Roast Turkey
Taken from Butterball.com and Reynoldskitchens.com
I use the cooking bag, and have some extra hints below on what I do in roasting.
List of Ingredients
Ten Steps To Roasting a Turkey & Roast Turkey using a Cooking BAG
Roasting a Whole Turkey
Ten Steps to a Picture Perfect Turkey
Every year, the Butterball Test Kitchen staff roasts numerous turkeys to determine the method that will produce the best-tasting, picture-perfect turkey. Follow these 10 easy steps to create a picture-perfect turkey.
For details on roasting your Butterball turkey, click here for a handy roasting chart.
How much to buy? We recommend allowing 1-1/2 pounds of turkey (net weight on tag) per adult for a generous serving with leftovers, slightly more for a frozen pre-stuffed turkey. If you have light eaters or are not concerned about leftovers, allow 1 pound per adult. For children, allowing 1/2 pound per child should be sufficient.
1. If turkey is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator or cold water. When ready to cook, remove the wrapper. Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit.
2. Remove the neck from the body cavity and the giblets from the neck cavity. Drain the juices and blot the cavities with paper towels.
3. Just before roasting, stuff the neck and body cavities lightly, if desired. Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position, if untucked. No trussing is necessary.
4. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a flat rack in an open roasting pan about 2 inches deep. A handy "turkey lifter" comes with each Butterball Turkey. Place this special string cradle on a rack, then place the turkey on top and bring the loops up around the turkey. Do this before putting the turkey in the oven and when lifting the cooked turkey from the pan, use the loops as handles.
5. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh next to the body, not touching the bone.
6. Brush the skin with vegetable oil to prevent skin from drying. Further basting is unnecessary.
7. Wash preparation utensils, work surfaces and hands in hot, soapy water following contact with uncooked turkey and juices.
8. Roast at 325° F. For approximate cooking times, see roasting time schedule. When the skin is light golden, about 2/3 done, shield the breast loosely with lightweight foil to prevent overcooking.
9. Check for doneness 1/2 hour before turkey is expected to be done. Turkey is fully cooked when the thigh's internal temperature is 180° F. The thickest part of breast should read 170° F and the center of the stuffing should be 160° F.
10. When done, let the turkey stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
2. What's the best way to roast a turkey?
The Butterball Open Pan Roasting Method will consistently create a juicy, tender, golden brown, picture-perfect turkey.
Place thawed or fresh turkey, breast up on a flat rack in a shallow pan, 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep.
If unstuffed, insert oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. If stuffed, place the tip of the meat thermometer inside the stuffed cavity of the turkey.
Brush or rub skin with oil to prevent the skin from drying and to enhance the golden color.
Place in a preheated 325°F oven.
When the skin is a light golden color and the turkey is about two-thirds done, shield the breast loosely with a tent of lightweight foil to prevent overcooking of the breast.
Use this roasting schedule as a guideline; start checking for doneness 1/2 hour before recommended end times:
Net Weight (in pounds)
Unstuffed (in hours)
Stuffed (in hours)
10 to 18
3 to 3-1/2
3-3/4 to 4-1/2
18 to 22
3-1/2 to 4
4-1/2 to 5
22 to 24
4 to 4-1/2
5 to 5-1/2
24 to 30
4-1/2 to 5
5-1/2 to 6-1/4
Turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
180°F deep in the thigh; also, juices should be clear, not reddish pink when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
160°F in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.
Before removing stuffing and carving, let turkey stand 15 minutes to allow juices to set.Recipe
Roast Turkey: Using a Cooking Bag
from: Reynolds Kitchens
1 Reynolds® Oven Bag, turkey size (19"x23-1/2")
1 tablespoon flour
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
12 to 24 pound turkey, thawed
Vegetable oil
PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
SHAKE flour in Reynolds Oven Bag; place in roasting pan at least 2 inches deep. Spray inside of oven bag with nonstick spray to reduce sticking, if desired.
ADD vegetables to oven bag. Remove neck and giblets from turkey. Rinse turkey; pat dry. Lightly stuff with your favorite stuffing recipe, if desired. Brush turkey with oil. Place turkey in oven bag on top of vegetables.
CLOSE oven bag with nylon tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top. Insert meat thermometer through oven bag into thickest part of inner thigh, not touching bone.
BAKE 2 to 2 1/2 hours for a 12 to 16 lb. turkey, 2 1/2 to 3 hours for a 16 to 20 lb. turkey, and 3 to 3 1/2 hours for a 20 to 24 lb. turkey or until meat thermometer reads 180°F. Add 1/2 hour for stuffed turkey. For easy slicing, let stand in oven bag 15 minutes. If turkey sticks to oven bag, gently loosen oven bag from turkey before opening oven bag.
THE REYNOLDS KITCHEN TIP: Estimate 1 pound per person for generous servings with leftovers.
Turkey Gravy
Pan drippings from roasted turkey
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Pour drippings from turkey into a large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat from drippings, reserving 3 to 4 tablespoons (discard remaining fat). Set aside remaining drippings. Place reserved fat in medium saucepan. Stir in flour, salt and poultry seasoning.
Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly, about 1 minute. If necessary, add water to reserved turkey drippings to measure 2 1/2 cups. Gradually stir drippings into flour mixture. Heat mixture to boiling, stirring frequently. Boil until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Makes about 2 cups.
Jeannies Notes:
I rub my turkey with butter not oil. I've never had to spray the inside of the bag with oil before. It's never stuck. I also do not use any veggies inside the bag. Only flour, salt, and pepper. I stuff my turkey with a sausage stuffing so the seasonings from that are what enhance the flavor of the gravy.
For the gravy I use cornstarch instead of flour. What can I say? It's what my mom used and it's what always has worked best for us.
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