The Best Way to Roast a Turkey: Go For the Parts!

Roasting a whole turkey can be intimidating. How do you get the white and dark meat to cook evenly? Should you brine it first? What’s the best way to truss it? It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the details. But there’s an easier way – roast turkey parts instead!

As a passionate home cook and holiday host, I’ve tried all kinds of turkey roasting methods over the years From spatchcocking to deep frying, I thought I had conquered the beast But every once in a while, I’d still end up with a dried out breast while the thighs were underdone. That’s when I decided to break the turkey down into parts and cook them separately. This simple change made all the difference in getting perfectly cooked meat every time!

Why Roast Turkey Parts?

There are a few key benefits to roasting turkey parts rather than a whole bird:

Cooks faster: A whole turkey can take 3-4 hours to roast. Turkey parts cut that time nearly in half. The white and dark meat also cook at their own pace, instead of competing for heat inside one cavity.
Roasts more evenly: With a whole bird, the breast often dries out while you wait for the dark meat in the thighs and legs to finish cooking. Separating them prevents this issue.
Easier to prepare: No need to wrestle a 20 lb turkey in and out of the oven. Turkey parts are easier to season, baste, and carve.
Use only what you need: Buying a whole turkey means lots of leftovers. With parts, make just breast for sandwiches or just legs for soup. Get only what your meal requires.

Picking the Right Turkey Parts

The most useful turkey parts for roasting are

Breast: This is the lean white meat that many prefer. Choose bone-in for better flavor and moisture. Plan on about 1 pound per person.
Legs: Comprised of both thigh and drumstick, this fattier dark meat has the most flavor. Allow 1/2 to 3/4 pound per person.
Wings: These small flavorful parts are great for snacking. Figure 3-4 wings per person if serving as an appetizer.

You can use a whole turkey breast on its own or combine breast, legs, and wings in any ratio you desire. Just adjust cook times as needed.

Seasoning Your Turkey Parts

With the skin removed, turkey can be bland on its own. That’s why it’s important to season it well. Here are some tasty options:

Fresh herb rub: Blend chopped rosemary, thyme, sage and garlic. Slather under skin and on top.
Spice rub: Make a blend of smoked paprika, cumin, brown sugar and cayenne for a kick.
Brine or marinade: Soak turkey in flavored liquid before roasting. Try garlic, citrus, onions, or soy sauce.
Flavored butter: Mix compound butter with herbs, lemon, or other flavors and put under and on skin.
Stuffing: For bone-in breast or whole legs, stuff seasoning blend inside cavity before cooking.

Get creative and use any flavors that complement turkey!

Roasting Your Turkey Parts to Perfection

Follow these simple steps for roasting success:

Prep: Pat turkey parts dry. Loosen skin from breast and spreadseasoning underneath. Rub skin with oil or flavored butter.
Heat: Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a rack inside a roasting pan. Scatter veggies like onion and carrot in bottom to add flavor.
Cook: Place turkey parts on rack skin-side up. Cook breast for about 1 hour 15 mins, legs for 1 hour, wings for 40-50 mins.
Check: Breast should reach 165°F, thighs 175°F. Use a meat thermometer to test doneness.
Rest: Let turkey rest at least 15 minutes before carving for juicier meat.
Make gravy: Stir flour into the drippings to make a simple, delicious gravy.

Get Creative With Your Turkey Parts

Beyond traditional roasting, get creative with how you cook those turkey pieces:

Grill turkey legs for a smoky, charred flavor.
Fry or air fry wings until crispy like chicken wings. Toss in buffalo sauce!
Sous vide turkey breast for super juicy and tender meat.
Chop breast meat and sauté with veggies and sauce foreasy turkey stir fry.
Simmer legs and wings for turkey soup loaded with meat.
Shred thigh meat for turkey tinga tacos with spicy chipotle sauce.

The options are endless! Roast turkey parts make holiday hosting a breeze. But they also open up quick weekday meals all year round. Keep turkey parts stocked in the freezer and you’ll always be ready for a home cooked meal. Forget wrestling with a whole bird again. For easy, delicious turkey dinners, just say yes to the parts!

Frequency of Entities:
roast turkey parts recipe: 7
https://www.saveur.com/roast-turkey-parts-recipe/: 1
https://www.thespruceeats.com/roast-turkey-parts-instead-of-a-whole-bird-483392: 1
https://dizzypigbbq.com/recipe/crispy-juicy-oven-roasted-turkey/%3Fsrsltid%3DAfmBOorwg3LSIfMxwkY460q1S12p-ByXPddkb5AmqkjX-HRbXRCAD3Uv: 1

roast turkey parts recipe

Roast Turkey in Parts Recipe

1 whole turkey, 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8kg)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 large ribs celery, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
12 whole black peppercorns
1 quart (900ml) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, divided
2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon marmite
1 teaspoon (5ml) soy sauce

Using a sharp knife, remove legs from turkey and set aside. Using a large cleaver or heavy chefs knife, cut backbone and carcass away from the turkey breast. Separate turkey wings from breast. Chop backbone and carcass into rough pieces with the cleaver. Season liberally with salt and pepper. For best results, transfer turkey parts to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and let rest, uncovered, overnight in refrigerator (see notes).
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Spread onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns evenly across a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1 cup (240ml) stock into baking sheet; reserve remaining stock. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. (It may rest directly on top of vegetables—this is okay.) Set aside. Place turkey on top of rack on top of vegetables, trying to leave a little space between the turkey pieces.
Roast turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a breast piece registers 150°F (66°C), 2 to 3 hours total. Remove breast and set aside. Continue roasting legs until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F (77°C) when inserted into leg, about 30 minutes longer. (Depending on the pieces arrangement, the legs might finish at the same time as the breasts.) The turkey pieces will not be browned. Set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain vegetables from tray. Reserve liquid and discard vegetables.
While Turkey Is Roasting, Make the Gravy: Roughly chop carcass and neck into 1-inch chunks. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add turkey carcass and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned on all surfaces, about 10 minutes. Add remaining stock. Add water until turkey pieces are barely covered. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and allow to simmer while turkey roasts.
While turkey is resting, pour stock through the same strainer and add to reserved stock from strained vegetables. Discard solids. If desired, cut giblets into 1/4-inch pieces. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until melted. Add giblets and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is light blond in color. Slowly whisk in reserved stock, Marmite, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until desired consistency is reached, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
30 Minutes Before Serving Turkey: Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Place turkey in oven and cook until crisp and browned, turning breast once during cooking. Serve immediately with gravy.

Cooking Temperatures for Juicy, Evenly Cooked Meat and Crispy Skin

The easiest way to cook the bird is to roast all of the pieces in a 275°F oven on a couple of rimmed baking sheets fitted with a rack. Pull out the breast when it reaches 145°F (tent it with foil to keep it warm) and the legs/wings when they hit 165°F. After that, crank the oven back up to 500°F, and about 15 minutes before youre ready to serve, bang everything back inside to crisp up the exterior skin (or you can sear the breast piece in hot butter in a skillet). All told, roasting should take less than 2 hours for a 12 to 15 pound bird, which is significant savings over a traditional roast turkey. Carve the bird, and serve.

When you take your first bite of juicy, evenly cooked meat, I think youll agree its well worth the extra effort of butchery. Well, unless the Swedish Chef is on. Priorities, people.

Roast Turkey In Parts

FAQ

How long does it take to cook turkey parts?

Information

Turkey Product	Weight	Timing
Breast, Half	2 to 3 pounds	50 to 60 minutes
Breast, Whole	4 to 8 pounds	1 ½ to 3 ¼ hours
Thighs, Drumsticks	¾ to 1 pound each	1 ¾ to 2 ¼ hours
Wings, Wing drumettes	6 to 8 ounces each	1 ¾ to 2 ¼ hours

What to do with turkey parts?

My Approach to Perfectly Cooked Turkey. Since a whole spatchcocked bird is too large for most ovens, this recipe involves deconstructing the bird first. The backbone, neck and giblets can be used to make stock for gravy, and the legs, breast and wings can be cooked until they are perfectly done, and removed to rest.

Should a turkey be covered or uncovered when roasting?

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

Do you put liquid in bottom of roasting pan for turkey?

Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.