Turkey: How much meat?
 

What percentage of a turkey is meat? I was able to find a very small (8 lb) turkey for just the two of us. It got me to thinking about how much meat I will actually have. Normally when you buy a turkey the neck organs and giblets are packaged inside. I assume that this contributes the weight as do the bones.

Does anyone have any idea roughly what percentage weight wise you will actually end up eating?

Turkey question: edible meat vs. total weight - General Discussion - Turkey - Chowhound.
My bird (a very large hen) weighed in frozen at 21.67 lbs.

I cooked this just for the meat, so once it was cooked, I put on my trusty, industrial, food-safe gloves and ripped the meat off while it was still reasonably hot (comes off MUCH easier that way).

I got 4 pounds, 5 oz. of breast meat and 3 lbs, 13 oz of dark meat (not completely dark, some of this was off the back, the wings, etc.)

So, the final tally: 8 lbs., 2 oz. cooked meat.

21.67*.49=$10.62 /8.125 lbs = which boils down to $1.31 per pound.

Maybe close to 40% of total weight

Thanks. I wasn't interested so much in the price per pound but how much meat we would have from an 8.65 lb turkey.

This works out to about 37%.

Sounds like about 3.4 pounds. Not expecting a lot of leftovers this year.

On a side note, it's interesting that a bird will yield more white meat than dark but white meat is more expensive. It's all about demand.

I lived in Manila for a year and the people there prefer dark meat which is more expensive than the white.

We both prefer white meat so typically just buy turkey breast.

Now you have me curious and when we cook our next one will see the percentage.

Would it depend on the percentage of body fat the turkey had or it's BMI. Did the turkey run and work out or sat on the couch eating junk?:a040::1rotfl: Happy Thanksgiving:MOJE_whot:

Turkey's aren't that much meatier than chicken and I've done quite a few 7 to 8lb chickens(7.5lb on the smoker here: Roaster Chicken cooked on pellet grill - YouTube). It's enough for 2 meals(for 2 people) of meat/sandwiches and a third for a stew/soup/shepherd pie kind of thing.

We bought a turkey breast, because we love those sandwiches, enough for evening meal and 8 sandwiches, yuuum!

Ditto, we only buy a turkey breast for $10 at Walmart. We haven't bought a whole turkey in over ten years. We only like the white meat, this way it's all meat. After the traditional turkey meal, the next meal is open face turkey sandwiches on white bread and gravy and what's left of the Bob Evans mashed potatoes, that's good. Then switch to sandwiches and can get 3 or 4 for afterwards.

Thanks. That’s a great post. I never seem to have the amount of leftovers I think I will. I bought just a turkey breast this year and I’m already regretting it. Happy Thanksgiving, all!