There’s something a bit smug about turkey.

Assured of its place on the Thanksgiving table, it has the luxury of sitting back and gloating while we panic over how to prepare it. Fresh or frozen? Brined or basted? Drizzled with oil, draped with cheesecloth or dumped upside down?

Food magazines this time of year are bursting with recipes that call for all of the above, and more. But anxious cooks overwhelmed by those choices still can boost their chances at success by following a few simple tips. Here’s what a handful of turkey experts had to say when asked what, if nothing else, cooks should do to improve their turkeys this year.

Don’t overcook it

When the USDA changed its poultry guidelines this year to recommend that turkey be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165 F instead of the former 180 F, “it was kind of a victory for everyone who loves juicy white meat,” said Timothy Cebula, associate food editor at Cooking Light magazine.

“If I had to give one tip, it would be to not overcook the turkey,” he said. “I don’t mean to sound flip. We could advise you to buy a fresh turkey — which we do — but it doesn’t really matter if you overcook it.”

A reliable thermometer is the best way to monitor a turkey’s temperature, he said.

“Everyone’s greatest fear is undercooked poultry, but the USDA is a pretty reliable source,” he said. “You’ll see at 165, the juices do run clear. More importantly, there are juices to run.”

Size matters

“A crucial factor in how any turkey is going to turn out — regardless of whether you brine it or baste it, truss it or glaze it — is its size,” said Renee Schettler, food editor at Real Simple magazine.

According to Schettler, a 10- to 12-pound bird is ideal because it will cook in a relatively short amount of time. And more importantly, the interior will cook through before the exterior has a chance to dry out. That should be plenty for 8 to 10 guests, but if you need more, consider roasting two smaller birds side-by-side.

“They’ll cook in almost half the time as a single large one, and the meat will be far moister,” she said.

That also was the top tip from celebrity chef Rachael Ray, who said she cooks two smaller birds so she can sleep late on Thanksgiving instead of waking up at 5 a.m. to stuff a 20-pound turkey in the oven.

“Plus, you get more legs and wings that way,” she said. “Also it looks better on your table because you can carve one bird up and leave the other whole at first for presentation.”

Butter and baste

Bon Appetit’s Editor-in-Chief Barbara Fairchild swears by two techniques: drizzling the turkey with melted butter before roasting and then basting it with chicken broth placed in the roasting pan along with the bird.

“That way, the broth catches the drippings and gets richer in flavor,” she said. “And for the best golden, crisp skin, before roasting rub 2 tablespoons plain vegetable oil over the turkey and sprinkle with a mixture of chopped fresh thyme, tarragon and rosemary.”

Soak it in salt

“The answer is brining,” declared Tanya Steel with the conviction of someone who grew up eating dry turkey thanks to her mother’s decades-long devotion to a cookbook purchased soon after the family moved to the United States from England in the 1960s.

“Thanks for trying, Mom,” said Steel, editor-in-chief of epicurious.com, the online home for Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines.

In the 1990s, she started hearing a lot about brining — soaking the turkey in a salt water solution overnight — to improve flavor and retain moisture. She tried it, and hasn’t looked back.

Bags in which to place the brine and turkey now can be found at most grocers. And the epicurious.com site offers detailed descriptions of the process, along with a 2-minute video.

“It makes almost any turkey taste 100 times better,” she said. “If you can’t buy a heritage turkey or a turkey from a farmer that you know, if you’re stuck buying a turkey at supermarket like most of are, brining really is the way to go.”

Make a list

The last word comes from Mary Clingman, director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, which has counseled frazzled cooks for more than 25 years. She advises following Santa Claus’ lead by making a list and checking it twice.

“I think the one thing that is so important is to sit down sometime when other people aren’t around, make a list and really plan it out,” she said. “That’s going to take the stress out of your life.”

Butterball recently did a survey showing most people start thinking about their Thanksgiving menu just five days before the holiday, which isn’t even enough time to thaw a large bird. Clingman said though cooking a turkey probably is the easiest part of the day, the challenge comes with managing everything else that goes along with holiday entertaining.

“Everyone wants a tender and juicy turkey and they’re trying all kinds of things,” she said. “They’re basting, they’re turning it upside down, they’re covering it and uncovering it, and different temperatures, and all kinds of stuff trying to have that wonderful turkey, which is great, but you’ve got to plan for it.”