How To Carve A Turkey Breast

Learning how to carve a turkey breast is a skill that is needed not only at Thanksgiving or Christmas but any time you are carving poultry. Follow these easy instructions for turkey breast carving success. The same skills on how to carve a turkey breast can be applied to chicken, duck and other poultry.

Before you carve your turkey you are going to want to learn how to thaw a frozen turkey and then use my turkey brine recipe for a perfect juicy turkey recipe any day of the year. Be sure to save the bag of turkey giblets and make giblet gravy. New this year: turkey roulade recipe and how to sous vide a turkey breast!

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How To Carve A Turkey Breast

You have successfully transferred your bird to your serving platter.  This one happens to have a slight lip on it in case there are any juices that want to run out.  Speaking of juices running…you want to be sure to let the bird rest for at least 15 minutes to let the juices calm down a bit and redistribute back into the bird.  

If you were to puncture the bird or cut off a piece as soon as it came out of the oven you will have all your yummy juices on the serving platter and not in your meat.

Carving A Turkey Breast With Photo Instructions

1. Run your knife alongside the breast bone.
2. Some people prefer a serrated knife but have a sharp chef knife that I like to use.  The choice is up to you.
3. If you are using a chef knife use long even strokes.  If you are using a serrated knife use a sawing motion.  I would not be using an electric knife. (In my opinion, they just shred up the meat.)
4. Follow the bone all the way to the serving plate.
5. Bring your knife around to the front and connect where you started carving at the top of the breast bone.  Cut down the ribs.
6. Follow it around and down to the bottom to connect to the bottom of the first breast bone cut.
7. Now pull the meat away from the carcass.
8. Pull and cut away the meat as needed.  It should basically fall off at this point.  There will be bits and pieces that will still be connected but those can be separated with a quick knife stroke.

You did it!

Now do the same thing on the other side of the bird.

The extra bits of meat can be pulled off and served or just leave it on there till you clean the rest of the carcass after the meal. Be sure to save the turkey bones and make homemade turkey stock. Also, you can use any leftover turkey meat to make Thanksgiving Egg rolls or Thanksgiving poutine.

Now slice for serving.  I like to slice against the grain of the meat.

Step by step turkey breast carving instructions:

1. Allow the cooked turkey breast to rest for at least 15 minutes under foil to allow the juices to redistribute.
2. Using a sharp chef knife, run the knife alongside the breast bone.
3. Using a chef knife, use long even strokes.  If you are using a serrated knife use a sawing motion.  I would not be using an electric knife.  In my opinion, they just shred up the meat.
4. Follow the bone all the way toward the serving plate.
5. Bring your knife around to the front and connect where you started carving at the top of the breast bone.  Cut down the ribs.
6. Follow it around and down to the bottom to connect to the bottom of the first breast bone cut.
7. Now pull the meat away from the carcass.
8. Pull and cut away the meat as needed.  It should basically fall off at this point.  There will be bits and pieces that will still be connected but those can be separated with a quick knife stroke.
9. Now do the same thing on the other side of the bird.

Be sure to add to your Thanksgiving table my making my 3 ingredient cranberry sauce.

How To Carve A Turkey Breast

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Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 12 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.