When it comes to holiday cooking, my father and I spend weeks deciding who is making what for the feast. Divide and conquer, right? Show
For 50 years, my mother was in charge of the turkey. But now that the dinner gathering has shifted to my house, the task has fallen to me. Fortunately, my mother has taught me well! Her turkey cooking method produces a roast turkey that is always perfectly done. The breast is never dried out, but tender and full of flavor. There's no need to brine or baste. Video: How to Roast a Turkey Breast Side DownMoms Roast TurkeyHow to Cook a Turkey: 3 Tips to KnowHow does my mother do it? Here are her three keys to cooking a perfect turkey:
The Best Way to Roast a Turkey? Breast Side DownThe main difference between how my mother makes her turkey and everyone else is to cook it breast side down. By cooking the turkey this way, the juices from the cooking turkey fall into the breast while the turkey cooks, resulting in the most succulent breast imaginable. The thighs are more exposed to the heat in this method as well, which is good since dark meat takes longer to cook than white meat. If you cook the bird breast down, the turkey skin over the breast will not brown well. If you want browning on the breast, you'll need to turn the turkey over in the pan and to brown it in the last few minutes of cooking. We rarely bother with turning the turkey over, since we carve up the turkey in the kitchen before bringing it out, and there is plenty of crispy turkey skin on the rest of the turkey. In the years since we first posted this recipe, we still cook our turkeys breast side down, and they're still wonderful. If the turkey is small enough, sometimes I'll flip it over near the end to get the breast side browned. But usually, like my mom, I'll just roast it the whole time breast down. Elise BauerHow to Defrost a TurkeyCooking a turkey is pretty straightforward, but you do need to plan ahead. Given that it can take several hours to roast, the turkey needs time beforehand (days if you need to defrost) to lose the chill from the refrigerator. If you are buying a frozen turkey, you'll need to put it in the refrigerator to defrost. The turkey will need about 5 hours of defrosting time for every pound of turkey. So if you have a 15 pound turkey, it should take about 75 hours, or 3 days, to defrost in the refrigerator. A 20 pound turkey will take about 100 hours, or 4 days, to defrost. If your turkey is still partially frozen the day you plan to cook it, clean out the basin of your sink, fill it with cool water and place the turkey in it. Change the water every half hour until the turkey is defrosted. Use a Meat ThermometerIf you don't have a meat thermometer, please get one! Using one will make your life a lot easier, otherwise there's just too much guesswork. I prefer to use a remote thermometer, that way you can track the progress of the turkey as it cooks, without opening the oven door. But any instant read thermometer will do. (I use two ChefAlarm remote thermometers, one inserted into the breast, one inserted into a thigh.) The Internal Temperature for Roast Turkey165°F is the USDA recommended internal temperature for cooked turkey. The turkey will continue to cook for several minutes after you take it out of the oven, so take it out before the meat reaches those target temperatures. I usually take the the turkey out when the breast reaches 155°F to 160°F, and the thighs 155°F to 165°F. While white breast meat can easily dry out if its temperature gets too high, thigh meat can handle a higher internal temperature without drying out. Breast-side up roast turkey, after the turkey has been turned over and broiled a few minutes to brown the breast. Elise BauerHow Long to Cook Your TurkeyHere’s a quick way to estimate how long it takes to cook the turkey, though note that the actual cooking time will vary depending on how cold your turkey is to start, and your individual oven. So make sure to check the turkey WELL BEFORE (at least an hour) you estimate it to be done. Multiply the weight of your turkey by 13 minutes per pound.
Again, this is just an estimate! If your turkey is not close to room temperature when it goes in the oven, it will take longer to cook. If it is at room temp, it may take less time to cook. So, check the temperature of your bird earlier than the full cooking time. To Brine or Not to Brine the TurkeyIf you follow these instructions for cooking the turkey (breast side down and removing the turkey from the oven before the thighs reach 165°F and the breast 160°F, there is no need to brine the turkey! Your turkey will be perfectly succulent and delicious. That said, if you would like to cook your turkey in a more conventional manner, breast side up, brining will help keep the breast from drying out. See our methods for both wet and dry turkey brines:
Turkey HotlineIf you find yourself in a bind when cooking your turkey, Butterball offers a telephone hotlines during the holiday season at (800) 288-8372. For food safety questions, try the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline. What to Serve with Your Thanksgiving Turkey
Handle raw turkey the way you would raw chicken, with care. Use a separate cutting board and utensils to avoid contaminating other foods. Wash your hands with soap and water after touching raw turkey and before you touch anything else in the kitchen. Wipe down surfaces with dampened paper towels. Need help figuring out how big a turkey to get? Butterball has a turkey calculator that helps you figure out just how many pounds you need per person.
Making Turkey GravyMake the gravy while the turkey is resting. If you have used a thick metal roasting pan, you can often put it directly on the stovetop burner. If not, scrape off the drippings and put them into a skillet. If you are using the roasting pan, use a metal spatula to scrape loose any dripping that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Save Bones for StockWhen you are finished with your turkey, save the bones from the carcass to make a delicious turkey soup.
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Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included. Do you cook a 14 lb turkey at 325 or 350?turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 350° oven for 1 1/2-2 1/4 hr. For a 14-23 lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 2-3 hr. For a 24-27 lb.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?Roast the turkey uncovered at a temperature ranging from 325°F to 350°F. Higher temperatures may cause the meat to dry out, but this is preferable to temperatures that are too low which may not allow the interior of the turkey to cook to a safe temperature.
How long do you cook a 14 pound Butterball turkey?Regular Oven 350°. Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?We've found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time. Some people swear that roasting a turkey breast-side down and flipping it halfway through achieves the same results as a foil covered breast.
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