A turkey is kosher when both the species and the processing meet Jewish dietary law. Most Jewish legal authorities accept turkey as a kosher species because it has the halachic signs of a kosher bird (such as an extra backward- facing toe, a crop, and a peelable gizzard) and is not a bird of prey, and there is a long-standing community tradition of eating it.

Species requirements

• The turkey must be from a species recognized as kosher by mainstream rabbinic authorities, based on the classic signs for birds: it is not predatory and has specific anatomical features (extra toe, crop, peelable gizzard).

• There is an established tradition in most Jewish communities treating turkey as a permitted bird, so it is widely accepted as kosher, though a minority of authorities are strict and avoid it.

Slaughter and salting

• The bird must be slaughtered by a trained, certified Jewish ritual slaughterer (shochet), under proper rabbinic supervision.

• After slaughter, the turkey is soaked and heavily salted to draw out remaining blood, since kosher meat may not contain blood; this effectively “pre-brines” the bird.

Processing and certification

• The turkey cannot be processed with non-kosher methods, such as scalding in hot water to remove feathers, which is common in non-kosher plants; kosher processors use cold-water plucking instead.

• Any added ingredients (brines, injections, seasonings) must be kosher, and the final product needs reliable kosher certification (a recognized hechsher) to confirm all requirements were followed.

Turkey and kashrut overview table

Aspect| What makes it kosher
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Species status| Accepted kosher bird based on signs and communal tradition. 236810
Slaughter| Killed by a certified shochet with proper ritual method. 1310
Blood removal| Soaked and salted to remove blood from the meat. 135
Processing method| No hot-water scalding; cold-water plucking and kosher handling. 5
Added ingredients| All brines/seasonings kosher; reliable kosher certification. 13510