2024 LifeHacker: "Do Yourself a Favor and Order a Pre-Cooked Turkey"

Allie Chanthorn Reinmann | November 4th, 2024

In any well-rounded Thanksgiving feast, the turkey is the focal point. It should be delicious, no doubt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be the one cooking it. Wouldn’t it be nice to take a break from brining? Or stop worrying about the amount of seasoning necessary? Maybe even save a few bucks? That’s why I’d like to encourage you to do something a little bit different this year and buy a pre-cooked turkey.

The turkey that changed my mind

I’ve hosted a few Friendsgivings and I would always prepare the raw turkey myself. I was pretty much sold on the flavor of dry brining and the even, speedy cooking of the spatchcock method. Last year rolled around and I had received two turkeys from Diestel Family Ranch—a frozen raw turkey and a frozen smoked turkey. I’d never had a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving before, and I was thrilled. Moreover, it was completely cooked—it just needed to be thawed and warmed through.

This smoked turkey arrives frozen. I’ll thaw it a day or two before I need it, and then reheat it in the oven.

I told my friends we’d be having pre-made smoked turkey that year, and not only did no one tsk-tsk or question the reason that I wasn’t preparing it myself, but this news was met with excitement. I spent the hours leading up to the feast cooking sides, arranging cheese platters, and plating desserts with an extra layer of calm—I didn’t have to cook a turkey. Cool.

When the time came, I unwrapped the thawed smoked turkey, set it up on a roasting pan like the instructions indicated, and heated it through in a 325°F oven. Granted, it took an hour, but that’s still a lot faster than a raw turkey. I checked the temperature to make sure it was hot, but I didn’t have to worry about it being raw or an unsafe temperature inside. I carved it, and served it nestled among a dozen sides.

I think I knew just from the aroma wafting up from the plate that I would no longer be cooking my own Thanksgiving turkeys. This was it. The turkey was gorgeously browned, stupendously flavorful, and perfectly juicy. Clearly the feeling was shared around the table because there was absolutely no turkey left for sandwiches the next day.

Save yourself time and doubt

Having a turkey that had been completely prepared and cooked by professionals took a load off of my shoulders. Not just in regards to timing, but there’s a lot of pressure to make the “perfect” turkey. And if it’s your first time hosting, even the pressure of making an edible turkey can be stifling. There are numerous methods of brining to consider, whether to truss or spatchcock the bird, and the simple act of roasting (let alone smoking or frying) the turkey for hours can be overwhelming. Oh, and then you have to make an entire lineup of side dishes. Right.