Turkey Purchasing Tips

The first time I made a turkey for a family dinner I was so stressed out. It wasn’t so much the actual cooking that I was worried about initially (that came later), it was making sure I selected the right turkey and that it wasn’t going to be too small! I recall standing in the meat section for an excessive amount of time and had no idea what to buy.

Here are a few tips that may help when trying to select and purchase the right turkey for your dinner. Hopefully these will help avoid any stress and guide you to getting the perfect bird.

What size turkey to buy

I love having leftovers for the next day so I always take that into account when purchasing my turkey. The general rule that I follow is to buy 1.5 lbs of turkey per person. While that may seem like a lot, it allows me to have leftovers for the next day and gives me the option of sending guests home with a small plate as well. For example, if I am having 10 guests, I usually purchase a turkey that is around 14-15 pounds.

If you don’t need leftovers, then you can go with 1.25 lbs of turkey per person.

My go to turkey is a fresh unstuffed turkey. Saves me from having to defrost it or to find space in my freezer for it. (I have a tiny freezer)

Fresh or Frozen?

I prefer buying a fresh turkey if I can find it. It is much less work in my opinion as you don’t need to do any defrosting. This may not always be possible as stores may be sold out, or you may not have enough fridge space to store a fresh turkey. If you do get a fresh turkey, keep note of the best before date or use by date! Don’t buy a turkey that has a use by date of Dec 23rd if you plan to cook it on the 25th.

If you get a frozen turkey, make sure you have enough room in your freezer to store it until you need to defrost it. One extremely important thing to keep in mind is the number of days it takes to defrost a frozen turkey. It isn’t just one day! A frozen turkey needs 24 hours of defrosting in the fridge for every 4-5 pounds. For example, if you have a 16 pound turkey, it will take about 4 days to defrost in the fridge.

Check out the USDA site for more details on safely defrosting a turkey. No one needs to get sick during your holiday dinner!

Stuffed vs. Unstuffed

I prefer an unstuffed turkey. They don’t take as long to cook, and you can make your own stuffing the way you like it! No need to stress about possible turkey contamination in the stuffing as well (yes, this can be a thing if you don’t cook it to the correct temperature).

I love the box stuffing so that is what I make every year (you know, the red box stuffing you see everywhere during the holidays). You can opt to make it from scratch too.

I hope you find these tips helpful when selecting your perfect turkey.

Happy holidays!