How To Rescue A Dry Thanksgiving Turkey
After spending hours in the kitchen churning out delicious-looking pies and side dishes, you thought you had this entire Thanksgiving meal thing in the bag. Everything was coming together perfectly! But then you opened the oven and discovered that your worst Thanksgiving nightmare has come true: the turkey is unforgivingly dry.
While your first instinct may be to panic or maybe even cry, don't. Tears won't help moisten your subpar bird, and there is actually one foolproof way to salvage your Turkey Day centerpiece.
Now, back to how to save that dry turkey…
The #1 trick: Add broth and slather on the gravy.
A true broth and gravy combo can bring this dry bird back to juicy, so no one will ever know how it really came out of the oven. Believe it or not, broth and fat work wonders for transforming a turkey from inedible to juicy in a jiff. Simply combine a few tablespoons of butter with a cup of broth (chicken or beef broth work best) for every two cups of turkey. Make sure the liquid isn't too thick so that the dried bird actually absorbs it and you're not left with a dripping mess. Place the turkey in a shallow baking dish, and pour the consommé over the turkey after you slice it. Then, cover it with foil, and let it warm in the oven for a maximum of 15 minutes on 200 degrees. Make sure to do this right before your guests arrive to ensure that that the meal is served warm.
You can totally redeem yourself even more by whipping up some truly delicious gravy and slathering it on the bird before it hits the table, too. You'll want to try our homemade turkey gravy recipe for this one, and it's a super-easy way to disguise a dry turkey under a layer of warm broth to plump up your Thanksgiving turkey.
If your bird is really far gone, try combining the two tips above. Dilute equal parts gravy with well-seasoned stock and splash it over the meat. Then, cover it with foil and pop the dish into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes on 200 degrees. A heaping helping of gravy and a rich consommé are your secret one-two punch against that dry bird!
When all else fails, just remember: it's really the people you're with that matters—if you've got a dry turkey, you could have some standout Thanksgiving sides people would love to eat instead. If you've got a few emergency holiday sides that can be ready in minutes up your sleeve, you'll be ready for any last-minute issues.
