How Long Should You Let a Turkey Rest Before Carving?

Carving the turkey is one of the most anticipated moments of any holiday meal. After hours of roasting or smoking, everyone is eager to dig into the juicy, flavorful meat. But before you can carve and serve that beautiful bird, it’s crucial to let it rest first. So how long should you let a turkey rest before carving?

Why You Need to Let the Turkey Rest

Letting a roasted or smoked turkey rest before carving serves a few important purposes:

• It allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat. As the turkey cooks, the juices get pushed to the outer edges. Resting gives them time to reabsorb back into the meat.

• It gives the turkey time to finish cooking The inner temperature will continue rising another 5-10°F during the rest,

• It makes carving easier and neater. The turkey firms up a bit as it cools, making neat, even slices easier to cut.

If you skip the resting step, the turkey will release all those flavorful juices onto the cutting board as you carve. The drier meat won’t be nearly as moist and delicious. Letting it rest prevents this tragedy.

How Long to Let a Turkey Rest

The resting time depends on the size of the turkey:

• Small turkeys (under 12 lbs): Rest for 20-30 minutes
• Medium turkeys (12-16 lbs): Rest for 30 minutes
• Large turkeys (16-20 lbs): Rest for 30-45 minutes
• Extra large turkeys (20+ lbs): Rest for 45-60 minutes

A good rule of thumb is to rest a turkey for at least half an hour. For very large birds, up to an hour of resting time is ideal.

Smoked turkeys can be rested for slightly less time – around 15-30 minutes is sufficient in most cases

What Happens If You Rest It Too Long?

You don’t want to let the turkey rest for longer than 2 hours. After sitting out that long, bacteria can start to grow rapidly on the turkey as it cools down below 140°F.

The turkey also won’t be quite as warm and inviting if you rest it for several hours For the best texture and flavor, serve it within 1-2 hours of cooking.

How to Rest a Turkey Properly

Follow these tips for properly resting your turkey:

• Place the turkey on a cutting board or rimmed baking sheet. Allow air circulation underneath.

• Loosely tent foil over the turkey, but don’t wrap it tightly. You want the steam to escape.

• Resist the urge to slice or poke it! Leave it undisturbed as it rests.

• Check the inner temp with a meat thermometer. It should reach 165°F after resting.

• Make pan drippings gravy while the turkey rests.

• Keep the turkey warm by tenting foil over it if it will rest for over an hour before serving.

Getting the Bird Ready to Carve

Once the turkey has rested sufficiently, it’s time to carve it up. Follow these steps:

• First, remove any stuffing from the cavity and carve it separately.

• Use a sharp carving knife and carving fork for best results.

• Slice the breast meat first. Make vertical slices against the grain of the meat.

• Remove the wings and legs next. Cut through the joints to separate them.

• Finally, carve the thigh and drumstick meat from the bone in slices.

• Arrange the sliced meat neatly on a serving platter. Pour over any pan juices.

Serving an Extra Moist and Delicious Turkey

Letting the turkey rest before carving really makes a big difference in both flavor and texture. The juices have time to redistribute, keeping the meat incredibly moist and full of flavor. Resist digging in too soon, and your patience will be rewarded with the perfect holiday turkey.

Frequency of Entities:
turkey: 23
rest: 16
carve: 7
juices: 6
meat: 5
cook: 3
cut: 3
bird: 3
flavor: 2
smoke: 1
roast: 1
hour: 1
min: 1
lb: 1
foil: 1
temp: 1
bacteria: 1
board: 1
dripping: 1
gravy: 1
cavity: 1
breast: 1
wing: 1
leg: 1
thigh: 1
drumstick: 1
platter: 1
grain: 1
fork: 1
knife: 1
pan: 1