What degrees should i cook a turkey

This creates the perfect environment for bacterial growth. However, you can fully roast a turkey the day before and heat it for Thanksgiving dinner:. A: You should never stuff a bird hours before roasting, as the cavity can provide an environment for bacteria to grow.

When cooking stuffing in a turkey, it is always best to prepare it just before filling and roasting the bird. You can also opt to bake the stuffing in a separate baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake the stuffing until the top is golden-brown, about 15—20 minutes more. Whether you bake it in the turkey or on the side, the internal temperature of the dressing should be degrees F to ensure it's fully and safely cooked.

A: Turkey, or any cooked food, should not be left out for more than 2 hours. Any longer than that, and bacteria will start to develop, leading to food-borne illness. No one wants that. See more about refrigerating, freezing, and reheating Thanksgiving leftovers. How to Cook a Turkey.

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Pin FB Share. Patting Turkey Dry. Credit: Sara Tane. Credit: fabeveryday. Brushing Turkey with Oil. Trussed Turkey. Turkey Aromatics. Therefore, it's important to rotate the turkey's roasting pan every 30 minutes to make sure the bird cooks evenly.

Also, it is critical to allow your turkey to rest for 30 minutes to an hour after it's taken out of the oven. The meat continues to rise in temperature after the turkey is removed, and this time also keeps the hot juices and delicious flavor compounds from flooding out of the meat and onto the carving platter the moment you cut into the bird.

By Micah A Leal. Oven-roasted turkey: temperatures and times. For a lb. Chef's Notes If using a frozen turkey, start thawing it in a pan in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days before roasting, depending on its size. Per Serving:.

Be the first to rate and review! No ratings or reviews yet. Close this dialog window Review this recipe. What did you think about this recipe? Did you make any changes or notes? Cancel Submit. Water has a much greater molecular density than air. Heat transfer from the molecularly dense water to the frozen turkey happens much faster than in air. You will need to allow at least 30 minutes per pound per. Place your unopened turkey it must be in airtight wrapping breast-side DOWN in a cooler and fill with cold water to cover.

It will begin to sink as it thaws. This is very important! If the center of the turkey is still frozen, by the time it comes to a food safe temperature, the outside meat will be burned to a crisp.

Using a fast and accurate instant-read thermometer, like Thermapen ONE , push the probe tip through the wrapper, deep into the breast and pull it out noting the temperature reading as it changes. Check in several places. Check deep in the thigh and next to the neck cavity too. One of the most delicious parts of a properly cooked turkey is crispy skin. And crispy skin after cooking starts with DRY skin before cooking. Water on the surface of the meat will slow down the cook, and cause uneven browning.

The heat of the oven or smoker must first work to evaporate the surface moisture before the cooking really begins. So, prep your turkey skin by either drying or, better yet, dry brining your turkey skin before cooking. Pat your turkey dry with paper towels right before cooking. This is particularly important if you wet-brined your turkey in saltwater.

Be sure to get the entire surface of the turkey even the inside surface of the main cavity and neck cavity nice and dry before seasoning. Slather on the butter or oil and spices whatever your recipe calls for and start cooking.

Optionally, get even crispier skin and juicier, more flavorful turkey meat by dry-brining your bird. Dry brining is essentially air-drying your turkey. After applying your spices we prefer just plain salt and pepper , leave your uncovered in the refrigerator on a baking tray for the morning 8 hours before or the entire day before 24 hours cooking your turkey.

The more uniform a piece of meat is in shape and size, the more evenly it will cook. This is why we tie up roasts and butterfly some cuts of meat before cooking them. Needless to say, whole turkeys are anything but uniform in shape! The breasts are thick at one end and tapered toward the other, while the legs are quite a bit smaller.

These different areas of the turkey simply will not cook at the same rate. Two different thermometers for two different but very important jobs. If you only have one, the instant-read is the more important, since it allows you to verify doneness temperature in multiple places. Each time! Pushing a probe vertically through the top means you are cutting across those gradients.

Hold the probe against the turkey breast to estimate how deeply you should push the probe tip into the breast to reach its center. With your other hand, pinch about where you think the probe will reach the outer edge of the turkey.

Insert the probe laterally, from near the neck cavity, parallel to the cutting board or pan up to your fingers pinching the probe with your other hand. You can wiggle the probe tip inside the turkey breast and feel with your other hand to verify it is near the center of the breast.

If you DO have a second probe to work with, push it deep into the thigh—between the leg and the body of the turkey. If you hit bone, pull the probe tip back half an inch. Avoid the temptation to open the oven or smoker , and let out the hot air, until the alarm sounds. The best way to know your turkey is done is, simply, to take its temperature. Remember, your turkey is only as done as the lowest internal temperature you can find.

Using a fast and accurate instant-read thermometer, like a Thermapen ONE, plunge the probe deep into the breast meat from the top and then pull the probe tip up slowly back through the turkey meat watching the thermometer display.

Do this in at least two places in the breast. When the breast meat doneness temp is verified, go ahead and check your dark meat by pushing the probe tip of your instant-read thermometer deep into the thigh meat between the leg and the body of the turkey. Pull the probe tip up slowly back through the thigh meat watching the thermometer display.