Thanksgiving Cooking In An RV

November 23, 2020

Thanksgiving is all about the people you love. With an RV, you have the ability to travel to see family and friends during this holiday season and still host the get-together! However, the size of an RV kitchen is… less than desirable for cooking a huge Thanksgiving meal, especially the traditional center of culinary attention: the turkey.

Never fear! Just as you adapted to the smaller living size in other areas, you can adapt your cooking to fit in the RV and still be just as delicious! For most of the sides, you should be just fine cooking in your RV. Cook what you can ahead of time, set up a prep table for saving limited counter space, and expand outside your RV. Even better, team up with fellow RVers and family to spread the cooking load.

Because the turkey can be so large, it is important to think outside the box. Although it is possible to cook a turkey inside your little oven, the bird does not leave room for anything else. In order to cook all the dishes that you desire for Thanksgiving, get creative with how you cook your turkey.

Here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing.

1) Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

If you are a seasoned (cooking pun intended) RV-er, you have probably guessed the first option… Use your trusty Instant Pot Pressure Cooker!

Recipes:

VIDEO: Instant Pot Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy – Pressure Luck Cooking

Tender and quick turkey, stuffing, and gravy all at once? Yes, please! You’ll need to thaw the turkey for 3-4 days before, so plan ahead. 6k people gave this a thumbs up on YouTube!

Instant Pot Turkey Breast – Jo Cooks

Not only is this method fast (done in one hour!), but Jo claims it makes the juiciest turkey breast out of all the methods. The people agree: this recipe has a score of 4.6 from 496 votes!

Instant Pot Turkey – Cooking A Whole Turkey – Bacon is Magic

What is the one thing that can go missing if you do not cook an entire turkey for Thanksgiving? The delicious, crispy skin. Some people do not care for the skin, but just in case- this recipe includes instructions on how to get the turkey skin nice and crispy. You’ll need your oven for a quick 5-minute broil, but with some planning that should be doable.

2) Grill

Weather permitting, the grill is also a great option. Every grill is different so make sure to find a recipe that takes your grills specifications into account. The recipes below should cover a wide array of options.

Recipes:

VIDEO: The Ultimate Turkey on the Grill or Smoker – AmazingRibs.com

This method of grilling the turkey takes about 2 hours, not including preparation time. This informative video has over 104k views. Happy grilling!

BBQ Turkey – allrecipes.com

This is one of the slower ways to cook a whole turkey (total time comes to about 5 hours and 45 minutes) however, for the grill lover the time is a fair trade-off for delicious grilled turkey. With a rating of 4.8 from 86 voters, you can anticipate compliments on your grilling prowess!

Turkey on the Grill – foodnetwork.com

This guide covers how to grill a whole turkey on various different types of BBQs. Simple and efficient, this recipe takes things back to the basics. No fussy seasoning other than salt and pepper. The total time required is about 3 hours and 15 minutes.

3) Deep Fryer

Are you a fan of frying? Deep fry your turkey this year in your deep fryer! Although this method requires a learning curve, if you are already familiar with deep-frying this should be no problem.

Recipes:

The Best Fried Turkey – Oh So Delicioso

This recipe walks you through making and applying an injection marinade, rubbing the turkey, and frying the bird. 5 stars for this recipe across the board!

Deep-Fried Turkey – foodnetwork.com

This is an advanced recipe and will take a total of 10 hours. No worries, most of that is the turkey swimming in brine!

VIDEO: How to Deep-Fry a Turkey – Step by Step Guide – Jeven Dovey

If you are already a deep-frying expert, some of the safety measures will be review for you however, this video is very thorough and easy to follow. 1.2k people gave it a thumbs up!

4) Electric Roaster

Electric roasters are a great way to cook your turkey. In terms of mechanics, they have been described as a cross between a Crock-Pot and a toaster oven. You may not have an electric roaster yet, however they are fairly affordable.

Recipes:

Perfect Turkey in an Electric Roaster Oven – Food.com

This recipe has 241 reviews for a cumulative five-star rating! It is ready in 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Cook a Turkey in a Turkey Roaster – Foodlove.com

Including preparation time, this recipe takes only 2 hours and 20 minutes. Wow! With 59 reviews adding up to 4.46 stars, this recipe is both quick and well-loved.

VIDEO: How To Cook a Turkey in an Electric Roaster, Easy and Quick! – Keeping is Real in the Kitchen

This video shows how to cook an “amazingly moist turkey” in no time! This video has had over 2.6k thumbs up! It cooks for about 3 hours, and you’ll need a thermometer with a wire so it can stay in the bird while you watch the temperature without lifting the electric roaster lid.

5) Buy a Pre-Made Turkey

What is more American than cooking Thanksgiving Turkey? Picking up a pre-made turkey from the store. Okay, neither is more American than the other, nonetheless, picking up a pre-made turkey from a store near you is a great option. Now, you can focus all your energy and prioritize the cooking space on those delicious sides!

With a little creativity, you will be maintaining your favorite Thanksgiving traditions and possibly adding a few new ones! While turkey is a staple of the Thanksgiving tradition, how you cook it does not truly matter; what matters is that you share the day with those you love.

Happy Thanksgiving!