Cooking Turkey Tips
Source of Recipe
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Roasting, grilling, brining, or deep-frying a turkey? You’ll find great ideas here!
Kitchen Tools for Cooking Turkey
With these kitchen tools, you’ll be off to a smooth start:
Essentials
Meat thermometer
Aluminum Foil
Sharpened carving knife and fork
Cutting board
Nice to Haves
Oven thermometer
Baster
Roasting bag
Roasting pan with handles
Buying Turkey
Figure out how much turkey you need by multiplying the number of guests times one pound of uncooked, whole turkey per person. You’ll have enough for the table, as well as leftovers.
Turkeys are available:
Eight to 24 pounds in weight
Packaged as a whole or by the half, or as breasts and drumsticks
Fresh, frozen, and free-range (available by special order from your butcher)
Storing Turkey
A whole frozen turkey will keep in the freezer at 0°F for up to 12 months. A fresh, whole turkey that is refrigerated should be cooked within 1 to 2 days of purchase.
Thawing and Preparing Turkey
Thaw wrapped turkey safely in three ways:
Refrigerator
Microwave
Cold Water that competely covers the bird
Thawing time depends on the thawing method and turkey weight - See our Charts and Tables for guidelines.
Once thawed, do the following:
Remove the wrapper and paper giblet packets containing the gizzard, heart, and neck. These are tucked inside the neck and end cavities; be sure to check both.
Rinse the turkey well after removing the giblets and pat dry. Giblets can be rinsed and cooked in a saucepan of boiling water and simmered during turkey roasting time. Use the rich broth for delicious gravy (discard giblets).
Turkey Stuffing
Planning to pair stuffing with your turkey? Stuffing the turkey does increase cooking time; if you need to save time, bake dressing in a separate pan.
Cooking Time
How much cooking time will your turkey take?
Cooking time for turkey brining, roasting, grilling, or deep-frying depends on the size of the bird and your recipe.
For roasting guidelines, check our Charts and Reference Guides.
Convection ovens decrease roasting time (check the guidelines for your convection oven).
Oven and Turkey Temperatures
Heat is huge with turkey roasting. Manage it correctly with these tips:
Use an oven thermometer to ensure correct oven temperature for turkey roasting.
Whether roasting or grilling, use a meat thermometer so you’ll know when the turkey reaches a safe internal temperature. Insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the inside thigh muscle so the thermometer does not touch bone.
Turkeys often come with plastic pop-up indicator. When your meat thermometer or pop-up indicates the turkey is ready, remove it from the oven, grill, or fryer.
Turkey Basting
Basting promotes moist, flavorful turkey. Baste or brush the turkey with pan juices every 30 to 60 minutes of cooking time.
Carving the Turkey
Ready to serve? Carve the turkey on a stable cutting board with a sharp carving knife and a meat fork with two tines. Carving is easier if you allow the turkey to stand for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.
Follow these easy steps for a beautiful presentation:
Place turkey breast-side up. Remove any ties or skewers.
While gently pulling leg and thigh, cut through the joint separating them from the body. Drumstick and thighs can be served whole or cut apart.
Make a deep horizontal cut into the breast just above the wing. Insert meat fork in the top of the breast and, starting halfway up the breast, carve thin slices down to the horizontal cut, working from the outer edge to the center.
Repeat on the opposite side of the turkey.
Storing Cooked Turkey
Be sure to refrigerate or freeze your turkey within two hours of cooking to keep meat safe from bacteria and ready for another meal.
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