Are Thanksgiving turkeys best roasted, fried, smoked or grilled? Experts reveal their choices
James Beard Award-winning chef Todd English and farmer Heidi Diestel talk turkey prep
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There are many ways to cook a Thanksgiving turkey, of course — but which is best?
Purists insist that roasting is the only way, whereas other cooks and chefs point to deep-frying, smoking or grilling as perfectly viable options to prepare a bird for its trip to the holiday table.
Some turkey experts shared with Fox News Digital the way they'll be cooking their birds this Thanksgiving – offering tips for making the best meal possible.
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A premium turkey should be roasted, insisted Heidi Diestel, a fourth-generation turkey farmer who lives in Sonora, California, at the Diestel Family Ranch.
"Roasting the turkey is super easy and simple, and it just brings out the beautiful natural characteristics and flavor of the turkey itself," she told Fox News Digital. "That would be our pick."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Heidi Diestel of the Diestel Family Ranch in California said she prefers to roast her turkeys, as she believes it best enhances the bird's natural flavors. (Fox News Digital)
Smoking a turkey is also an option, she said – but with a significant caveat required.
"If you are going to smoke your turkey, it would be best to choose a brined bird and/or brine the bird yourself prior to smoking," she said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brining, whether by injection or the "bucket method" of soaking, adds moisture to the turkey and prevents it from potentially drying out, she said.
"Smoking typically has a more drying environment in your smoker," she said. So using a "brined bird for that purpose is probably a good idea."
Turkey cooking experts shared their tips for making the perfect bird this Thanksgiving. (iStock)
Chef Todd English told Fox News Digital his favorite way to cook a turkey is to smoke it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}English is a multiple James Beard Award winner and owns many restaurants throughout the United States, including at the Bentley Residences Miami in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. (See the video at the top of this article.)
While the specific brine he uses varies, he sometimes adds "a little sweetness" in addition to the salt, as it helps caramelize the turkey's skin and adds flavor.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When smoking a turkey, English first brings the raw bird to room temperature and preheats his smoker to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit, he said.
"A meat thermometer is important."
The turkey then smokes for about three to four hours, he said, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
"A meat thermometer is something that is important. It really does help you control it," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One of the biggest mistakes English sees? He said people assume that because a turkey is "such a large bird, a lot of people think they have to roast it for seven or eight hours."
Chef Todd English, seen here in the Bentley Residences Miami, said one mistake he frequently sees is that people overcook their turkeys. (Fox News Digital)
"And that just defeats the purpose and makes it very dry and tough and not good," he said.
One method that English is not overly fond of is deep-frying, he told Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When a turkey is deep-fried, it can be hard to gauge if the bird is fully cooked.
This chef advises against cooking a turkey that weighs more than 18 pounds.
"I find it sometimes dries it out even more," he said — although he noted that "the legs actually come out better" after frying.
If a person is set on deep-frying a turkey, English suggested removing the legs and the breast and cooking them separately.
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"The dark meat is much different than the white meat. And the white meat has to be handled much more delicately," he said.
English also advised against cooking a turkey that weighs more than 18 pounds.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cook a smaller turkey, advises one chef, as the large ones tend to be lacking in flavor. (iStock)
"I go for a 15-, 18-pound bird. I find the bigger ones just to be more flavorless, and you have to cook them so long that they become drier," he said.
Regardless of how a turkey is cooked, Diestel advised checking the temperature of the bird beforehand.
"You want the turkey to be super soft and oven-ready as possible," she said.
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She said taking the temperature of the turkey while it's cooking is important.
"When it's about at the halfway mark in the roasting or smoking process, check the thickest part of the breast and the thickest part of the thigh," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, many people are not aware that turkeys "cook more quickly on the second half of the roasting time than they did on the first half of the roasting time," Diestel said.
Roasted turkeys cook more quickly in the second half, which is something many people don't realize, one cook said. (iStock)
"Checking the temperature while it's in the oven is paramount," she said.
There are steps after cooking that can ensure the best possible turkey as well, Diestel also said.
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Let the turkey rest on the kitchen counter for at least 20 to 30 minutes after cooking, she advised.
Doing so will "lock in the juices" of a turkey and keep it moist for eating.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Warm up the dinner plates while the turkey is resting on the counter, said one expert, to ensure the food stays warm for as long as possible. (iStock)
Another pro tip is to warm up the plates while the turkey is resting on the counter.
"Pop your plates that you're going to use – as long as they're ceramic – in the oven," she said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This way, while everyone is waiting for others to sit down at the table, "you've got nice, warm food, and it doesn't get as cold as quickly."