How to cook a turkey

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worldsbestauntie
worldsbestauntie Posts: 280 Member
in Recipes
I need some helpful suggestions on how to cook a turkey. It looks like I might end up making my own Thanksgiving dinner on Monday (I'm Canadian, our Thanksgiving is Monday). I have NEVER cooked a turkey. How exactly does one cook a turkey?

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Do they have these in Canada?

    http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/products/oven-bags

    These are super simple to use. The extra large (turkey sized) bags come with instructions.

    Basically you thaw the bird (2 - several days in the fridge depending upon size of bird). Thanksgiving AM - wash the bird, remove bag of "junk" from inside.....wash some more. Dry the bird with paper towels. Use salt, pepper, and sage (or poultry seasoning) for a traditional flavor. Anyway, you want to season the bird inside and out. Place turkey in the cooking bag (shake flour in the bag first...so it doesn't explode...place a couple stalks of celery in there too). Put twist tie on the bag & cut several slits in it (again.......so it doesn't explode).

    Bake according to time on weight chart. Let the turkey settle before carving.
  • aprilwilliams2729
    aprilwilliams2729 Posts: 107 Member
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    http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-turkey-the-simplest-easiest-method-160905

    Pretty accurate directions. :)
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
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    I haven't roasted one in an actual oven in years (we have a Nesco roaster) so I'm probably a little rusty, but this is the quick and dirty.

    Thaw in fridge.
    Remove the innards.
    Stuff with your stuffing or vegetables if you wish.
    Push butter under the skin and rub some all over the outside.
    Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and what other seasoning that you like.
    Wrap some foil around the tips of the wings and the drumsticks.
    Place in roasting pan with sliced onion and about an inch of water or broth.
    Baste as you like.
    Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes per pound. (20 pound turkey takes approximately 6.5-7 hours)


    OR
    Try Alton Brown's plan
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

    :smile:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I do mine in a roasting pan on the grill @ about 350*. I clean it all up and remove the inards. I stuff the big cavity with a traditional bread stuffing and the small cavity with a sausage stuffing. I rub her down with some olive oil and season. I foil the whole thing and cook...I always have a digital thermometer stuck in there to monitor the temp real time. When I have maybe an hour or two left I will uncover to brown the skin...also, I baist every hour or so with the pan drippings. I use leftover drippings and the neck to make gravy for my mash.
  • awtume9
    awtume9 Posts: 423 Member
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    We deep fry our turkey! Takes way less time and leaves the oven open for other deliciousness. :drinker:
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Best way I've found for a deep, golden brown, cooked-to-perfection turkey (stolen from Alton Brown):

    Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
    Season your turkey with salt and pepper and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
    (Cover the bottom of the pan with foil that you can remove after the first step. Turn on your overhead exhaust vent fan -- the first step sometimes results in the drippings smoking when they hit the bottom of the pan. Cover the wing tips with foil to prevent them from overcooking.)
    Place the turkey in the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. (Don't panic -- the drippings might smoke when they hit the bottom of the pan. Your turkey is not burning.)
    After 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 and roast until meat thermometer reads 165 at the meatiest part of the thigh. Loosely cover with foil if the skin starts to look too brown at the end.

    This method is the easiest I've found. People rave about how evenly brown and crispy the skin is and how moist the meat is. I use this method every single year, and it beats the heck out of any method that involves basting or bags.

    This method is also awesome for cooking prime rib roasts. It crisps the outside and keeps all the juices in.
  • EddieHaskell97
    EddieHaskell97 Posts: 2,227 Member
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    Also stolen from Alton Brown:

    If you're not experienced in open flame deep frying, and have not been taught specifically how to deep fry a turkey safely, please don't even try it.

    deep-fried-turkey-disasters1.jpg
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    I just made turkey on Monday. It was tender, juicy, simple and delicious. Take the bag of gross stuff and the neck out! Slide your hand between the meat and skin making a pocket for butter. Slather butter all over that bird inside and out, lots of salt and pepper and whatever other spices you like. No need for broth or water or any of that in the roasting pan. My turkey was 17lbs so I put it in a 350 degree oven for 4 1/2 hours. For the first 2 hours I left the lid on the roasting pan, after that take it off and lt cook baste as necessary. I guarantee you it will be juicy and tender if you make it like this I do it every year.

    Stuffing inside the bird is gross and tends to need longer cook time, I suggest making stuffing separate and adding it at the table.
  • ayanna32
    ayanna32 Posts: 83 Member
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    For a GREAT low maintance turkey that is so juicy without all the fuss BRINE IT! I buy the turkey brine from World Market for the past few years, its awesome.

    1. Thaw the bird in the fridge.
    2. Clean the turkey and remove/clean the innards
    3. Bring the brine to a boil and let cool per the directions.
    4. Insert your bird (breast down) in the brine and keep in brining fluid overnight
    5. Next morning rinse turkey and stuff if desired.
    4. Rub butter all over outside and season with garlic salt, pepper and seasoning salt.
    5. Cover with a foil tent

    I don't baste the turkey or lift the tent until it' should be done, it's very tasty. The brine makes it juicy and flavorful.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    I haven't roasted one in an actual oven in years (we have a Nesco roaster) so I'm probably a little rusty, but this is the quick and dirty.

    Thaw in fridge.
    Remove the innards.
    Stuff with your stuffing or vegetables if you wish.
    Push butter under the skin and rub some all over the outside.
    Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and what other seasoning that you like.
    Wrap some foil around the tips of the wings and the drumsticks.
    Place in roasting pan with sliced onion and about an inch of water or broth.
    Baste as you like.
    Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes per pound. (20 pound turkey takes approximately 6.5-7 hours)


    OR
    Try Alton Brown's plan
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

    :smile:

    /thread
  • awtume9
    awtume9 Posts: 423 Member
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    Also stolen from Alton Brown:

    If you're not experienced in open flame deep frying, and have not been taught specifically how to deep fry a turkey safely, please don't even try it.

    deep-fried-turkey-disasters1.jpg

    Lol yes it can be very dangerous.
  • Camera_BagintheUK
    Camera_BagintheUK Posts: 707 Member
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    You can't do better than Queen Deliah!
    http://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/chicken-and-other-poultry/how-to-roast-turkey.html
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    Disclaimer: my way is not at all "healthy" or low-calorie, but it is delicious. I only make it once a year, so I give no fraks about the calorie/fat count.

    Thaw your bird early enough that it's fully thawed 24 hours before cooking. Place it in a huge stockpot with a brine made of 1cup salt for every gallon of (lukewarm) water; season this brine with anything you like (I enjoy rosemary, sage, and onion quarters). Let the turkey brine at least 12 hours, but 16-20 is better.

    When it's time to cook, preheat your oven to 400. Remove the turkey from the brine, remove the neckpad, giblets, neckbone, etc. Pat the turkey dry inside and out. Loosen the skin very gently with your fingers or a small rubber spatula. Apply a generous layer of herb butter (butter, sage, thyme, white pepper, parsley) everywhere under the skin -- and don't skimp on the butter; use a good quality brand. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and sage all over the turkey's cavity. Apply a little more herb butter to the outside of the skin. Stuff the cavity with onion quarters and apple chunks, then truss that baby up like you're in a dungeon playing Mistress of pain. Place it on a roasting rack, breast side down, make a foil "tent" over the bird, and roast for 12 minutes per pound of bird. During the last 20 minutes or so, remove the foil and brush on more herb butter to give the skin a lovely golden crackle.

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