How to Wash a Turkey for Cooking

Washing a turkey before cooking is a common step in preparing the bird, but there is some debate around whether it is actually necessary or safe Here is a guide to everything you need to know about washing turkeys before cooking them for optimal flavor and food safety

Should You Wash a Turkey Before Cooking?

The USDA used to recommend washing raw turkeys before cooking, but in recent years they have updated their guidelines and now advise against this practice.

Washing raw poultry can actually help spread bacteria like Salmonella because the water droplets can splash and contaminate surfaces around your kitchen Cooking the turkey thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F is sufficient to kill any bacteria present

However, there are two instances when you may want to rinse a turkey:

If it was brined – Rinsing off the excess brine from the cavity before roasting can help reduce the saltiness.
If there is still ice packed inside – Leftover ice should be removed to prevent it from affecting the turkey’s cooking.

So in most cases, for food safety reasons, you should avoid washing or rinsing your turkey and just place it directly in the roasting pan after removing it from the packaging.

How to Wash a Brined Turkey

If you soaked your turkey in a saltwater brine before cooking you will want to rinse off any excess brine from the cavity before roasting. Here are the proper steps

Clear your sink of any dishes or food items and clean it thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
Fill the sink with 2-3 inches of fresh cold water.
Remove the turkey from its packaging and place the cavity under running cool water in the sink, letting it flow gently through the inside of the turkey.
Drain the excess water by holding the turkey cavity-side down over the sink before transferring it to your roasting pan.
Avoid letting the outside of the turkey contact the sink water.
Dry the turkey thoroughly with paper towels before seasoning the outside and putting it in the oven.

The key is to rinse just the cavity to remove excess salt, without introducing any water to the outside of the turkey which could spread bacteria.

How to Remove Ice from a Turkey

Some turkeys come packed on ice inside the cavity to help keep them chilled. Any remaining ice should be removed before cooking for even heating.

Follow these steps:

Keep the turkey in its original wrap or bag while thawing if it was frozen. This helps contain any ice melt.
Once thawed, remove the turkey from the packaging and discard any liquid.
Reach inside the cavity and neck area and remove any remaining ice chunks or ice crystals.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels before seasoning and roasting.

Can You Soak a Turkey Before Cooking?

While a quick rinse of the cavity is okay for a brined bird, soaking the entire turkey in water before roasting is not recommended.

Soaking can promote cross-contamination in your sink and does not provide any benefit in terms of flavor or food safety. Bacteria on the surface will still be killed during cooking.

Should You Use Hot or Cold Water to Rinse a Turkey?

Always use cool, fresh water when rinsing the cavity of a brined turkey. Avoid hot water, which could start to cook the meat before it goes in the oven.

How to Clean Your Sink After Washing a Turkey

Proper cleaning of any surfaces that contacted raw turkey is important to avoid spreading bacteria like Salmonella.

Here are some tips for cleaning your sink:

Wash surfaces with hot, soapy water.
Rinse with a diluted bleach solution: 1 tbsp bleach per 1 gallon of water.
Let surfaces air dry completely before using again.
Wash any plates, utensils, or prep tools that may have touched the raw turkey.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water.

Should You Pat a Turkey Dry Before Cooking?

Yes, thoroughly patting your turkey dry with paper towels is recommended after rinsing or thawing. Removing excess moisture on the surface helps ensure even crisping of the skin as it roasts.

Can You Brine a Turkey Too Long?

Most experts recommend brining a turkey for no longer than 24 hours. Excessive brining beyond that can result in the meat becoming too salty.

If your turkey has been brining for over 24 hours, rinsing the cavity well with cool water can help remove some of the absorbed salt.

Signs Your Turkey Was Over-Brined

Look for these signs that your turkey may have been soaked too long in the brine:

The meat tastes overly salty.
The texture seems dense or rubbery.
The color is darker with grayish areas.

While an over-brined turkey may not be ideal, it is still safe to eat after cooking to 165°F. The flavor can be improved by rinsing well before roasting and serving with gravy or sauce to mask the saltiness.

How to Dry Brine a Turkey

Dry brining, or salting the turkey well in advance, can also add flavor. To dry brine:

Pat the turkey dry and rub salt generously over the entire surface 1-3 days before cooking. Use 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound.
Chill the turkey uncovered in the fridge so the salt can penetrate deeply.
There is no need to rinse off the salt before roasting. Simply pat dry and proceed with your normal roasting method.

Can You Brine a Frozen Turkey?

It is best to thaw your turkey completely before brining. Brining is most effective when the salt solution can fully penetrate into the meat, which it cannot do through frozen meat.

If you are short on time, you can brine a partially frozen turkey, but it may take longer for the flavors to soak in. Make sure the brine fully surrounds all the meat.

Can I Stuff a Turkey After Brining?

Yes, it is safe to stuff a brined turkey before roasting. Make sure the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165°F as measured by a food thermometer during cooking.

If the turkey was over-brined and you’re concerned about the meat being too salty, you may consider preparing your stuffing with low-sodium broth and seasonings.

Should You Brine a Kosher Turkey?

Kosher turkeys have already been heavily salted as part of the koshering process. For this reason, soaking them again in a saltwater brine usually isn’t necessary and may make the flavor too salty.

If you want to enhance the flavor, try dry brining instead by rubbing the surface with spices, brown sugar, citrus, or herbs.

Can You Brine a Frozen Kosher Turkey?

Since kosher turkeys are pre-salted, there is no advantage to brining a frozen one. The brine cannot penetrate deeply enough through the frozen meat to provide any added flavor. It’s best to thaw a kosher turkey before cooking.

While rinsing the inside cavity of a brined turkey is okay, washing the exterior of the raw turkey is no longer recommended for safety reasons. Thorough cooking to an internal temperature of 165°F will kill any bacteria present on the meat. Follow these tips for properly rinsing and drying your turkey before roasting it to perfection.

how do you wash a turkey

Co-authored by:

To clean a turkey, start by thawing it completely and then taking off the packaging. Then, put the turkey in the baking dish youll be cooking it in. Next, reach inside of the turkeys body cavity and pull out the neck and giblets inside so that the inside of the turkey is hollow. If youre cooking a turkey thats already been brined, rinse out the cavity with cold water. Otherwise, after you take the neck and giblets out, the turkey is ready to be cooked. To learn how to pluck and clean a wild turkey, scroll down!

Skinning a Wild Turkey

1 Skin the turkey if you want to grill it or fry it in separate pieces. Skinning a turkey is typically faster and cleaner than plucking it. It’s a great option if you’re planning to grill or fry your turkey in separate pieces.
2 Hang the turkey up at chest level. Use strong rope to tie the turkey up by both feet, attaching it to a sturdy tree branch or beam. Tie the feet up separately, so that they’re 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) apart. Tip: You can hang the turkey to any height, but keeping it at your chest-level will make for the easiest skinning process.
3 Remove the turkey’s beard, fan, and wings. Grasp the beard close to the body, twist it halfway around, then give it a firm tug to remove it from the breast. Set it aside or discard it, then remove the turkey’s fan by cutting the skin away from the tail. Then, move on to the wings, cutting them off at the elbow or the second joint.
4 Skin the tail and remove the neck. Hold the skin of the tail and start to pull it down the body. Use your hands to gently work it off around the wings and chest. Pull it down until it’s at the turkey’s neck, then stop.
5 Cut off the neck and skin to finish the skinning process. Use a sharp, strong knife to cut off the turkey’s head and neck, starting 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) above the neck’s connection to the body. This will also take off the extra skin and feathers that you’ve pulled down.
- Set the skin and head aside or discard them.
6 Remove the turkey’s innards before cooking or preserving it. To remove the turkey’s insides, carefully open up the body cavity with a knife and remove the entrails. Wear gloves to protect your hands and make sure to remove all of the lung material, which is connected to the backbone, since it can rot quickly.
7 Remove the legs and place the turkey in a baking dish if you want to cook it whole. If you prefer to cook or preserve your whole turkey, first cut off the legs at the knee or second joint, using a sharp, strong knife. You’ll keep the thighs and drumsticks attached but remove and dispose of the scrawnier part of the leg, which won’t have as much meat. Place it on a large baking dish if you’re ready to cook it.
- If you want to freeze your turkey, put it in 2 plastic freezer bags and seal it as tightly as possible. You can keep it for up to 7 months before using it.
8 Separate the breast fillets, thighs, and legs if you want to cook it in separate pieces. To cut the turkey into sections, lay it on its back and cut it along each side of the breastbone and on the inside of either wing. Pull at the breast fillet and use the knife to loosen it and lift it away from the breast bone, working from the rear to the front.
- To remove the thigh and leg of the turkey, cut through the thigh muscle at the back, then pull it up with your hand until the joint pops. Continue cutting through the thigh until you can remove it.
- If you have a smaller freezer, cutting your turkey into smaller pieces will make it easier to preserve. Put each section in 2 sealed plastic freezer bags and keep the turkey for up to 7 months before using.

How To Clean And Prep A Turkey The Right Way | No Dirty Turkeys

FAQ

Are you supposed to wash turkey before cooking?

No, raw chicken and turkey should not be washed before cooking. Washing poultry can spread bacteria, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, to other surfaces in your kitchen through splashing water.

Do you wash turkey with vinegar?

when the water starts running clean, I pour white vinegar over it. I let it sit for 5 minutes. I rinse. and then I pour the juice of 5 limes over the bird. and into the bird, I massage the acid into it. and I flip it over and do the same to the other side. I rinse it under cold water until it runs clean.

How do you bathe a turkey?

Birds will typically enjoy the warm water. Some will go to sleep, so watch they do not drop their head into the water and drown. Step 2: Put a small amount of shampoo on the bird and wash every part of the bird. Wash in the direction the feathers grow, taking care not to break any.

How do you clean a raw turkey?

Wash your hands, sink, and anything else that has touched the raw turkey. To avoid cross-contamination, wash your hands and forearms with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds after handling the turkey. Then, use hot, soapy water to clean any utensils and kitchen surfaces you used, such as the countertop or sink.

Do I need to rinse the inside of a Turkey?

Just like with the outside of a turkey, there’s no need to rinse the cavity. All you need to worry about is removing the neck and giblets. Now, if you’re working with a brined bird, you will need to rinse the inside. Ree Drummond likes to rinse the inside and outside of her turkey under a running faucet with cold water for several minutes.

Do you need to wash a Turkey outside?

You don’t need to scrub or rinse the outside of the turkey at all. Place the roasting pan right next to the sink and cover the surrounding area with paper towels in case of any spillage. Avoid washing the turkey if it’s not brined. Washing poultry, including turkey, won’t actually do anything to remove bacteria.

Should you wash a frozen turkey?

It then transfers to other foods. Heat kills bacteria – Cooking the turkey to 165°F destroys bacteria. Washing is unnecessary and risky. Partial thawing raises risk – Washing a partially frozen turkey allows bacteria to spread to sinks and surfaces. The USDA, CDC, and food safety experts agree: do not rinse raw poultry.

Should you wash a brined Turkey before roasting?

The wisest approach is taking the turkey straight from the package to the roasting pan. There is one exception – if you brined the turkey first, it needs a quick rinse. The salt and seasoning should be removed before roasting. Even when washing a brined bird, take steps to minimize bacteria spread:

What happens if you wash a Turkey?

Kitchen items get contaminated – Your hands, cutting boards, utensils etc get covered in bacteria during washing. It then transfers to other foods. Heat kills bacteria – Cooking the turkey to 165°F destroys bacteria. Washing is unnecessary and risky.