10 Ways to Cook a Turkey

It’s November and that means Thanksgiving is coming up quickly. That being said, I haven’t cooked a whole turkey since the summer of 1982 when I was a cook at a summer camp and I cooked turkeys for 100 campers every other Friday night. Those were basic turkeys and I had to follow the camp recipe so…I consider myself a turkey novice to this day. This is why I researched 10 Ways to Cook a Turkey and thought I’d share those findings with you.

The first 15 years of my life Thanksgiving was hosted by my Auntie Evie and she did the turkey. The next 40+ years my mom cooked the turkey, except for 2. Thanksgiving 2015 was 1 week after my dad passed away and we ordered a premade turkey meal from Publix, it was ok. Thanksgiving 2020 was the first Thanksgiving after my mom passed. My sister ordered a turkey from the Honey Baked Ham company but we made all the sides. It was better than 2015 but still not right.

This year my sister’s family is traveling to my niece’s boyfriends family across the state. Aaron and his family are making their annual trek to Tennessee, and Jordan and Savannah are hosting Thanksgiving on Saturday. My problem is I love turkey and I love Thanksgiving. It may just be Ron and I together on Thursday, so far the friends I’ve reached out to all have big family plans, but I want at least a mini Thanksgiving dinner then too. We talked about just doing a turkey breast but, I’m thinking maybe cooking a small turkey so that is what led me to search my friend’s blogs for turkey recipes.

Whether you’re looking for a new way to cook your turkey or maybe you’ve never cooked one before, I hope you find a new idea or two below.

10 Ways to Cook a Turkey for Thanksgiving

• This Butter Basted Turkey from The Sassy Foodie is packed with spices. This turkey is of the moist-est you have ever tried. The best part is that there is no brining required.

• If you want a juicy turkey that’s evenly cooked with the crispiest skin ever, this Spatchcock Turkey from Flavor the Moments is the recipe for you! It comes out perfect every time and cooks up in under an hour and a half!  

• Diana from Little Sunny Kitchen says, “Cooking a roast turkey is easier than you think! Follow my super simple recipe for a perfectly juicy and tender roast turkey that your whole family will enjoy! No brining or basting is required.”

• This Perfect Dry Brined Roasted Turkey recipe from Emily Fabulous will result in a beautifully browned, moist, and delicious turkey every time. Although it takes a few days, it’s easy, inexpensive, and full of flavor. You will never have to worry again if your turkey will be moist, flavorful, or brown.

• If you’re cooking for a smaller number of people this Thanksgiving or Christmas, then this roasted turkey breast from Nourish Plate is so easy to cook and takes just 60-90 minutes to be ready!

• According to Midwexican, “You can easily cook a bone-in turkey breast for a smaller crowd – and quickly! when you get your Instant Pot involved. The results are moist, juicy turkey that you don’t have to fret over for hours.”

•  This Butter Herb Turkey from Season and Thyme has classic flavors like sage and thyme, along with a generous amount of sea salt and lemon zest.

• This simple slow cooker turkey recipe from Mimosas and Motherhood is perfect if you don’t want to stress about roasting one in the oven. With just a little bit of prep, this delicious whole turkey cooks all day with no brining or basting. 

• This Smoked Turkey Breast from Out Grilling is brined and grilled with hardwood smoke for a tender, juicy and flavorful main dish to serve for any holiday or family dinner. 

• This turkey roulade from Everyday Delicious is made from turkey breast and stuffed with roasted butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, and dried cranberries, then wrapped in Parma ham. It’s so flavorful and perfect for an autumn Sunday dinner or for a special occasion like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

You may also want to check out 33 Delicious Thanksgiving Side Dishes and 24 Delectable Thanksgiving Desserts.

I hope you enjoy these 10 Ways to Cook a Turkey and all of the easy recipes I share here on The Mom Maven. Keep checking back, over the next week I’ll be sharing Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts as well. Please share this on your social networks. I just ask that you not copy and share the entire recipe with photos. Please use the sharing buttons below and share the link to this post. Thanks!