Buzz
Trussing a turkey—or even a chicken—is much more straightforward than it seems. When I think of 'trussing,' my mind often goes to a pork tenderloin or some other boneless roast that gets secured with a series of knots to hold its shape. But trussing a whole bird is a different story. In just a few quick steps, and with very little kitchen twine, you can neatly shape your poultry for roasting.
Do you really need to truss a turkey?
In case you're unaware, it's not necessary to truss a turkey for your Thanksgiving meal. You can opt to spatchcock the turkey to save time and ensure more even cooking, or you can roast it in parts. But if trussing is a non-negotiable part of your Thanksgiving tradition, I'm here to guide you through the process.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Trussing a Turkey
Trussing meat typically involves tying it in a specific way to maintain an appealing shape. For a turkey or chicken, that means creating a rounded breast, neatly tucked wings, and legs arranged in a modest fashion.
Once your bird is fully thawed, the neck and giblets have been removed, and the turkey has been thoroughly brined, lay it breast side down on a baking sheet. I prefer placing mine on a wire rack over the sheet so that excess juices can drip off, making the bird easier to handle and less slippery.
1. Secure the neck skin
Turkeys typically have a large flap of neck skin. You can pin it down the back of the bird to achieve a neat, well-rounded appearance. This is also helpful for holding any stuffing ingredients inside if you're planning to stuff the turkey.
Take a long bamboo skewer and carefully insert it through the skin on the back, passing through one side of the neck skin, and then securing it on the opposite side in the same manner. If you don’t have a long skewer, or if you’re working with a smaller bird, you can use two toothpicks instead, each securing one side.
2. Tuck the wings
Flip the turkey so its breast faces up toward the ceiling. The wings will now be resting on the sides of the bird, with the sharp wingtips pointing upwards. If left like this, the tips will likely burn. Tucking the wings in will help avoid this, or you can wrap them in foil—but today, we’re trussing.
Use one hand to gently bend the wing at the joint, while using the other hand to lift the breast upward and tuck the wingtip underneath. The wing will hook behind the area where the neck skin is pinned. If the bird is properly thawed, this will be easy to do. Repeat on the other side. If you’re stuffing the turkey, this is a good moment to do so, before you tie the legs.
3. Tie the legs
The final step is tying the turkey’s legs. Some trussing methods require long lengths of kitchen twine to wrap around the body and loop to tie the feet. However, this isn’t necessary because we’ve already secured the wings.
Cut approximately 10 inches of kitchen string and have it ready. Cross the drumsticks at the bone—allowing them to hook neatly together—and wrap the string around the crossed bones. Don't overthink it—just wrap the string around three or four times and tie the ends. Honestly, if wrapped securely enough, you don't need to knot it; simply tuck the string between the legs.
And just like that, the trussing is complete. Your turkey should now resemble the perfect cartoon turkey, or at least it will once it comes out of the oven. Continue roasting your turkey as instructed in your recipe, and if you don’t have one, here’s a great simple one with cooking times and temperatures.
