For many families, a turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner. However, some people are not fond of turkey because they find it to be dry.

There are various reasons turkey can dry out. Turkey is a lean meat, and Healthline reports that it has slightly less fat in its dark meat than chicken. Another reason a turkey may be dry is that it may have a poor breast-to-leg ratio. By the time the leg meat cooks to temperature, so it is safe for consumption, the breast meat often has dried out.

There are many ways home cooks can prevent a dry turkey this Thanksgiving.

One way to create a juicier turkey is to brine the bird. According to ScienceBlogs, what causes a human to perceive a food as juicy may actually be his or her own saliva at work. Salty foods may stimulate the production of saliva in the mouth, helping the food to feel more moist on the palate. To get enough salt into the turkey meat, the turkey should be submerged in a salt brine for a few days before cooking.

It is important to watch the cooking time so as not to overcook the turkey. Some turkeys come equipped with pop-up timers to help cooks gauge when to take them out of the oven. However, a more accurate tool is a digital food thermometer that can be set to go off when the turkey reaches the correct internal temperature.

Another option is to cook the turkey parts separately. As previously noted, the breast meat will likely reach the desired temperature before the leg meat. To fix this, the turkey can be taken out of the oven when it reaches 5 to 10 degrees less than the safe temperature for the breast meat, around 165 degrees Fahrenheit; the meat will continue to cook while resting. After removing the turkey from the oven, cut off the legs and return them to the oven until they are done. Arrange the properly cooked breast and leg meat together on a serving platter.

Offering condiments can help to address dry meat. A moist dollop of stuffing, a drizzle of gravy, or a scoop of cranberry sauce can add moisture to turkey. This approach does not prevent drying out, but it can make dry turkey meat a bit more satisfying.

Dry turkey can put off diners. However, some strategies can help to address this problem.