When cooking a turkey that has not been stuffed, the conventional rule of thumb is 15 to 20 minutes per pound of bird.
Which temperature is better for a turkey: 325 or 350?
Which temperature, 325 or 350 degrees, should I cook a turkey at? Although cooking a chicken “low and slow” is a good rule to follow, there is no one tried-and-true method for doing so without risking the bird’s skin being burned. You can cook it a little warmer for about the same amount of time, or just a little less time overall, but all of our temperature instructions make the assumption that you are cooking at 325.
How long should a turkey cook at 325 degrees?
Assuming that you will be roasting your turkey in an oven preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, you should count on 15 to 17 minutes of cooking time for each pound of an unstuffed turkey. When cooking a stuffed turkey, plan on spending 20 to 22 minutes per pound of bird. 8-12 lb.
Per pound of unstuffed turkey, how long should it be cooked?
The easiest approach to determine how long to roast a turkey is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an unstuffed turkey (which is around 3 hours for a bird weighing 12 to 14 pounds), or 15 minutes per pound for a turkey that has been stuffed.
Does 325°F work well for turkey?
Roast your turkey in a pan at 325 degrees Fahrenheit using the following timeframes as a recommendation for unstuffed turkeys once it has been properly thawed and brined, seasoned, or stuffed according to your preferences.
Should I use aluminum foil to cover my turkey?
We have discovered that roasting a turkey with the breast covered in foil produces much more moist results than roasting the turkey without any foil. Because of this, we prefer to just wrap the breast in foil to ensure that the cooking time is distributed evenly.
Do you cook a turkey with a cover or without one?
A turkey weighing 10 pounds should be able to carry around 7 cups of stuffing. Should I cover the chicken as it roasts or leave it uncovered? A: The guys at Butterball suggest roasting the turkey in a roasting pan with the lid off. According to Butterball, the breast portion can be covered with aluminum foil at the two-thirds mark of the cooking time in order to prevent it from drying out.
Does the turkey roasting pan have water in the bottom?
Arrange in a single layer on the bottom of the roasting pan. On top of the veggies, place the turkey with the breast side facing up. The roasting pan should have about a half an inch of liquid (water or stock) added to it. This will prevent the oven from drying out and will also ensure that the turkey stays juicy.
How long does it take to cook a 10 lb. turkey?
How long should you roast a turkey that weighs 10 pounds? Until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit when using a regular oven, you will need to cook a 10 pound turkey for two and a half to three and a half hours and twenty minutes.
At what temperature should a turkey be baked?
Roast in an oven preheated to 325 degrees or 350 degrees (depending on the size of the chicken; see below) until the thermometer reads 160 degrees. If the turkey is not stuffed, tilt it slightly so that liquids may drip into the pan from the body cavity. Place the turkey on a serving plate. After allowing the meat to rest in a warm location, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes, carve the meat.
How long should a 10 pound turkey bake at 325 degrees?
Wrap the turkey with foil in a loose manner. Roast in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for two and a half hours.
Can I cook a turkey at 375 degrees?
The members of the Test Kitchen have come to the conclusion that 375 degrees Fahrenheit is the optimal temperature for cooking a turkey. This temperature is ideal in that it is neither too hot nor too cold, and it allows the turkey to cook at a rate that allows it to be ready in time for dinner.
How long does a 16-pound turkey take to cook at 350 degrees?
We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey.
How Long to Cook a Turkey.
| Turkey Weight | Servings | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| 15 to 18 lb | 10 to 12 | 3 1/4 to 4 hours |
| 18 to 20 lb | 12 to 14 | 4 to 4 1/4 hours |
| 20 to 22 lb | 14 to 16 | 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours |
| 23 to 24 lb | 16 to 20 | 5 to 5 1/4 hours |
How long should you cook a 15-pound turkey?
If you are roasting the turkey without any stuffing, it will take 13 minutes each pound to cook, but if you are stuffing it, it will take 15 minutes per pound. At what temperature should the turkey be cooked? After placing the turkey in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit from the previous setting of 450 degrees.
At 165 or 180 degrees, is turkey done?
Even though some recipes call for the turkey to be cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the bird can be consumed without risk once it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. It is possible to end up with dry flesh if you cook the breasts past 165 degrees, but the dark meat may be cooked to 180 degrees.
Should you rinse a turkey before cooking it?
Should You Rinse a Turkey Before Cooking It? To put it simply, no. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that rinsing a raw turkey in the kitchen sink can lead to the spread of bacteria on countertops, neighboring food, and other surfaces, which can cause cross-contamination. This can occur when the turkey is exposed to water at high temperatures.
What can I do to keep my turkey moist?
Here is a useful piece of advice: to prevent the turkey breast from drying up and to ensure that it remains juicy: Make a triangle out of a huge square sheet of foil by folding it. After you have rubbed olive oil on one side of the triangle and formed the foil (with the oiled side facing down) over the turkey breast, you can then remove the foil; this will protect your turkey breast and prevent it from becoming dry.
Before carving a turkey, how long should it rest?
Allow the turkey to rest for at least half an hour before you begin slicing it to prevent the fluids from the bird from dripping onto the cutting board.
How is crispy turkey skin made?
The fat should be rubbed into the skin.
The next step you can do to assure that the skin of your turkey will turn out wonderfully crispy is to massage it with a fat, such as butter or oil, after you have properly dried off the surface. Because oil does not include any water, it will produce a skin that is more crisp than butter, which has at least 20 percent water by weight.
How frequently should a turkey be basted?
The vast majority of turkey recipes will instruct you to baste it every thirty minutes. However, our general rule of thumb is to check in every forty minutes, and the reason for this is as follows: It is important to avoid opening the oven door too frequently since doing so may cause the entire chicken to take considerably longer to cook, which is a very inconvenient outcome.
What is placed inside a turkey’s cavity?
The interior of the turkey should be heavily seasoned with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with a sprig of thyme, a lemon cut in half, an onion cut into quarters, and the garlic. The butter mixture should be painted onto the outside of the turkey, and then the turkey should be seasoned with salt and pepper.
Should you bast a turkey?
The meat may be seasoned without the need to baste the surface of the meat. You’ll add flavor to the skin, but every time you open the oven to baste the chicken, you’ll also let some of the heat escape. Brown explains that this will result in the chicken being cooked for a longer period of time, which will cause it to become drier.
Do you wash the turkey?
You should wash your hands, but you shouldn’t touch the turkey! There is a widespread misconception among customers that washing their turkey would eliminate pathogens and render it safer. However, it is quite difficult to remove germs from the bird by washing. Instead, fluids that splash about during cleaning can spread bacteria not just onto the surfaces of your kitchen but also onto other meals and utensils.
Should I put broth in the turkey pan’s bottom?
Before I start cooking the turkey, I also like to pour one cup of chicken broth or stock into the bottom of the pan it will be cooking in. This will produce a climate in the oven similar to a steam chamber, which will assist maintain the breast’s moisture but will not prevent the skin from browning.
What do you put in a turkey roasting pan’s bottom?
Onions, celery, and carrots should be diced and placed in the bottom of the roasting pan. Remove a few leaves of the herbs from their stems and mix them in with the veggies.
How long should a 9-pound turkey be cooked?
Unstuffed
- 4 to 8 pounds: 1 1/2 to 3 1/4 hours (breast only).
- 2 3/4 to 3 hours for 8 to 12 pounds.
- 3 to 3 3/4 hours for 12 to 14 pounds.
- 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours for 14 to 18 pounds.
- 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours for 18 to 20 pounds.
- 4 1/2 to 5 hours for 20 to 24 pounds.
A 14-pound turkey should be cooked at what temperature?
What temperature to cook a turkey: 325°F or 350°F?
- If your turkey weighs less than 14 pounds, bake it at 350 degrees (5.9kg)
- For larger turkeys over 14 pounds, bake at 325°F.
How long should a turkey be cooked?
Third, different ovens vary slightly in temperature.
| Turkey Size | Cooking Time (unstuffed) | Cooking Time (stuffed) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 – 14 lbs | 3 – 3 ¾ hours | 3 ½ – 4 hours |
| 14 – 18 lbs | 3 ¾ – 4 ¼ hours | 4 – 4 ¼ hours |
| 18 – 20 lbs | 4 ¼ – 4 ½ hours | 4 ¼ – 4 ¾ hours |
| 20 – 24 lbs | 4 ½ – 5 hours | 4 ¾ – 5 ¼ hours |
Is it necessary to preheat the turkey earlier?
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator an hour before you want to start roasting it so that it may come to room temperature. This will allow the bird to cook more evenly and more quickly. If you intend to stuff your turkey, you should hold off on placing the stuffing into the turkey until you are ready to place the turkey in the oven.
Which side should a turkey be cooked on?
Cooking a whole turkey with the breast side up for the duration of the cooking period is recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. It can be risky to turn over a large bird while it is still hot, and it is quite simple to break the skin in the process, which will make the completed product less appealing.
How hot should I cook a 15-pound turkey?
Brown the turkey that weighs 15 pounds by beginning the cooking process at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 20 minutes. After that, turn the heat down to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and continue cooking for another hour to two, until the breast achieves an internal temperature of around 140 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking time, which can range from half an hour to an hour or longer, should be completed once the temperature is lowered to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long should you cook a 20-pound turkey?
You will need to bake a turkey that weighs 20 pounds in the oven for 4 to 5 hours if it is unstuffed, and for 4 14 to 5 14 hours if it is stuffed, if you bake it at the lowest temperature that the USDA advises, which is 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long does it take an oven to bake a turkey?
Put the turkey in a roasting pan and get it ready to cook. The exterior of the turkey should be seasoned with salt and pepper and then a few tablespoons of olive oil should be drizzled over it. The turkey should be roasted for approximately three hours, or until a thermometer placed in the thickest portion of the thigh reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Must you remove the turkey from the refrigerator before cooking?
The turkey should be brought to room temperature before being placed in the oven; thus, remove it from the refrigerator at least an hour (for a whole turkey) or thirty minutes (for a cut) before cooking it. Keep it covered and put it somewhere cold.
How long should a 20-pound, unstuffed turkey be cooked?
There is no set time for cooking. For instance, the cooking time for a turkey weighing 20 pounds will be between 4 1/4 and 5 hours; after 4 1/4 hours, check the temperature on the thermometer.
Where should a thermometer be inserted in a turkey?
Here are few tips to keep in mind:
- Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing when cooking a whole turkey.
- Be sure the thermometer doesn’t come in contact with any bone, gristle, or pan.
Without a thermometer, how can you determine when a turkey is done?
To find out if your turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce it with a fork in the mid-thigh muscle, explains Nicole Johnson, the co-director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. “When the juices run clear, and no longer reddish or pink in color, it’s a good indication that your turkey is done.”
How can I use a thermometer to determine when my turkey is done?
You’ll need a meat thermometer to make sure you cook your turkey to the right temperature. Insert it close to, but not touching, the thigh bone. If it reads 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast, it’s done and ready to serve.
Is washing a Butterball turkey necessary?
Should I wash my turkey? “No, you really shouldn’t. The thing that’s great about Butterball turkeys is that they’re all cleaned out and everything like that. And if you wash your turkey, you’re getting raw juices splashing all over your kitchen.
Why should a turkey never be washed?
Food safety experts say raw turkeys shouldn’t be rinsed, since that can spread harmful bacteria. Cooking should kill any germs. But bacteria can still spread in other ways, so washing and sanitizing hands and surfaces is still important.
Should I cook my turkey with butter or oil?
Don’t butter your bird
Placing butter under the skin won’t make the meat juicier, though it might help the skin brown faster. However, butter is about 17 percent water, and it will make your bird splotchy, says López-Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before you roast.
Which temperature is better for a turkey: 325 or 350?
Do I Cook a Turkey at 325 or 350 Degrees? Though “low and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, there’s no hard-and-fast rule. All of our temperature guides assume you’re cooking at 325, but you can cook it a little warmer for roughly the same, or just a little less time.
Does a turkey ever have an apple in it?
Apples. Consider quartering an apple or two for stuffing your turkey. They will provide the turkey with a little extra moisture during the cooking process and a very subtle flavor that will remind you of fall.
Should I use foil to cover my turkey while it cooks?
To achieve that balance, the ideal is to let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered: We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out, then removing the cover for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the skin to crisp.
Do I need to tent my turkey?
Butterball suggests that after the turkey has been cooking for 2/3 of the amount of time needed (depending on the size of the bird), that you cover the breasts with a small tent made of aluminum foil. This will slow down the cooking process of the turkey breasts.
Is carving a turkey better done hot or cold?
Serving Your Meat on a Cold Platter
A cold or room temperature platter will cool off your food that much faster, so as a rule of thumb, just serve hot food on a hot plate and cold food on cold plates —that’s just one of the important restaurant secrets every home cook should know.
How can you get turkey skin that is golden?
In conclusion, if you want the crispiest, most golden skin on your bird this holiday season, or your next Sunday night chicken, the best way is to rub it with oil and spices under and over the skin, then leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Should I put my turkey in an oven bag?
Cooking your Thanksgiving turkey in a Reynolds® Turkey Oven Bag is a great way to ensure your turkey will stay moist and succulent, while turning out deliciously browned. The best part: all the delicious juices stay in the Oven Bag, so you won’t even need to scrub the roasting pan with these easy steps.
Should I put liquid in the pan with the turkey?
Add about a half-inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist, and the turkey juicy.
The day before, should I season the turkey?
How should the bird be prepared for roasting? The night before your turkey goes in the oven, season it with a blend. Maybe fresh herbs, garlic, shallots and/or onions, with some olive or whatever your tradition. Spread this mixture under the skin.
Do I need to butter the turkey the previous evening?
Absolutely! In fact, buttering your turkey the night before not only saves you time the day your roast, but many believe allowing the butter to sit overnight on and under the skin infuses even more flavor into the turkey.
A turkey shouldn’t have an orange in it.
The fresh lemon forms a porous space inside the cavity of the bird, and the moisture it provides steams the flesh while also seasoning it. Stuffing the bird with citrus and herbs that compliment one other is a straightforward technique to produce a meat that is bright in flavor and easy to prepare.
How is a turkey flavored?
The essentials, such as onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage, contribute significantly to the flavor profile of a classic Thanksgiving meal. Add some halved lemons or oranges to boost the fragrant qualities of whatever you’re cooking. Your turkey will benefit from the citrus’s addition of both brightness and acidity.
How can a turkey be made to taste good?
At the one-hour mark, baste the turkey with freshly brewed beer, wine, or juice. The turkey’s inherent sugars will assist the surface of the meat to caramelize, which will result in a skin that is both tasty and crispy. By injecting the turkey with apple juice or butter, you may add flavor, moisture, and let the liquid permeate deeper into the flesh, which will result in a turkey that has a more robust taste.
Should a turkey be cooked with a cover or without one?
Should I cover the chicken as it roasts or leave it uncovered? A: The guys at Butterball suggest roasting the turkey in a roasting pan with the lid off. According to Butterball, the breast portion can be covered with aluminum foil at the two-thirds mark of the cooking time in order to prevent it from drying out.
What can I do to keep my turkey moist?
Here is a useful piece of advice: to prevent the turkey breast from drying up and to ensure that it remains juicy: Make a triangle out of a huge square sheet of foil by folding it. After you have rubbed olive oil on one side of the triangle and formed the foil (with the oiled side facing down) over the turkey breast, you can then remove the foil; this will protect your turkey breast and prevent it from becoming dry.
How can I prevent the drying out of my turkey?
Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe
- Instead of a frozen turkey, pick a fresh one.
- Instead of roasting one large turkey, roast two smaller ones.
- Turkey must be brined.
- Incorporate soft butter into the skin.
- No trussing at all, or only loosely.
- First, roast the turkey inverted.
- Avoid overcooking it.
- Before carving the turkey, let it rest.