How to Roast a Turkey in Parts for Perfectly Cooked Meat

To roast turkey pieces instead of a whole turkey, you’ve heard how quick and easy it is. The turkey is also more juicy. Now learn how to do it!.

Eating the big Thanksgiving turkey each year is something to look forward to. But the process of thawing, brining, and cooking that whole turkey might be more of a dreaded process. If you’d rather not follow the steps I’ve written out for you on how to roast a turkey, I have an easier and more interesting idea for you.

roasting turkey in pieces! Cooking turkey pieces separately makes them taste even better and is much easier to handle.

Roasting a whole turkey can be challenging due to the different ideal cooking temperatures for white and dark meat. A great solution is to separate the bird into parts and roast each at the optimum temperature. This results in tender, juicy breast meat and succulent, flavorful legs and thighs. Read on for tips on how to roast turkey parts along with seasoning suggestions and gravy-making

Why Roast Turkey Parts?

Roasting turkey in parts instead of as a whole bird has several advantages:

Cook white and dark meat to their ideal doneness without drying out the breast
Get crispy skin all over the turkey, not just the outside areas
Season the various parts individually based on their flavor profiles
Fit turkey pieces in the oven and on pans better than an awkward whole bird
Make rich gravy from the bones and easy leftover picking

While less traditional looking, your feast will taste even better when you roast a deconstructed turkey

How to Separate Turkey Parts

Here are the basic steps for breaking down a whole turkey:

Remove the legs by cutting through the hip joints. Separate drumsticks from thighs.
Cut along both sides of the turkey backbone to remove it. Save backbone for stock.
Flatten the breast and cut down the center to separate into two halves.
Remove wings by cutting through the joints where they attach.

You can ask the butcher to do this messy work! Or watch handy YouTube tutorials on turkey butchery.

Seasoning Suggestions

With more exposed surface area, seasoning possibilities open up:

Breast – Rub with olive oil, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, rosemary
Legs – Massage with citrus, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder
Wings – Coat in melted butter, garlic, oregano, chili flakes
Gravy – Simmer backbone and wings in stock with aromatics like onion, celery, peppercorns

How to Roast Turkey Parts

Heat oven to 325°F. Arrange turkey pieces skin-side up on rimmed baking sheets.
Roast breasts until internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes. 160°F yields ideal moistness for breast meat.
Roast legs and thighs until 175°F, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Dark meat benefits from higher temp.
Roast wings alongside legs for extra crispy skins, about 1 hour total time.
If desired, broil turkey parts at very end to further crisp skins. Watch closely to avoid burning.

Make Giblet Gravy

Simmer turkey backbone and wings in chicken or turkey stock with vegetables and herbs while roasting.
Strain liquid into saucepan, skimming fat. Whisk in flour to thicken.
Sauté cooked giblets, mushrooms, and onion. Add to gravy along with seasonings.
For extra richness, swirl in pat of butter just before serving.

Carve, Serve and Enjoy!

Let roast turkey parts rest at least 15 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute. Carve breasts across the grain into thin slices. Separate legs from thighs and carve each. Pile platter high with perfect turkey colors and textures. Spoon on the giblet gravy and enjoy your holiday feast!

Roasting a deconstructed turkey yields superb results from the white to dark meat. Follow these tips for moist, seasoned pieces and rich homemade gravy at your next Thanksgiving or holiday meal. Your guests will be impressed with your skill at roasting turkey parts for ideal doneness.

roast turkey parts recipe

Why Roast Turkey In Parts

Cooking turkey pieces instead of a whole turkey will ensure that every piece is perfectly cooked. Even though it won’t be as exciting as carving a turkey at the table, the perfectly juicy and moist turkey will be well worth the wait.

With this method, you don’t have to baste or worry about the skin burning, so once the pieces are in the oven, you don’t have to do much.

Also, the turkey pieces give the hot oven air more places to move around, which makes the skin crispier.

Another good thing about cooking turkey in pieces is that you can cook more of the pieces that everyone likes and less of the ones that they don’t. If your family and friends like drumsticks and thighs more than turkey breasts, you can buy more drumsticks and thighs and not buy any breasts. The turkey doesn’t have to be carved right before it’s served, but if that’s something your family does, sure.

Cons Of Cooking Turkey Pieces

You need to monitor the temperature and doneness. Things are checked and moved in and out of the oven more often because the breasts and wings don’t need to be there as long as the thighs and legs. It does result in every piece being cooked to perfection though.

There’s no beautiful, whole turkey to present. If you look forward to seeing that whole roasted turkey on the dinner table, this could be disappointing. But I still think these perfectly cooked turkey pieces look pretty amazing.

You’ll Never Go Back To Your Old Turkey Method After This

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?

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. Brining is optional, but recommended for moisture and flavor. I have found that even turkeys that have been treated with a solution benefit from brining.

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.

How do you use all the parts of a turkey?

You can cook them all together in a roasting pan as we describe below or use different cooking methods for each part. Roast the legs while you slow cook the breast, or braise the thighs on the stovetop to free up the oven for side dishes.

How do you make a perfectly cooked turkey?

The key to making perfectly cooked turkey lies in roasting the turkey in parts. By breaking down a turkey and roasting it in parts, every inch of the turkey cooks evenly, and can be pulled out of the oven as it hits its ideal temperature. No sacrificing light meat for perfectly cooked dark meat, or vice versa. Every part is cooked perfectly!

What are the best parts of a Turkey to roast?

A: The best parts of a turkey to roast are the breast, wings, and thighs. These parts are all relatively tender and cook evenly. The breast is the most popular part of a turkey to roast, as it is the largest and most flavorful. The wings and thighs are also delicious, and they are a good option for people who want a more economical cut of meat.

Can I roast turkey parts instead of a whole bird?

Here’s how to solve this dilemma: roast turkey parts instead of a whole bird! When cut away from the bird, the legs and thighs cook more quickly while the whole breast, which is much larger, takes a bit longer to cook. Choose one herb mixture or rub and use that on all of the turkey parts.

What temperature should a roast turkey be cooked to?

Let me make a prediction: You will never have that reaction to a traditional roast turkey. Here’s the problem with turkey: above 145°F or so, white meat begins to dry out. Dark meat, with its connective tissue, on the other hand, has to be cooked to at least 165°F.