The first few times you prepare a whole turkey, you don’t worry too much about the way it looks. As long as it’s ready on time and the meat tastes good, the appearance isn’t all that important.
That said, there are subtle touches that can have an effect on the quality of the finished product. To help you achieve optimum results, here’s our guide on how to tuck turkey wings.
How To Tuck Turkey Wings
To tuck turkey wings, set the bird on a work surface with the breast side facing up. Use one hand to lift the turkey a couple of inches, and the other hand to tuck the wing so that it’s underneath the turkey. Repeat this process with the wing on the other side.
Why You Should Try It
Tucking turkey wings will make the bird more visually appealing, but the reasoning behind the technique is actually a practical one.
Turkey wings are positioned on the outside of the bird, which means they’re exposed to the direct heat. They’re also relatively small, without a great deal of meat on the bone. When combined, these factors can result in wings that are extremely overcooked and dry.
It might not seem like that big of a deal for the wings to overcook. After all, they make up just a small percentage of the turkey’s overall mass. But if even a portion of the turkey is overcooked or burnt, it could affect the taste of the whole bird.
How To Tuck Turkey Wings Before Smoking or Roasting
To begin, pat the turkey dry with paper towels and position it on the work surface. If you’re roasting the bird, you can do this on the rack in the roasting pan.
Season the turkey as desired. It’s preferable to use melted butter, olive oil, or cooking spray as a binder for the spices.
Carefully lift one side of the turkey a few inches and cup the wing in your other palm. Tuck the wing beneath the shoulder portion of the turkey before setting the bird back down.
Repeat the process on the other side. This should prevent the wings from scorching as the turkey cooks.
How To Truss a Turkey
When you truss a turkey, you tie it into a compact shape, giving it a camera-ready appearance. Although it’s not always necessary to truss the turkey, doing so can contribute to an evenly cooked bird.
To begin, turn the turkey so that the breast side is facing down. If desired, fill the neck cavity with herbs or aromatic vegetables. You can also add prepared stuffing, as long as the mixture is warm or at room temperature.
Next, pull the flap of skin on the neck so that it covers the cavity. Use a wooden skewer to secure the flap to the backside of the turkey. Filling the neck cavity will make for a more impressive presentation, but it’s not a critical step in the process.
After flipping the turkey breast side up, your next step is to tuck the wings using the steps we’ve outlined above. You’ll notice that the turkey will be more stable on the work surface once you’ve tucked the wings. This will come in especially handy during carving.
You’ll also want to tie the legs together to prevent the stuffing from falling out and to create a more aesthetically pleasing shape. To start, rotate the bird so that the chest cavity faces you. Fill it with stuffing or the ingredients of your choice.
After bringing the legs together, use a long measure of kitchen twine to secure them. It’s best if you’re able to locate the midpoint between the two legs, but this doesn’t have to be an exact measurement. Just use your best judgement.
Once you’ve tied the legs, wrap the twine around them a few more times. Then trim away the excess twine so it isn’t dangling in front of the bird.
What if you don’t have any kitchen twine? First of all, we would recommend adding some to your shopping list. Kitchen twine comes in handy for many cooking applications, even if you only cook whole poultry once in a while.
In a pinch, you can use unwaxed dental floss to tie the turkey legs together. Make sure it’s unwaxed and unflavored, though, or it could ruin that portion of the turkey. Also, be forewarned that dental floss is very thin, so it can be difficult to remove later.
Season and cook the turkey according to your chosen recipe.
Can You Cook the Turkey With the Plastic Leg Holder Attached?
Most turkeys that are packaged and then frozen for sale in the supermarket will have a plastic ring-like device attached to the legs. This is known as the “hock lock,” and it’s there to secure the legs in place.
The hock lock should be made of heatproof nylon. That means it’s fine to cook the turkey without removing this device. It might even make it easier for you to tie the legs together with twine.
Of course, if you don’t like the way the plastic holder looks, you can cut it off and discard it. One word of caution, though: It’s better to leave it in place if you’re stuffing the turkey but don’t plan on trussing it.
Should You Cook a Turkey Breast Side Up or Down?
There are benefits to both methods. Which one you choose depends on your cooking method, the size of the turkey, or even the configuration of your unit.
It’s easier to roast a turkey with the breast side facing up, especially if you’ve put prepared stuffing in the cavity. The skin on the breast will turn crisp and golden brown, and the stuffing will stand a better chance of staying where it is.
However, since the breast meat is prone to overcooking, positioning the turkey with the breast side down may result in a moister bird. The downside? The skin on that portion will be soggy. It will also take on indentations from the roasting rack.
Some chefs will attempt to get the best of both worlds by starting with the breast side down, then flipping it to crisp up the skin. This seems to work pretty well with smaller birds, but if the turkey weighs more than 15 pounds or so, it’s harder to reposition it.
The guidelines are more straightforward when smoking a turkey. To prevent the white meat from overcooking, position the bird so that the breast side faces away from the direct heat source. For most units, that means the breast side will be facing up.
At What Temperature is the Turkey Considered Done?
Different rules apply for the white meat and the dark meat. All poultry needs to cook to at least 165 degrees in order to eradicate any potential bacteria. However, while the white meat is ideal at this temperature, that’s not high enough for the dark meat.
At temps above 165 degrees, the white meat on the breast will be chalky and dry instead of moist and tender. Meanwhile, cooking the legs and thighs to just 165 will result in stringy, rubbery meat.
We’ve found that 180-185 degrees is a good temperature range for the dark meat. If it looks like the breast will finish cooking before the legs and thighs can hit this temp, try tenting the bird with a length of aluminum foil for the latter part of the process.
The Bottom Line
Tucking turkey wings has definite visual appeal, but you can’t argue with the practical benefits of the technique, either.
What’s more, it’s a quick and easy process that even beginners should be able to grasp. Give it a try the next time you prepare a whole turkey. You’re bound to be pleased with the results.
Best of luck, and happy grilling!
