It’s the American holiday where everybody has an excuse to be a full-fledged glutton and eat their body weight in stuffing, casserole, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But let’s face it, we all know that turkey is the bird that’s the word on every family member’s watering mouth.

Before people can get ready for turkey time, you’ll need to carve the bird properly so it doesn’t look like a victim from a movie called “Turkey Chainsaw Massacre.” Chef Ralph Filipelli, owner of Luna’s Fine Dining and Catering, offers some tips to get you capable and comfortable with carving the main attraction of your Thanksgiving feast.

1. SETTING THE SURFACE

Once your bird comes out of the oven, place it on a cutting board that rests on top of a long, flat pan to catch any drippings or mess. Mr. Filipelli definitely steers away from carving anything on plates.

“A plate will damage good knives,” he says.

2. USING THE RIGHT TOOLS

You’re going to have a hard time getting the slicing results you want if you don’t have the right tools. Get a carving fork or any fork that’s very rigid and sturdy and a sharp knife that’s the right size for the job.

“The knife has to be longer than the pieces of meat you want to cut,” Mr. Filipelli says.

3. SPLITTING IT UP

Before you start cutting, simply start by removing the legs, thighs and wings at the joints. You can do this on both sides or just one side if you’d like to save the other half of the turkey for leftovers.

4. THE SLICE IS RIGHT

When slicing breast meat, use your fork to secure the bird. Cut slices downward on each side of the breast bone that are around one-quarter or one-third of an inch thick. Mr. Filipelli says this is the ideal thickness because it’s “thin enough to slice easily but thick enough to hold together.”

The parts of the turkey that carry dark meat, like the legs and thighs, aren’t as cooperative when it comes to getting slices. But the smaller meat can be stripped by putting the leg or thigh up on its end on a cutting board and using your knife to remove the meat by slicing downward against the bone. The wings have very little meat and it’s hard to remove, so feel free to munch on those by hand.

5. DON’T FEEL PRESSURED

You may be a bit reluctant to try carving a turkey yourself, but Mr. Filipelli says that unlike actually cooking the bird, carving won’t affect the flavor of this holiday highlight.

“There is no wrong way because you’re going to end up with pieces of turkey, and you’re going to eat it anyway,” he says. “Don’t be afraid of it.”