How to Cook a Turkey: Recipe

How to Cook a Turkey

Everyone should know how to cook a turkey.  The teaching of this basic skill, however, is often neglected in our upbringing! This step-by-step tutorial on how to cook a turkey is designed for cooks of all levels.  Even if you’ve never attempted any major cooking projects before, this will allow you to produce a beautiful bird for your family’s holiday meal.

We have also included a video tutorial for the visual learners: How to Cook a Turkey. The video even includes some helpful hints about cooking times, temperatures, stuffing, and more. (Subscribers will have to click through to HomeEverAfter.com to view the video.)

How to Cook a Turkey: Step by Step

1.  Start with a defrosted turkey.  Thaw a frozen turkey in your refrigerator for 3-4 days before cooking.

2.  Take the plastic off the turkey. 

3.  Take the neck out of the body cavity.  You can save the turkey neck if you like to eat it or throw it away.

4.  Remove the giblets from the neck cavity.  If you want to make gravy out of the giblets, set them aside for later.  Otherwise, throw them away.

5.  Rinse the outside of the turkey with water.  The goal is to remove any plastic pieces left on the turkey from the packaging or debris that may have picked up at the packaging plant.

6.  Rinse the inside of the turkey with water.  Make sure the inside of the turkey is clean by running water from the faucet into the empty body cavity, then dumping the water back out.

7.  Pull the wings over the breasts. As if the turkey is doing a yoga pose, bend the wings up and over the breasts to keep them from burning during cooking.

8.  Put the turkey in a roasting pan. If cooking the turkey neck, add it to the pan as well.  Follow the directions below, depending on if your roasting pan has a lid or not.

When Using a Roasting Pan with a Lid

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Bake the turkey covered for approximately 1 hour per 5 pounds of turkey.
• When the time is up, check the temperature with the meat thermometer.  The goal is to reach 170°.
• When 170° is reached, raise the oven temperature to 450°.
• Put back into the oven uncovered for 15 minutes.
• Remove the turkey from the oven when it is golden brown.  Check the temperature again to make sure it has reached 185°. 
• Let sit, covered, for 15 minutes to seal in the juices.

When Using a Disposable Pan (or Pan with No Lid)

• Preheat the oven to 325°.
• Mold aluminum foil over the front half of the turkey, covering the breasts.
• Make a handle on the foil over the turkey’s neck area.
• Take the foil shield off the turkey.
• Cook the turkey uncovered for approximately 1 hour per 5 pounds of turkey.
• When the time is up, check the temperature with the meat thermometer.  The goal is to reach 185°.
• If the turkey is as golden brown as you want, then put the breast shield on over the breasts to keep them from getting too dark.
• Continue cooking the turkey with the foil shield in place until it is the desired color.  Make sure the internal temperature is 185°.
• Remove from oven.
• Cover loosely with tin foil for 15 minutes to seal in the juices.

The final step is to serve a wonderful, golden brown turkey on your holiday table.  Wasn’t that easy? Great work!

Turkey photo courtesy of stock.xchng. Video courtesy of IS World Media.