Deboned Turkey / Chicken

This is currently my favorite way to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving. While it takes a bit of preparation, it cooks much quicker. Plus, the white meat can be cooked in a different pan from the dark meat. Since the white meat and dark meat cook at different rates and to different temperatures, having the different types of meat on separate trays allows you to move them in and out of the oven independently. The technique described here also works for a whole chicken.

The target temperatures depend on your personal preference. A common recommendation for food safety is to cook the breast (white) meat to 165°F / 74°C and the legs and thighs (dark meat) to 180°F / 82°C. I tend to pull the white meat at 155°F and the dark meat to 175°F, but that is my personal preference and not to be taken as a recommendation.

Another variable is the length of time needed to cook the meat. In all cases, the dark meat takes less time to cook than the white meat, so can be put in the oven a little after the white meat. For a 5lb chicken, (before removing the bones), I usually put the dark meat in 5 minutes after the white. The total cooking time for this sized bird is about 30 minutes for the white meat, then plan for letting the meat rest for 10 more minutes before cutting. A 17lb turkey, (before removing the bones), will take about an hour for the white meat to cook followed by resting for 20 minutes.

While no brining is needed, I like to season the entire turkey then put it in the refrigerator skin-side up overnight as that results in very crispy skin. If leaving the turkey uncovered in the refrigerator for an extended period of time, be sure that the skin covers as much of the meat as possible to avoid drying out the meat. If you do not have time for a several hour brining period, I would recommend letting the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes after seasoning to allow the salt to penetrate the meat some.

Timings

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Wait: About 1 hour 30 minutes for a 17lb turkey or 40 minutes from a 5lb chicken (includes resting)
Total: About 2 hours for a 17lb turkey or a little over an hour for a 5lb chicken

Equipment Notes

  • I use a thin deboning knife for this.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole turkey or chicken
  • Enough salt to lightly cover the entire turkey
  • Additional spices to taste such as:

    • Pepper
    • Ground sage
    • Ground thyme
    • Garlic powder (meat side only)
    • Onion powder (meat side only)

Steps

  1. Remove bones from the turkey or chicken. In the references section there are two videos that demonstrate how to remove the bones: one starting on the back (spine) side and the other starting on the top (breast) side. Either way works for me, although if I were going to be filling the turkey (or chicken) and rolling it up, I would start cutting from the back. Otherwise, I find it slightly easier to start from the top (breast) side. In both cases, the technique is similar:

    1. Cut off the wings slicing between the bone joints.
    2. Cut a slice all the way down the middle of the bird along the spine or between the breasts.
    3. Keep your knife resting against the center bones, (rib cage, etc.), make small slices on one side pulling the meat away as you go stopping before you reach the bottom.
    4. Along the way, cut through the bone joints connecting the thighs and (now removed) wings to the core of the bird.
    5. Cut along the top of the remaining bones then cut down the sides until you can work your knife under the bone. Then pull up the bone and slide your knife along the bottom and around the socket until you can remove the bone.
    6. Use tweezers or pliers, remove the tendons that are exposed when removing the leg bone.
    7. Rub your hands across the meat and remove any hard pieces you find.
    8. Even out the height of the breast meat by making a small slice down the thickest part and folding the resulting piece flat.

  2. Season the turkey on both sides to taste. Salt and pepper are spices I consider mandatory. Avoid putting spices on the skin side that can burn such as onion and garlic powder, although those can be used on the meat side.
  3. Separate the white meat from the dark mean and optionally separate the breasts. Place the pieces skin-side up on rimmed baking sheets with each sheet only having one type of meat on it (dark or white).
  4. Place the baking sheets in a 400°F / 200°C oven, possibly putting the dark meat in a little later than the white. Roast until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of your liking.
  5. Remove the turkey from the oven, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and let rest 10 – 20 minutes. The grease in the pans may be used for making gravy.

References