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Poultry · Turkey & duck

Turkey

Large poultry bird roasted whole for festivities; its lean breast and darker legs are also sold as cuts.

Also called: turkey meat, turkey breast

2 recipes with it

What it is

Turkey is a large bird native to the Americas. Breast meat is pale and very lean, and the legs and thighs are dark and richer. It is milder than duck and similar to chicken in flavour but larger-grained, and its breast dries out easily.

Meleagris gallopavo

How it’s used

  • Roast whole for Thanksgiving and Christmas
  • Breast steaks and escalopes, pan-fried
  • Sliced roasted breast for sandwiches
  • Leftovers in curries, pies and soups
  • Mole de guajolote in Mexico

Characteristics

Taste
Mild and savoury; legs are gamier.
Texture
Lean and firm in the breast, moist and fibrous in the legs.
When cooked
Breast finishes cooking before legs; brining, covering the breast or cooking the cuts separately help keep it moist. Rest a whole bird well before carving.
Sold as
fresh, frozen
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for grilling

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep sealed on the bottom shelf of the fridge. A frozen whole turkey needs several days to thaw in the fridge; allow roughly a day per 2 kg.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Raw poultry can carry Salmonella and Campylobacter. Cook until the thickest part reaches 74 °C (165 °F) and juices run clear.
  • Do not rinse raw poultry under the tap, which splashes bacteria around the sink; keep it on the bottom shelf of the fridge and use separate boards and knives from ready-to-eat food.
  • Cook stuffing outside the bird, or check that stuffing in the cavity also reaches 74 °C (165 °F).

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
115 kcal
Protein
22.64 g
Carbohydrate
0.14 g
Fat
1.93 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0.07 g

USDA FoodData Central: Turkey, whole, meat only, raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with turkey

More turkey & duck