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How to Cook a Turkey
Get all the tips you need to cook a turkey, from prepping and basting to roasting and carving.
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So you've decided to be in charge of the turkey this year? You've come to the right place for advice.
Let's talk about how to cook that bird.
How to Cook a Turkey
You'll be glad to know that cooking a turkey is surprisingly easy. Even with just a little bit of prep, you'll get great results you can be proud of. Here's how to prepare a thawed turkey for roasting in the oven:
Step 1: Prep the Turkey
Unwrap the plastic around your turkey while holding it over the sink to ensure that any juices will run down the drain. Remove the packet of giblets from the cavity of the bird and save them for gravy or stuffing. Next, use paper towels to pat the bird dry inside and out.
Step 2: Stuff the Turkey (Optional)
If you are stuffing the turkey, stuff it loosely, allowing about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. While stuffing a turkey is traditional (and picturesque), it has become less and less common over the years for a number of reasons. Most importantly, cooking your stuffing to 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) likely means that you'll overcook the rest of the bird.
If you don't want to miss out on stuffing, it's much easier (and safer) to prepare the stuffing in a separate baking dish instead of the bird's cavity.
Step 3: Truss the Turkey
The purpose of trussing is to ensure that the bird will cook as evenly as possible. If the legs are not secured tightly, more air will be able to circulate around them in the oven, which will cause them to cook more quickly. This can eventually lead to portions of the bird becoming overcooked before other portions are quite there.
Tie the drumsticks together with kitchen twine, and brush the skin with melted butter or oil. If you don't have kitchen twine, you can opt to truss with unflavored dental floss or even use the turkey's skin to fold the legs tightly together. While you're trussing, make sure to tuck the wings behind the back of the turkey. If they're exposed, they will burn quickly in the oven.
Step 4: Roast the Turkey
Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan and into an oven preheated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roast until the skin is a light golden color, then cover the breast loosely with a foil tent to prevent further browning. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but it helps to promote even browning. As the turkey approaches the end of its cook time, check the temperature of your bird with an instant-read thermometer. The breast should be 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) — it will continue to cook while it rests — and the thigh should hit 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). If the turkey is done, transfer it to a clean sheet pan and tent with foil.
Step 5: Serve the Turkey
Be sure to allow at least 30 minutes between the time you take the turkey out of the oven and when you serve it. The turkey needs to "rest" for 20 to 30 minutes (you can use that resting time to warm up your Thanksgiving side dishes and make the gravy), and then you can carve your turkey. Carve away the breasts, then carefully slice them, keeping the golden-brown skin intact. Next, carve away the legs, separating the thighs and drumstick at the ligament.
Serving Tip:
Warm your serving platter in the oven for about five minutes before you put the sliced turkey on it. You've put in too much work to serve cold turkey!
More on How to Tell When the Turkey Is Done
The only reliable test for doneness is to check the internal temperature of the turkey meat, not the color of the skin. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. The thermometer should point towards the body and should not touch the bone. The turkey is done when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) at the thigh. If your turkey has been stuffed, it is important to check the temperature of the stuffing as well. The stuffing should also be 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
1 & 3/4-Inch Pocket Dial Thermometer - Up to 220F
Tips are based from Allrecipes
OEM Repair and Maintenance Parts
Related Linksjeff sr.
How to Cook a Turkey
Get all the tips you need to cook a turkey, from prepping and basting to roasting and carving.
So you've decided to be in charge of the turkey this year? You've come to the right place for advice.
Let's talk about how to cook that bird.
How to Cook a Turkey
You'll be glad to know that cooking a turkey is surprisingly easy. Even with just a little bit of prep, you'll get great results you can be proud of. Here's how to prepare a thawed turkey for roasting in the oven:
Step 1: Prep the Turkey
Unwrap the plastic around your turkey while holding it over the sink to ensure that any juices will run down the drain. Remove the packet of giblets from the cavity of the bird and save them for gravy or stuffing. Next, use paper towels to pat the bird dry inside and out.
Step 2: Stuff the Turkey (Optional)
If you are stuffing the turkey, stuff it loosely, allowing about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. While stuffing a turkey is traditional (and picturesque), it has become less and less common over the years for a number of reasons. Most importantly, cooking your stuffing to 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) likely means that you'll overcook the rest of the bird.
If you don't want to miss out on stuffing, it's much easier (and safer) to prepare the stuffing in a separate baking dish instead of the bird's cavity.
Step 3: Truss the Turkey
The purpose of trussing is to ensure that the bird will cook as evenly as possible. If the legs are not secured tightly, more air will be able to circulate around them in the oven, which will cause them to cook more quickly. This can eventually lead to portions of the bird becoming overcooked before other portions are quite there.
Tie the drumsticks together with kitchen twine, and brush the skin with melted butter or oil. If you don't have kitchen twine, you can opt to truss with unflavored dental floss or even use the turkey's skin to fold the legs tightly together. While you're trussing, make sure to tuck the wings behind the back of the turkey. If they're exposed, they will burn quickly in the oven.
Step 4: Roast the Turkey
Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan and into an oven preheated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roast until the skin is a light golden color, then cover the breast loosely with a foil tent to prevent further browning. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but it helps to promote even browning. As the turkey approaches the end of its cook time, check the temperature of your bird with an instant-read thermometer. The breast should be 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) — it will continue to cook while it rests — and the thigh should hit 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). If the turkey is done, transfer it to a clean sheet pan and tent with foil.
Step 5: Serve the Turkey
Be sure to allow at least 30 minutes between the time you take the turkey out of the oven and when you serve it. The turkey needs to "rest" for 20 to 30 minutes (you can use that resting time to warm up your Thanksgiving side dishes and make the gravy), and then you can carve your turkey. Carve away the breasts, then carefully slice them, keeping the golden-brown skin intact. Next, carve away the legs, separating the thighs and drumstick at the ligament.
Serving Tip:
Warm your serving platter in the oven for about five minutes before you put the sliced turkey on it. You've put in too much work to serve cold turkey!
More on How to Tell When the Turkey Is Done
The only reliable test for doneness is to check the internal temperature of the turkey meat, not the color of the skin. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. The thermometer should point towards the body and should not touch the bone. The turkey is done when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) at the thigh. If your turkey has been stuffed, it is important to check the temperature of the stuffing as well. The stuffing should also be 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
1 & 3/4-Inch Pocket Dial Thermometer - Up to 220F
Tips are based from Allrecipes
OEM Repair and Maintenance Parts
Related Linksjeff sr.