of the skin crisps. Others claim that the breasts of an untrussed turkey aren’t protected by the legs and therefore overcook.
But one thing is certain: Whether you prefer a wet-brined, dry-brined, or smoked turkey, trussing definitely makes for a bird worthy of a holiday table. (Have you seen an untrussed roasted turkey? It’s a bit eyebrow-raising.)
The thing is, trussing doesn’t have to involve fancy tucks, flips, or toys like French trussing needles. Sometimes it doesn’t require any twine at all. To achieve company-worthy turkey without all the fuss of traditional trussing, you dont need to do anything more than follow the steps below. Heres how to tie a turkey.
Do You Really Have to Tie Up Your Turkey Before Cooking?
As Thanksgiving approaches, many home cooks are starting to think about roasting a turkey for the big feast. One question that often comes up is whether you need to truss or tie up the legs before putting the bird in the oven I used to always truss my turkeys, thinking it was required to get an evenly cooked and nice looking bird But after years of roasting birds, I’ve learned that trussing is optional and comes down to personal preference. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of tying up your turkey to help you decide what works best for your Thanksgiving recipe.
What is Trussing a Turkey?
Trussing a turkey involves tying the legs and wings close to the body using butcher’s twine or kitchen string before roasting. To truss a turkey, you tuck the wing tips under the shoulders to hold them in place. Then the drumsticks are crossed over one another and tied together with string to hold the legs closed against the body.
The goal of trussing is to give the turkey a neat, uniform shape for roasting. The compact shape is also supposed to help the turkey cook more evenly, as the legs are held tight against the breasts. A trussed turkey often looks nicer when carried to the table for carving as well.
Reasons to Truss Your Turkey
Here are some of the potential benefits of trussing your Thanksgiving turkey
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Neater, tighter shape – Trussing pulls everything in toward the center of the turkey, giving it a rounded, uniform shape. This can lead to a prettier presentation when roasted.
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Helps turkey cook evenly – Pulling the legs in toward the breast is thought to help the dark and white meat cook at the same rate. The legs often take longer than the breast to fully cook.
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Retains moisture in breast – Keeping the thighs tucked against the breast may help shield the lean breast meat from overcooking and drying out.
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Prevents stuffing from falling out – For stuffed turkeys, trussing helps seal in the stuffing or aromatics placed inside the body cavity.
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Easier to maneuver – Compacting the turkey can make it easier to move around during the cooking process, like when transferring to a platter.
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Looks better for photos/presentation – The tidy, rounded shape of a trussed turkey often makes for a prettier presentation at the table. It’s ideal for holiday photos too!
Reasons Not to Truss the Turkey
On the other hand, there are also some good reasons you may opt not to truss the turkey:
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Skin crisps up better – Leaving the legs free allows air flow all around the turkey for maximum crisping of the skin.
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Legs cook faster – Untied legs cook faster than the breast since they are exposed and not shielded. This prevents dried out breast meat.
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Easier to season – With legs free, it’s easier to reach the inner thighs/drumsticks to rub seasoning all over before roasting.
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Allows even cavity seasoning – Keeping the cavity open enables seasonings placed inside to distribute evenly as the turkey cooks.
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Natural shape – Letting the turkey legs fall into their natural position creates a nice roasting shape without any fuss.
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Saves time – Not trussing removes a step from the prep process so the turkey is ready for the oven more quickly.
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Stuffing cooks better – An open cavity allows stuffing to cook through more effectively versus being compacted into a tighter space.
As you can see, there are good arguments on both sides of whether to truss or not. So how do you decide what’s right for your Thanksgiving turkey?
Should You Truss a Small Turkey?
The size of your turkey doesn’t need to dictate whether you truss it or not. A small 10-12 lb turkey can be trussed to give it a tidy, uniform shape. But trussing isn’t mandatory for a smaller bird to cook evenly. As long as you monitor the temperature and tent foil if needed, an untrussed small turkey will roast just fine.
For very large 20+ lb turkeys, trussing may be helpful to compact the bird and make it easier to maneuver in the oven. But again, a big untrussed turkey can still cook perfectly with the right roasting technique. Properly preheating the oven and leaving enough space around the pan for air flow is more important than trussing.
What Kind of String Should You Use to Truss a Turkey?
If you do decide to truss your Thanksgiving turkey, be sure to use the proper kitchen string:
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Butcher’s twine – Cotton butcher’s twine is best since it’s non-flammable and won’t melt or burn at high oven temperatures. Look for unwaxed, 100% cotton twine.
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Kitchen/Cooking twine – Similar to butcher’s twine, look for twine made specifically for cooking and rated for high oven heat.
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Cotton kite string – As a substitute, cotton kite string can work since it’s non-flammable. Just avoid any coated or treated varieties.
Avoid using dental floss or plastic twine from a grocery bag, as these can melt or burn at high roasting temperatures. The best practice is to keep butcher’s twine in your kitchen since it works for trussing birds as well as tying roasts.
How Should You Tie Up a Turkey?
If it’s your first time trussing, it may look complicated but it’s actually very easy. Here is a simple method for how to tie up your Thanksgiving turkey:
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Place turkey breast-side up on a work surface. Tuck wing tips under shoulders.
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Fill the body and neck cavities with aromatics or stuffing if desired.
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Turn turkey so the tail faces you. Cross the drumsticks, one over the other.
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Cut a piece of twine and wrap it around the crossed drumsticks and tie securely.
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Flip bird breast side up and transfer to roasting pan. Adjust twine as needed to tighten.
The legs don’t need to be tied too snugly against the breast. Just bringing them together nicely is enough to hold them in place. Make sure any stuffing inside the cavity is loosely packed so steam can circulate while cooking.
Should You Truss Turkey for Smoking?
For smoked turkey, trussing is optional since the legs and breast will cook low and slow at the same time. The main reason to truss a smoked turkey is for presentation, to hold everything neatly together. If you’re spatchcocking or butterflying the turkey for smoking, then trussing won’t be needed.
Does Trussing Affect Turkey Cooking Time?
Trussing shouldn’t significantly affect the cooking time, as long as you monitor it carefully and rely on a meat thermometer. The best way to tell when your turkey is done is to insert an instant read thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh and breast. Once both areas reach 165°F the turkey is ready.
If the breast temp is approaching 165°F way before the thighs due to trussing, tent foil loosely over the breast to slow it down while the legs finish up. Proper monitoring and temping is more important than whether the turkey is trussed or not when determining doneness.
The Perfectly Cooked Turkey Starts with Good Technique
While trussing does give your roasted turkey a picture-perfect look, it doesn’t automatically guarantee the most juicy, flavorful results. Your turkey will turn out moist and delicious every time by focusing more on these proper roasting techniques:
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Allow the turkey to air dry in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours before roasting. This helps the skin get ultra crispy.
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Generously coat the turkey skin with oil or butter and seasonings. Get seasoning evenly under and on top of the skin.
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Preheat the oven fully before roasting and use a good roasting pan. Give plenty of space around the pan for air circulation.
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Roast at a high temp (425°F) for the first 30 minutes to crisp the skin. Then reduce temp to 325°F for remainder of cooking.
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Baste the turkey with pan juices every 45 minutes while roasting to keep the meat juicy.
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Monitor the breast and thigh temp with a meat thermometer for doneness, not a timer. Cook to 165°F.
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Let the turkey rest at least 20-30 minutes before carving for juicy results.
Master these turkey roasting essentials, and your Thanksgiving bird will be moist and delicious whether you truss it or not. Don’t be afraid to experiment by trussing one year and leaving it untrussed the next to see which method you prefer. Over time you’ll find your ideal trussing approach for the perfect roasted Thanksgiving turkey.
The most important thing is to focus on food safety. Always thaw large turkeys over 24-48 hours in the fridge, cook it fully to 165°F, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Follow these guidelines and you’ll keep your guests happy and healthy over the holidays no matter how you cook your bird. Here’s wishing you a very happy and stress-free Thanksgiving
Position the Wings
Tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders to lock them into place and protect them from scorching. The positioning of the wings also helps stabilize the bird on a platter. Next. Youll tie the ankles of the legs together to cover the cavity and create a holiday-worthy presentation. Pick one of these methods for how to truss a turkey:
Hold the Legs In Place Using a Hock Lock
Most turkeys come with a plastic, or sometimes metal, contraption that holds the two legs together. You know…the piece that you always cut and pull out so you can stuff the cavity. This is called a “hock lock” and it’s meant to stay in place during the cooking to hold the legs in place. So if youre baking your stuffing outside the turkey (always a smart idea), you can rest easy. You dont need to truss the turkey if you have a hock lock—its already done for you.