What To Do With Overcooked Turkey: 9 Ways To Save Your Bird

We’ve all been there – you’ve spent hours preparing the perfect holiday turkey, only to pull it from the oven and realize it’s dried out and overcooked Don’t panic! With a few simple tricks, you can rescue even the most overcooked bird and still have a delicious holiday meal. In this article, we’ll cover 9 easy ways to save your overcooked turkey.

Assess The Damage

First take a deep breath. Overcooked turkey happens to the best of us. Before you do anything else, assess the damage.

• Is the whole turkey overcooked or just certain parts like the breast? Dark meat like the legs and thighs is far more forgiving than white breast meat when it comes to overcooking.

• Check whether the skin is burn or blackened. This can impart an unpleasant taste.

• How dry or tough is the meat? Lightly dried out turkey can be rehydrated, but if it’s leathery or crunchy, your options are more limited.

Knowing how severely your turkey is overcooked will guide your game plan.

Moisten The Meat

If the turkey is slightly or moderately overcooked, adding moisture back is your best bet for improving both taste and texture.

• Submerge in broth. Place turkey pieces or slices in a broth bath. Cover and gently reheat in a 350F oven until warmed through, 15-20 minutes. The broth will rehydrate the meat.

• Coat with gravy. Put sliced turkey in a pan, pour gravy over the top, then cover and reheat at 325F for 15-30 minutes. The gravy provides instant moisture.

• Mist with broth. Once plated, mist turkey slices with turkey or chicken broth. The light coating adds just enough moisture to perk things up.

• Infuse with compound butter. Let flavors like lemon, garlic, and herbs in compound butter bring needed moisture and flavor to dried-out meat.

Adding liquid back into overcooked turkey through direct contact or steam rehydration is key. Use broths, gravies,sauces and flavorful fats like butter or oils.

Slice Strategically

How you slice the turkey can also minimize the effects of overcooking:

• Cut across the grain. This shortens the muscle fibers so meat seems more tender.

• Slice thin. Thin slices seem less dry than thick chunks.

• Cut dark meat small or shred. Disguise dried out white meat in dark meat mixtures.

• Cut off the ends. The tapered breast ends often overcook. Discard or dice up small for use in other dishes.

Strategic carving creates the illusion of moist, tender meat even when overcooked. Cut slices thin across the grain and be sure to incorporate dark meat.

Lean On Sides

Don’t forget about the delicious side dishes! Using them can help mask overcooked turkey:

• Pile on gravy or sauce. Let your savory gravy, cranberry sauce or creamed spinach do the work.

• Add moisture when plating. Surround turkey slices with moist sides like dressing, roasted veggies and mashed potatoes.

• Chop into side dishes. Dice turkey into stuffing, green bean casserole or any dish with a sauce.

• Feature dark meat. Shred leg and thigh meat for tacos, sandwiches, soups or casseroles so you can ditch the breast.

Let your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes come to the rescue! Moist, flavorful sides complement overcooked turkey wonderfully.

Get Creative With Leftovers

Leftover turkey drying out? Get creative with next day dishes:

• Make soup. Turkey noodle and wild rice soups are perfect for using up dry leftovers. The broth adds moisture as the meat simmers.

• Use in casseroles. Combine chopped turkey with flavorful sauces and cheeses in casseroles like King Ranch chicken. Bake until hot and bubbly.

• Stuff a sandwich. Mask dry turkey between bread, lettuce, cheese and condiments. Grilled cheese with turkey satisfies!

• Make turkey salad. Dice or shred turkey, then mix with a creamy dressing, celery, onion and spices for sandwiches or wraps.

• Try turkey hash. Sauté turkey pieces with veggies in butter. The fast cooking and bold flavors help immensely.

Get the most from leftover turkey! Soups, casseroles, sandwiches and salads are all smart ways to savor those leftovers.

Disguise With Spices and Herbs

No matter how you plan to use your overcooked turkey, spices and herbs can work wonders for boosting flavor.

• Coat with a spice rub. Spice blends with warm spices like cumin, curry, paprika, chili powder or garam masala can mask off flavors.

• Infuse with herbs. Rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano amp up turkey’s savory flavor. Try compound butters, herb oils or pesto.

• Season gravies and sauces. Boost gravy or sauce flavors with fresh or dried herbs, garlic, pepper, wine, citrus and other bold ingredients.

• Marinate before using. Soaking turkey pieces in a marinade adds back lots of flavor. Try salting for moisture and using oil, acids like vinegar or citrus, and spices.

Spices and herbs give big flavor for minimal effort. Infuse them into your turkey any way you can.

Deep Fry Pieces and Parts

One of the best ways to revive slightly overcooked turkey is by deep frying. High heat crisps up the skin and locks in moisture.

• Fry legs or wings. Smaller dark meat pieces are ideal. Fry at 350-375°F until skin is crispy and meat is heated through.

• Try breast nuggets. Cut breast meat into 1-inch chunks, coat in flour or panko, fry at 375°F for 5-6 minutes until golden and cooked through.

• Use a whole turkey. Inject oil and flavorings, then deep fry a small 5-8lb turkey. The high heat locks in juices.

Deep frying is magical for transforming leftover turkey. When cooked at the right high temperature, it emerges moist, crispy and full of flavor.

Make Turkey Croquettes

For very overcooked or dry turkey meat, croquettes are a great way to put it to use. Turkey is finely chopped or ground, then combined with a thick béchamel sauce, breadcrumbs and spices. Chilled, portioned out and fried until crispy, the soft, moist interior provides the perfect place to hide dried out meat. Make turkey croquettes of any size to serve as an appetizer or entree. Fry in small batches at 350-375°F until deeply golden. Freeze any extra croquettes to fry another day.

Turn Into Turkey Jerky

If all else fails, embrace the dried out nature of your turkey and turn it into homemade turkey jerky. Slice breast meat very thin across the grain, at least 1/4-inch thick. Marinate 6 hours to overnight in a flavorful mixture of soy sauce, honey, spices and other ingredients. Dry the slices in a dehydrator or low oven until chewy. Turkey jerky is delicious high-protein snack and lasts for weeks!

Don’t Lose Heart

Even experienced cooks overcook turkey sometimes. The good news is there are many techniques for salvaging even very overcooked turkey. A flavorful gravy can work magic, as can rehydrating in broth and strategic slicing. For particularly dry meat, consider deep frying pieces, turning it into croquettes or jerky. However your holiday turkey turns out, embrace those leftovers and get creative with casseroles, sandwiches, soups and more. With a little TLC, you can transform your overcooked bird into delicious dishes the whole family will love. Here’s to a happy and tasty holiday season!