This Is Exactly How Many Pounds of Turkey You Need Per Person
When turkey is the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving feast, you want to have enough for everyone at the table — and then some. Read on for a handy turkey serving chart as well as other buying tips.
How much turkey per person? It's the perennial question, along with whether or not to brine and whether that should be a dry or a wet brine. So many things to decide when it comes to turkey. Here are some of the key questions you'll want to ask yourself before you buy a Thanksgiving turkey, so you'll make the right decisions:
How Much Turkey Per Person?
One of the most frequently asked questions is what size turkey to buy. The rule of thumb is 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person with leftovers and 1 pound of turkey per person without leftovers. If your guest list includes a lot of kids, lean towards a smaller size turkey. If your guests are big eaters, lean towards a larger turkey. This turkey serving chart can help with suggested amounts based on the number of adults you're planning for, and whether or not you want leftovers.
When in Doubt, Go Bigger
If you still aren't sure how much turkey to buy, always err on the bigger side. Having extra turkey at the end of the meal is always better than running out of turkey before everyone's ready for dessert. Plus, you'll have plenty of turkey for leftovers — including some for your guests, too, depending on the priorities of your crowd.
If turkey leftovers seem daunting, or if you know you won't have time to immediately deal with them, remember that you can easily freeze the turkey meat and carcass for another day. This will ensure you don't waste a single bit of that big, beautiful bird!
Related: How to Reheat Turkey the Best Way
Should You Buy Fresh or Frozen Turkey?
Buying a fresh turkey or a frozen one depends on your time, preference, and resources: A fresh turkey usually costs more but doesn't need thawing. Some find fresh turkeys are more flavorful than frozen. Frozen turkeys are less expensive, but you'll need to plan ahead to give the turkey enough time to thaw before cooking, about one day in the fridge for every five pounds of turkey.
Related: 14 Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes of All Time
What Do Turkey Package Labels Mean?
Here are a few of the labels you might find on the package when you go turkey shopping, and more importantly, what they mean:
Self-Basting: The meat has been injected with a flavored solution that adds moisture during roasting. While this can free you up from brining and basting, you won't have complete control over how the meat tastes or how much sodium is in the basting liquid itself.
Natural: The turkey has been minimally processed without added flavors, brines, rubs, or salt. You get to choose exactly how to flavor your bird.
Organic: The turkey was raised without antibiotics in its feed. To ensure your turkey is truly organic, look for the label USDA Organic, which means the feed used was organic.
Kosher: The turkey has been brined with kosher salt during processing. This helps the meat retain moisture, but it also means you should not use a salted brine or dry rub when you cook it because it will only make it saltier.
Free-Range or Cage-Free: Turkeys are raised in a facility where they are allowed to roam for some part of the day.
Heritage: This term describes turkey breeds that meet the standards set by the American Poultry Association. In general, heritage turkeys are closer to the wild indigenous breeds the pilgrims might have feasted upon back in the day. And yes, they're a whole lot pricier than commercially bred turkeys. But many people say they prefer the deeper flavor of heritage turkeys.
To learn more about where your turkey came from and how it was raised, you can talk to your butcher or contact your turkey farmer. If you're interested in specialty turkeys such as heritage breeds or those raised on organic farms, you may have to order those a month or more in advance.
Related:
Get all the tips you need to cook the perfect turkey, from prepping and basting to roasting and carving.
Use this chart to determine the right turkey cooking time.
See our entire collection of Thanksgiving turkey recipes.
