4 to 4¼ hours 350°F. 325°F 4¼ to 4 hours.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 350 or 325?
Do you cook your turkey at 325°F or 350°F? While “low and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, there are no hard and fast rules. All of our temperature guides assume you are cooking at 325, but you can cook it about the same, a little warmer, or a little shorter.
How long does it take for an 18-pound turkey to cook?
For a 10-12 pound turkey, roast for 3¼ to 3½ hours. For a 12-14 pound turkey, roast for 3 ½ to 4 hours. For a 14-18 pound turkey, roast for 4-4¼ hours. For an 18-20 pound turkey, roast for 4¼ to 4¾ hours.
How do you know when a 18-pound turkey is done?
To check if the turkey is fully cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (usually the thigh). Aim for 170º to 175ºF throughout the bird and 165ºF for the turkey breast.
How long does it take to cook an unstuffed 18-pound turkey?
Traditional roast turkey (unstuffed)
| Not stuffed | |
|---|---|
| 8-12 lbs. | 2 3/4 to 3 hrs. |
| 12-14 lbs. | 3 1/2 to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 lbs. | 4 3/4 to 4 1/4 hrs. |
| 18 to 20 lbs. | 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hrs. |
How do I keep my turkey moist?
Classic Pan Stuffing Recipe
- Choose fresh turkey instead of frozen turkey.
- Roast two small turkeys instead of one large turkey.
- Brine the turkey.
- Rub soft butter under the skin.
- Truss loosely or not at all.
- Roast the turkey upside down first.
- Do not overcook.
- Allow the turkey to rest before carving.
Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?
We have found that covering the turkey with foil produces much more moist results than roasting without foil. To even out the cooking time, it is recommended to simply cover the breasts .
Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?
Place in bottom of roasting pan. Place the turkey breast-side up on top of the vegetables. Add about 0.5 inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist and the turkey juicy.
What temperature do I cook an 18 pound turkey?
If your turkey weighs 18 to 20 pounds, roast at 425°F for 3 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Roast at 400°F for 3 ½ to 4 hours. 4 to 4¼ hours at 350°F.
How long should a turkey rest for?
Thanksgiving Helpline Remove as soon as temperature reaches 165°F or slightly lower. Rest time depends on the size of the bird, but should be at least 20 minutes. Depending on the room temperature, larger birds can wait up to 40 minutes or more.
How long should a turkey rest before carving?
Allow the turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting anything so that its juices do not remain on the cutting board.
Do Butterball turkeys have pop up timers?
The Butterball turkey did not have a pop-up timer. The most accurate way to judge doneness is to measure the thigh. The pop-up timer should be placed in the breast meat, which cooks faster than the thigh meat.
How can you tell if a turkey is done without a thermometer?
To find out if your turkey is done without a thermometer, stick a fork into the middle muscle of the thigh, explains Nicole Johnson, co-director of Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. When the juice turns clear and there is no longer any redness or pinkness, it indicates the turkey is done.”
How many does an 18 pound turkey feed?
12-16 people = 16-22 lbs. Turkey. 18 – 20 persons = 27 – 30 lbs. Turkey.
What is the lowest safe temperature to cook a turkey?
Be Safe – The U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) recommends a temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit or higher when cooking meat and poultry. Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
What temperature should a turkey be cooked at?
The USDA directs that turkeys be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. (When stuffing a turkey, the stuffing as well as the meat should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit).
Should I put butter or oil on my turkey?
Don’t Butter the Bird Butter under the skin will not make the meat juicier, but it may help the skin brown faster. However, about 17% of the butter is moisture, which will cause the bird to speckle, says Lopez Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before roasting.
How do you cook a turkey so it’s not dry?
When roasting a whole bird,” Tommy says, “the key is to cook the legs longer than the breast. The breast will dry out.”
Do you put an apple in a turkey?
Apples. Consider cutting an apple or two into quarters to stuff the turkey. They give the turkey a little extra moisture during cooking and give it a very subtle flavor reminiscent of fall.
How long should you take a turkey out of the fridge before cooking?
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator before cooking (1 hour for whole turkey, 30 minutes for fillets), as it needs to come to room temperature before placing in the oven. Cover and store in a cool place.
How do you prepare a turkey the night before?
Place the turkey in a shallow dish just large enough to hold it and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 days. The day before you plan to roast the turkey, remove the plastic wrap and place the turkey in the refrigerator. The skin will dry out and become slightly translucent.
Should you cook turkey straight from the fridge?
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to roasting, as the turkey will cook more evenly and faster if started at room temperature. If you plan to stuff the turkey, wait until ready to put it in the oven before placing the stuffing on the turkey.
Should I put butter under the skin of my turkey?
Add a layer of butter under the skin before roasting, giving it a rich flavor and adding moisture to the Thanksgiving turkey.
What do you put in the bottom of a turkey pan?
Place the chopped onion, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Select some herbs from the stems and add to the vegetables.
Should you cover a turkey crown in foil when cooking?
Cover the turkey crown with foil and roast for 60 minutes. The foil helps keep the meat juicy and stops the skin from browning and burning before the meat is cooked. After 60 minutes, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil. Bake the turkey in the juices in the bottom of the tin.
Can you cook a turkey at 350 degrees?
For unstuffed turkeys, we recommend roasting the turkey for 13 minutes per pound of turkey and 13 minutes per pound of turkey.
How do you keep a turkey warm for 4 hours?
A kitchen towel placed over the foil will help keep the meat warm and moist when carved and served. For another option, cover the bird with foil and return it to a low temperature 200F oven. Place a pan of water under the turkey to create steam and contribute to the moisture.
Can I let my turkey rest for 2 hours?
A 4-6kg turkey should rest for 1 1/2 hours, while a 6-10kg one can rest for 2 hours. Remove turkey from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
How do you know when the turkey is ready?
A meat thermometer is needed to cook the turkey to the proper temperature. Insert it close to the thigh bone, but not touching it. When it reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit at the thigh and 170 degrees F at the breast, it is done and ready to serve.
Does turkey continue to cook while resting?
Indeed, if you remove the turkey and leave the thermometer in place, the temperature will continue to rise for about 45 minutes. Do not cover the bird. At least an hour.”
Is it better to carve a turkey hot or cold?
As a rule of thumb, serve warm food on warm plates and cold food on cold plates, because a cold or room temperature platter serving meat on a cold platter will cool the food much faster. It is one of those important restaurant secrets that every home cook should know.
How do you make turkey skin crispy?
Rub the skin with fat. Once the skin is carefully dried, the next step you can take to ensure perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat such as butter or oil. Since butter is at least 20% water and oil contains no water, oil produces a crisper skin than butter.
Can you let a turkey rest too long?
Can I let my turkey rest longer? In theory, yes. Past a certain point, it is best not to let the bird rest for more than an hour, as the meat will begin to cool. Therefore, if you want to serve a piping hot turkey dinner, a 45 minute to 1 hour rest period is preferable.
Do you keep the plastic thing on the turkey?
Speaking of plastic, the turkey usually has a plastic or metal crimp, called a hook lock, holding the legs together in the back. You can either leave it on or take it off, whichever you prefer. The legs can cook more evenly without it. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water, inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.
What makes a Butterball turkey different?
Because more than half of holiday cooks stuff their turkeys, Butterball turkeys have a natural foot tuck to make stuffing easier, using the skin to hold the legs in place. Butterball turkeys have no plastic or metal locks. This ensures that when you remove the stuffing, you don’t have to worry about hot metal clips.
What is the red thing on a turkey when cooking?
Pop-Up Timer FAQ Inside the standard pop-up turkey timer is a red plastic indicator stick housed in a plastic case. The soft metal tip is solid at room temperature, but warms up as the turkey cooks, eventually melting at 165° F (73° C).
Is slightly pink turkey OK to eat?
The turkey will remain pink even after cooking to the lowest safe internal temperature of 165 °F. Smoked turkey meat is always pink.
Why is my turkey still pink?
Scientists have discovered that the pink color occurs when heated gases or gases in the atmosphere of an electric oven react chemically with the hemoglobin in the meat tissue to give the poultry its pink hue. They are the same substances that give smoked ham and other salted meats their red color.
How long can a cooked turkey sit out before carving?
First, safety. First, let’s talk food safety. According to the USDA, do not let turkey stand at room temperature for more than two hours or at temperatures above 90°F for more than one hour.
What do you brine a turkey in?
Use large grains of salt. Use kosher salt that contains larger crystals to get the correct salt-to-water ratio for the brine.
What is the smallest turkey you can buy?
Six pounds is about the smallest turkey you can find, she said. Those are chickens, which usually weigh 8 to 10 pounds.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?
Do you cook your turkey at 325°F or 350°F? While “low and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, there are no hard and fast rules. All of our temperature guides assume you are cooking at 325, but you can cook it about the same, a little warmer, or a little shorter.
What if my turkey is done early?
Things could get a little complicated if your turkey is done too early, but it’s not the end of the world. If done about an hour early, let it rest uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes. Next, cover the turkey with foil and a thick towel or blanket to keep it warm.
Can you cook a turkey on low heat overnight?
When you begin to think about going to bed, preheat the oven to 170-180°F. If your oven temperature is not this low, set it to the coldest setting. Up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit is fine.
Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?
We have found that covering the turkey with foil produces much more moist results than roasting without foil. To even out the cooking time, it is recommended to simply cover the breasts .
Where do you stick the thermometer in the turkey?
Some tips to keep in mind are as follows
- When cooking a whole turkey, insert thermometers into the thickest part of the turkey breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wings.
- Do not allow the thermometer to touch the bone, the gristle, or the pan.
Should I tent my turkey?
Butterball suggests covering the breast with a small tent made of aluminum foil after the turkey has been cooked for the required 2/3 of the time (depending on the size of the bird). This will slow down the cooking process of the turkey breast.
Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?
Place in bottom of roasting pan. Place the turkey breast-side up on top of the vegetables. Add about 0.5 inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist and the turkey juicy.
How do I keep my turkey moist?
Classic Pan Stuffing Recipe
- Choose fresh turkey instead of frozen turkey.
- Roast two small turkeys instead of one large turkey.
- Brine the turkey.
- Rub soft butter under the skin.
- Truss loosely or not at all.
- Roast the turkey upside down first.
- Do not overcook.
- Allow the turkey to rest before carving.
What do I put on top of turkey before cooking?
You will also need to open the oven constantly. This will allow the oven to loosen the heat and the turkey will take longer to cook. Applying the herb butter mixture to the outside and inside skin of the turkey will help the skin to brown beautifully and taste amazing.
What size turkey is the most tender?
The youngest turkeys available are usually less than 4 months old, weigh less than 8 pounds, are labeled fryer/roaster, and have the most tender meat.
How do I add flavor to my turkey?
Baste the turkey with fresh beer, wine, or juice every hour. Natural sugars help caramelize the outside of the turkey, giving it a crunchy, flavorful skin. Infusing butter or apple juice adds flavor, moisture, and permeates the meat, making the turkey flavorful.
Can you put a stick of butter in a turkey?
I like to stuff it with orange wedges, lemon wedges, garlic, onions, and a mix of fresh herbs. In this Thanksgiving turkey recipe, use 1/2 a stick of butter to make garlic herb butter and spread it under the skin. The skin protects the fresh garlic and herbs, and the butter, garlic, and herbs flavor the turkey meat.
Should turkeys be washed before cooking?
Should I rinse the turkey? In short, no. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), rinsing raw turkey in the kitchen sink can lead to the spread of bacteria on countertops, nearby food, and other surfaces that can cause cross-contamination.
What if I left my turkey out overnight to thaw?
Thawing raw meat at room temperature for more than two hours imposes rapid bacterial growth. Is thawing turkey at room temperature a good idea? No. If you are doing it and using it, it is not a good idea. If you have done it and used it, you are in luck.
Should you season turkey overnight?
You can season the turkey the night before or two days before. Salt is a great (and non-negotiable) place to start, but there are so many seasonings that really repeat the flavor of a bland bird.
Should you cook turkey breast up or down?
The USDA recommends cooking the entire turkey breast during the entire cooking time. Flipping a large, hot bird is dangerous, and it is very easy to tear the skin, making the finished product less appealing.
What time should you start cooking a turkey?
Season the night before and pop it in the oven on Thanksgiving morning. When you should start cooking: Season the turkey the night before and start cooking on Thanksgiving morning. While it is best to actually cook the turkey on Thanksgiving Day, Holtzman recommends seasoning the turkey the night before.
Should I butter my turkey the night before?
Absolutely! In fact, buttering the turkey the night before not only saves roasting day, but also allows the butter to sit on the skin overnight, believe it or not.
What should you not cook with a turkey?
7 Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking a Turkey
- Not giving the turkey enough time to thaw.
- Setting the oven temperature too high.
- Putting the turkey in the oven too early.
- Not using a meat thermometer.
- Discards bread drippings.
- Does not plan for leftovers.
- Throw away turkey bones.
How long should a turkey rest before carving?
Allow the turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting anything so that its juices do not remain on the cutting board.