Average Weight of a Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving is a much-awaited occasion. It spells lots of merriment and food, of course. If you talk about Thanksgiving, talks about turkey will never be far behind. Through the years, some perfectly roasted, tender, and delicious turkey has become the symbol of Thanksgiving. Why not? Turkey provides a feast that nobody can resist!

Average Weight of a Thanksgiving Turkey

A lot of people are not sure about the ideal size of turkey to roast and bring to the dining table as the special occasion comes. Turkeys are available in different sizes. They can come as small as ten pounds or less and as big as 80 pounds or more.

To choose how big is a turkey you will prepare for the feast, you must first determine how many people to feed. Ideally, you need to consider ¾ of a pound to a pound per person. If you are having twelve guests for the night, a small, twelve-pound bird will do it. If you are preparing for a big dinner party for Thanksgiving, however, you may go for the bigger bird. Some food experts also suggest that rather than roasting a super huge turkey, you may go for two smaller ones. They are tender and easier to cook. If you will need about 24 pounds of turkey for the night, you may opt to roast two twelve-pound birds instead of just one big bird.

Since Thanksgiving is more of an intimate family bonding rather than a huge social dinner, the average weight of a Thanksgiving turkey is about 10 to 15 pounds. Such a feast can keep ten to twenty persons gastronomically satisfied.

Prepare Other Cocktail Food

Aside from turkey, you may also want to prepare other food so your guests will keep on munching while laughter fill the surroundings.

A basic menu for such a holiday feast consists of meat (that’s turkey for most!), bread, side dishes, desserts, and drinks. If you are working around a tight budget, you may want to have a small turkey, 10-12 pounds, instead of a large one. That’s even if you have a big guest list on the line. Large birds can be pricey. You can just fill the gaps with other meats, especially the meats on sale during the holidays.

As a rule, you must prepare foods that are family favorites. That is to ensure that nothing goes to waste. You may experiment with the dishes, go for more extravagant meals since this is indeed a special yearly celebration. But always keep in mind who are you feeding them. Make sure that they will be pleasing to your guests still so you will not have to deal with leftovers and, more importantly, unhappy company.