Trussing a turkey is a crucial step to ensure even cooking and beautiful presentation when rotisserie roasting. Properly securing the wings and legs allows the turkey to rotate smoothly on the spit, distributing heat evenly for perfect results. Follow these simple turkey trussing techniques to beautifully roast birds on your rotisserie
Why You Should Truss Your Turkey
There are several advantages to trussing a turkey before rotisserie cooking
- Prevents the wings and legs from flopping as the turkey rotates. This promotes even cooking.
- Holds the turkey in a compact shape instead of letting it spread out. Improves presentation.
- Keeps stuffing neatly contained in the cavity. Stops it falling out while cooking.
- Allows the turkey to brown evenly all over. Gives great color and flavor.
Taking a few minutes to truss your bird makes a big difference in how it cooks and looks. Let’s break down the easy process in 6 steps.
Step 1: Get Your Trussing Equipment Ready
You’ll need about 5 feet of butcher’s twine or kitchen string. Make sure it’s rated for at least 170°F. Cotton twine is perfect for the job. It’s better to have too much string rather than too little, as you can trim off excess.
Step 2: Tie the Drumsticks Together
Place the turkey breast side up on your work surface. Take both drumsticks and cross them so they overlap slightly above the cavity Tie them snugly together here with a double knot
Step 3: Tuck the Wings Under the Turkey
Bend the wingtips backwards at the joint and tuck them under the breasts, arching them towards the legs. Position them neatly under the breast meat.
Step 4: Wrap Twine Around the Wings
Take your string and loosely loop it under one wing, over the back, and under the other wing. Lift the wings to wrap without pinching them. Tie off the string securely at the drumsticks.
Step 5: Add Twine Around the Breast
Take another length of string and wrap it around the widest part of the breast once or twice. Tie it off tightly to reinforce the wings.
Step 6: Check Your Trussing
Gently rotate the trussed turkey to ensure nothing can come loose. Make any adjustments needed before cooking.
7 Helpful Turkey Trussing Tips
Keep these handy tips in mind for perfect results:
- Use fresh string each time. Old twine can dry out and break.
- Tie legs snugly above cavity to contain stuffing.
- Wrap wings loosely to avoid pinching them.
- Position breast string where turkey is thickest.
- Check twine doesn’t cut into the meat.
- Confirm wings stay tucked when rotating.
- Trim excess string before cooking to prevent burning.
How to Cook Your Trussed Turkey
Once securely tied up, your turkey is ready for the rotisserie. Cook over indirect heat at 325°F until the thighs reach 175°F and the breasts 165°F. Let rest 20 minutes before carving.
The trussing helps the turkey cook incredibly moist, tender and flavorful. It also gives it a beautiful uniform shape.
Rotisserie roasting yields juicy, smoky flavored turkey with crispy skin. Taking the time to properly truss your bird pays off in perfection.
Common Turkey Trussing Mistakes
Trussing does take practice to get right. Watch out for these frequent errors:
- Not tying drumsticks together allows them to spread apart.
- Forgetting to tuck in wings leads to burning.
- Loose string enables stuffing to escape and causes uneven cooking.
- Excessively tight string that pinches and cuts the skin.
- Uneven browning because wings and legs aren’t secured.
- Using old, brittle string that snaps and unravels.
- Leaving excess string that burns instead of trimming it.
Trussing Turkeys for Other Cooking Methods
While rotisserie roasting benefits most from trussing, it can improve turkeys cooked by other methods too:
Oven Roasting:
- Keeps wings and legs close to the body so they cook evenly.
- Prevents skin tenting away from breast meat.
Grilling:
- Stabilizes floppy limbs and contains stuffing on the grill grate.
- Minimizes flare ups from drippings.
Smoking:
- Holds wings and legs in place for even cooking with indirect smoker heat.
Deep Frying:
- Lets turkey keep its shape for easier frying and removal from oil.
So take time to neatly truss your turkey, whether rotisserie roasting or using another cooking method. Your bird will thank you with perfectly cooked, juicy meat.
How to Truss a Turkey Step-by-Step
Follow these steps for a beautifully trussed turkey ready for rotisserie roasting:
1. Prepare Your Work Area
Clear a clean, spacious work surface with room to maneuver your turkey. Have your string, scissors, paper towels, and seasonings close at hand.
2. Pat the Turkey Dry
Remove your turkey from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Pat the skin and cavity thoroughly dry inside and out with paper towels.
3. Position the Turkey Breast-Side Up
Place the turkey on its back with the neck cavity facing you and wings to the side. The breasts should be facing up.
4. Fold the Wings Under
Take the wing tips and bend them backwards, tucking them under the breasts arched towards the legs.
5. Tie the Legs Together
Take your butcher’s twine and loop it around one drumstick, above the cavity. Pull it snugly and tie with a double knot. Repeat to tie the other drumstick.
6. Cross the Drumsticks
Take the drumsticks and cross one over the other into an X shape. Push them snugly together.
7. Wrap the Wings
Wrap string under one wing, up over the back, and under the other wing. Lift wings to wrap string without pinching.
8. Add Breast String
Take another length of string and wrap once or twice around the widest part of the breast. Tie it tightly.
9. Check Your Trussing
Rotate the turkey and make sure the wings and legs are securely bound. Make any adjustments needed.
10. Remove Excess String
Trim off any excess string to prevent potential burning during cooking. Your turkey is ready for the rotisserie!
Trussing Tips for Beautifully Cooked Turkeys
Keep these tips in mind when trussing:
- Use fresh string each time for best results.
- Tie drumsticks snugly together above the cavity.
- Wrap wings carefully to avoid pinching them.
- Tie breast string around thickest part for support.
- Check string doesn’t cut into the meat when tightened.
- Confirm wings stay tucked in when rotating turkey.
- Remove excess string before cooking to prevent burning.
- Let roasted turkey rest 20 minutes before carving for juiciest meat.
Get Creative with Seasonings
Beyond proper trussing technique, make the turkey uniquely your own with creative seasonings. Coat it with fragrant herbs, spice rubs, citrus zest or consider inserting flavorful compounds butter under the skin.
Enjoy the Ritual of Trussing
Rather than seeing trussing as a chore, embrace it as a relaxing ritual. It’s satisfying to engage with your food up close, evoking family traditions and recipes passed down through generations. The time spent trussing makes the first bite of your perfectly roasted turkey even more rewarding.
So as the holidays approach, look forward to gathering your supplies and delicately trussing your turkey. With the bird neatly tied up, reward your efforts by cooking it to crispy, juicy perfection on the rotisserie.
Remove Product? Are you sure you want to remove the following product from the cart?
Rotisserie chicken, with crackling skin and tender meat, is one of the best things you can cook on your grill. Now, rotisserie chicken is a little extra work – the bird has to be trussed into a tight package and secured on the rotisserie spit – but a great chicken it is worth the effort.
Trussing a chicken is a little tricky. There are wings, legs, and drumsticks sticking out everywhere, and they need to be locked down. Flopping wings and wobbly legs will pull the bird loose from the spit forks as the meat cooks and tenderizes.
Oh, and one trick to tying the knots when trussing – use a double loop to start the knot. This adds extra tension when you pull tight, and holds the first tie in place while you complete the second tie to finish the knot.
Note: I’m using chicken as my example, but this trussing technique works on all types of poultry, from the smallest Cornish hen up to the largest turkey. The only difference is size.
Cut a piece of twine four times the length of the bird.
Fold the wingtips tight under the bird; this locks them in place, so they won’t flop around on the grill.
Set the bird on its backbone, with the drumsticks pointing at you and the breast and wings away from you.
Find the middle of the piece of twine, reach around to the front of the bird, and loop that middle over the nub of the neck.
Wrap both sides of the twine around the breast, just above the wing, and bring them together at the cavity behind the bird.
Tie a knot at the cavity – remember, start the knot with a double loop – and pull the knot tight to plump up the breast.
Next, tie the drumsticks. Take the ends of the twine in both hands and bring them down between the knobs of the drumsticks. Loop them out and up to catch the knobs, then pull the knobs of the drumsticks together by tying the double loop and pulling tight. Keep tightening the knot and pushing on the knobs until they cross, forming an X.
Continue to tighten the knot and push the knobs towards the cavity until the drumsticks are up against the first knot.
Finish off the knot and trim any extra twine.
Tighten the first spit fork on the spit.
Run the spit through the bird, starting at the cavity in the back, and sink the forks into the thighs.
Slide the second spit fork on to the spit and push the fork into the bird’s breast meat just above the wings. Keep pushing until the bird is squeezed between both forks.
Make sure the bird is centered on the spit, then tighten the second fork to lock the bird in place.
That’s it – the bird is ready for the rotisserie.
Adapted from: Rotisserie Grilling by Mike Vrobel. Visit Mike at DadCooksDinner.com.
How to Truss and Spit a Turkey for the Rotisserie
FAQ
How do you balance a turkey on a rotisserie?
If grilling with the rotisserie ring, be sure to set the counterweight to the side opposite of the breast meat. This helps balance out the turkey and reduces stress on the rotisserie motor.
How long to rotisserie a 14 lb turkey?
For a 14 pound turkey, figure about 2 to 2 ¼ hours of grilling, when the deepest part of the thigh reads 170 F with an instant read thermometer or iGrill to …
How do you truss a turkey?
To secure the wings to the turkey, trussing is necessary. This process involves using twine to tie the legs and wings to the turkey. It ensures that the turkey cooks evenly on all parts. To truss the bird, wrap baker’s twine around the body of the turkey and then cross the twine under the bottom of the bird.
Should you truss a turkey before roasting?
Trussing a turkey before roasting it is important for keeping the legs and wings close to the body, ensuring that everything cooks evenly. This simple method requires some kitchen twine and knowledge. The act of trussing also closes the turkey breast cavity, preventing the breast from drying out before the thighs and legs are properly cooked.
How do you tie a turkey leg up with twine?
Cut a long piece of kitchen twine and position the mid-point between the turkey legs. Bring the legs together and wrap the twine around them a couple of times. Tie firmly and cut off most of the excess twine. Check out our collection of Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes.