The Majority Of People Agree That This Is The Best Way To Cook A Turkey

Each year, the battle over the best turkey-cooking technique is waged. We've heard it all, from brining to basting to beer can turkey (yes, that's a thing); and we've all experienced a tough, bone-dry turkey or two. Some of us may have even borne witness to the all-day affair of smoking a turkey or endured small explosions in our backyards all in the name of deep-frying. People hold some VERY strong opinions about which method is just right: one that yields that always out-of-reach turkey holy grail of juicy yet cooked-through, golden brown and without any weird burned parts.

If you've ever found yourself wondering which turkey cooking method most people agree on, we've settled it once and for all using the all powerful online survey. Mashed conducted a survey of 555 people in the U.S. to find out. The usual contenders were of course included: baking, smoking, barbecue, and frying. We included a few of the more experimental methods, too — turducken-style, beer can (which really just involves a turkey sitting on top of a little can stand to cook), and of course, the foodie favorite, spatchcocking (where you fold out the turkey so it lays flat). The winner of our survey probably won't come as much of a surprise...

The method most people surveyed by Mashed agreed on was baking. That's right — over 50% of us are just a little bit basic when it comes to Turkey Day. Of the 555 people we asked what the best way to cook a Thanksgiving turkey was, 52.97% preferred baking. Frying came in a far-off second (at 17.66%) and the third-most-popular choice was smoking, with 10.63%. Proponents of spatchcocking and the infamous turducken – with 2.34% and 1.26%, respectively — might just be the loudest in the alternative bird-cooking department after all.

Though it's clear most of us prefer the time-tested oven baked classic when it comes to our Thanksgiving main, entries in the "other" category were revealing. Perhaps the most common refrain was "Roasted" or "Slow roasted," which is arguably the same thing as baking. There were also suggestions of sous vide, crock pot, baking bags, and brining (which though we are a fan of, we would say is a way to prep — not cook — a turkey). Then there were those who choose to opt out of the traditional bird all together. One comment simply read "Vegan," and another, "I don't eat meat anymore." One person even took a stand for turkeys, saying, "Not having a turkey is the best way. Let them live." Another, however, takes the prize for really having things figured out: "Let someone else cook it." Amen to that.