Picture this: it’s Thanksgiving day, and you’ve just slaved making the perfect Thanksgiving menu. The stuffing’s baked, gravy’s cooked, and the turkey is roasted to perfection. It’s time to serve your beautiful meal to your hungry guests. Suddenly, it hits you – you don’t know how to carve the turkey. Now you’re on youtube watching a tutorial, your family is asking when the food will be served, and the whole evening is falling apart around you.

If I just described your worst Thanksgiving nightmare, you’re not alone. With the pressures of seeing family and hosting the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, some things are gonna slip through the cracks. This year, we’re here to guarantee that carving the turkey isn’t one of those things. From the best turkey slicing knives to the best carving techniques, we’re going to run you through the basics of perfectly carving a Thanksgiving turkey. 

The Best Turkey Slicing Knives

The first step to carving a turkey happens long before the bird is roasted. Making sure you have the right tools will make Thanksgiving day run smoothly, which means investing in the right turkey slicing knives. 

We’ve talked a lot about types of kitchen knives and knife steels in other blogs, but here’s the gist: Western steel knives are for heavy-duty tasks and Japanese steel knives are for delicate, detailed work. Both have their place in the kitchen, but Western steel is going to be your best friend when carving a turkey. Here’s what to look for in a turkey slicing knife: 

• Go for Western steel: A Western steel knife will be tough enough to withstand working around turkey bones.
• Choose a long blade: You’ll want to look for a knife with a long blade, like an 8” chef’s knife, a slicer, or a carving set.
• Don’t forget to sharpen: When slicing a turkey, the worst thing you can do is reach for a dull blade. To avoid shredding your meat, make sure to hone or professionally sharpen your knife ahead of the holiday.

^{German steel knives, like this Wüsthof Classic Carving Set, are perfect for slicing a Thanksgiving turkey.}

The Best Way to Slice a Turkey: Our Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1: Rest Your Turkey

When you remove your turkey from the oven, you’ll want to allow at least 20 minutes for it to rest. When a turkey roasts, all of its juices bubble to the surface, so resting time allows the juices to redistribute themselves throughout the meat, making it more tender and juicy. 

Once your turkey has finished resting, carefully transfer it to a large cutting board. It can be helpful to use a board with a juice groove, which will minimize mess as you slice your turkey.

Step 2: Remove the Legs, Thighs, and Wings

You’ll want to start the carving process by removing the turkey’s limbs, making the breasts easier to access. Here are our easy steps for removing a turkey’s legs, thighs, and wings. 

1. Use your hands to gently pull the turkey’s thighs away from the rest of the body.
2. Use a carving knife to slice along the joint between the thigh and the body. 
3. Once you reach the bone, set your knife aside and use your hands to gently pry the thigh backwards until you hear a snap. 
4. Use your knife to continue slicing through the popped joint, separating the rest of the thigh from the backbone. 
5. Repeat steps 1-4 with the other thigh. 
6. Use your hands to pull the wing away from the body until you hear a pop. 
7. Use your knife to slice through the joint, removing the wing from the body.
8. Repeat steps 6-7 with the other wing.

^{Epicurean cutting boards feature a juice groove that collects excess juices and ensures easy clean up.}

Step 3: Remove the Breasts

Once the limbs are removed, it’s simple to remove the breasts. A turkey has two breasts, separated by a breast bone that runs between them. Here are our simple steps for removing a turkey’s breasts:

1. Place your slicer just to the side of the breastbone.
2. Using gentle force, slice from the top of the turkey to the bottom, keeping close to the breastbone and making a long, deep cut. 
3. Next, place your slicer to the side of where you made your first cut. 
4. Slice around the bottom of the breast in a curving motion until you reach the bottom of your first cut. 
5. Use your hands to gently pull the breast from the body, starting at the breast bone and working down the side of the turkey. 
6. Repeat steps 1-5 with the other breast. 

Step 4: Slice the White Meat

Now that your breasts are removed, place them skin-side-up on a separate cutting board. Cutting across the grain, slice your breast meat into 1” slices, then transfer the sliced meat and your wings to a serving platter. 

Step 5: Separate your thighs and drumsticks

Next, you’ll want to separate your thighs from your drumsticks. Here’s how we recommend slicing your dark meat:

1. Gently slice at the joint between your thigh and drumstick, stopping when you reach bone. 
2. Use your hands to gently pull the thigh and drumstick apart until you hear the joint pop.
3. Place the thigh and drumstick on a serving platter. 
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with the other thigh and drumstick.

^{Stop by Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill to get all of the tools to ensure a stress-free Thanksgiving.}

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy!

The process of slicing a turkey causes it to lose a lot of its heat, so make sure to move fast and efficiently as you prepare your bird to be served. Then, all that’s left is to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, bond with your loved ones, and accept praise for your fantastic carving skills. 

If you’re looking for the perfect carving knife ahead of Thanksgiving, you’ve found the right place. Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill is the largest walk-in knife retailer and sharpener in New England, offering a wide variety of kitchen knives, kitchenware, home decor, and gifts. Stop by our Beacon Hill location to browse in-person, or check out our website to shop online!