Q. What is the best way to thaw a turkey?
A. There are three ways to safely thaw your turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water in the sink, or in a microwave oven. The recommendations for thawing are:
Refrigerator (40°F or below): Thaw on a tray or in a pan to prevent drips. Once thawed, turkey may be stored in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days before cooking.
In cold water: Thaw securely wrapped turkey, making sure the water is not able to leak through the wrapping. Keep turkey submerged. Change water every 30 minutes. Cook immediately after thawing. Do not refreeze.
Thawing Guidelines based on size of turkey:
• 4 to 12 pounds - 1 to 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 to 6 hours in cold water
• 12 to 16 pounds - 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 6 to 8 hours in cold water
• 16 to 20 pounds - 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator or 8 to 10 hours in cold water
• 20 to 24 pounds - 5 to 6 days in the refrigerator or 10 to 12 hours in cold water
Check your microwave oven owner's manual to thaw a turkey in your microwave. Once thawed, cook immediately. Do not refreeze or refrigerate a turkey after microwave thawing.
Q. What is the safest way to stuff a turkey?
A. Turkey should be stuffed immediately before cooking. Resist the temptation to stuff a bird and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. If you wish, you can prepare the stuffing the day before your holiday meal and store it in the refrigerator so that getting the bird into the oven on the day of your feast is an easy task. Loosely pack stuffing into the cavity so that the mixture heats quickly and evenly.
Because stuffing is slower to heat than turkey meat, cooking a stuffed bird will result in an over-cooked bird. For more even cooking, bake stuffing outside the bird - the meat will be ready sooner and will be more tender and juicy.
Q. How do I roast my turkey?
A. Set your oven temperature no lower than 325°F. Place the turkey or turkey breast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. A small amount of water in the bottom of the roasting pan (one-half cup), or lining the pan with aluminum foil, will make clean-up easier. Season the bird before roasting and/or baste the skin as the turkey roasts.
Timetables for Turkey Roasting (325°F oven temperature)
These times are approximate. Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of your turkey and stuffing.
Thawed, unstuffed cooking time (add 1/2 hour cooking time if bird is stuffed):
• 4 to 8 pounds (breast) - 1.5 to 3.5 hours
• 8 to 12 pounds - 2.5 to 3 hours
• 12 to 14 pounds - 3 to 3.5 hours
• 14 to 18 pounds - 3.5 to 4.5 hours
• 18 to 20 pounds - 4.5 to 5 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds - 4.5 to 5 hours
Q. How will I know when it's done?
A. Here are the key temperatures for roasting a holiday turkey:
• Cook a whole turkey, or a turkey breast to 165 °F. To check for doneness in a whole turkey, insert a food thermometer in the thickest part of the inner thigh without touching the bone. Check for doneness in a turkey breast by inserting a food thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. Note: Turkey meat will be safely cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F; however, the meat may still be slightly pink. Some people prefer cooking turkey to a higher temperature (whole turkey to 180°F or breast meat to 170°F) for meat that is more well done.
• Stuffing must also reach 165 °F; the turkey is often "overdone" by the time the stuffing reaches a safe temperature.
• Research has shown that you should not rely on a "pop-up" temperature indicator to ensure doneness. Use a thermometer instead.
• For quality, let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily.
Q. Can I cook a turkey while it's still frozen?
A. It is safe to cook a turkey from the frozen state. The cooking time will take at least 50 percent longer than recommended for a fully thawed turkey. Remove wrapping and gravy packet immediately. Follow directions for roasting turkey and checking for doneness above, except remove giblet packet after about 3 hours of cooking time (when turkey is thawed). Cook for about 1.5 times as long as for thawed bird of same size. A 12- to 13-pound bird will take approximately five hours to cook from the frozen state; a larger bird will take longer. Keep covered or tented for about the first 4 hours of cooking time.
More tips:
• Do not rinse turkeys, or other meat, before cooking; this only spreads germs. Use paper towels to gently remove pin feathers or coagulated blood, if desired.
• If your roasting pan does not have a lid, you may place a tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the turkey for the first 1 to 1.5 hours. This allows for maximum heat circulation, keeps the turkey moist, and reduces oven splatter. To prevent over-browning, foil may also be placed over the turkey after it reaches the desired color.
A. There are three ways to safely thaw your turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water in the sink, or in a microwave oven. The recommendations for thawing are:
Refrigerator (40°F or below): Thaw on a tray or in a pan to prevent drips. Once thawed, turkey may be stored in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days before cooking.
In cold water: Thaw securely wrapped turkey, making sure the water is not able to leak through the wrapping. Keep turkey submerged. Change water every 30 minutes. Cook immediately after thawing. Do not refreeze.
Thawing Guidelines based on size of turkey:
• 4 to 12 pounds - 1 to 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 to 6 hours in cold water
• 12 to 16 pounds - 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 6 to 8 hours in cold water
• 16 to 20 pounds - 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator or 8 to 10 hours in cold water
• 20 to 24 pounds - 5 to 6 days in the refrigerator or 10 to 12 hours in cold water
Check your microwave oven owner's manual to thaw a turkey in your microwave. Once thawed, cook immediately. Do not refreeze or refrigerate a turkey after microwave thawing.
Q. What is the safest way to stuff a turkey?
A. Turkey should be stuffed immediately before cooking. Resist the temptation to stuff a bird and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. If you wish, you can prepare the stuffing the day before your holiday meal and store it in the refrigerator so that getting the bird into the oven on the day of your feast is an easy task. Loosely pack stuffing into the cavity so that the mixture heats quickly and evenly.
Because stuffing is slower to heat than turkey meat, cooking a stuffed bird will result in an over-cooked bird. For more even cooking, bake stuffing outside the bird - the meat will be ready sooner and will be more tender and juicy.
Q. How do I roast my turkey?
A. Set your oven temperature no lower than 325°F. Place the turkey or turkey breast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. A small amount of water in the bottom of the roasting pan (one-half cup), or lining the pan with aluminum foil, will make clean-up easier. Season the bird before roasting and/or baste the skin as the turkey roasts.
Timetables for Turkey Roasting (325°F oven temperature)
These times are approximate. Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of your turkey and stuffing.
Thawed, unstuffed cooking time (add 1/2 hour cooking time if bird is stuffed):
• 4 to 8 pounds (breast) - 1.5 to 3.5 hours
• 8 to 12 pounds - 2.5 to 3 hours
• 12 to 14 pounds - 3 to 3.5 hours
• 14 to 18 pounds - 3.5 to 4.5 hours
• 18 to 20 pounds - 4.5 to 5 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds - 4.5 to 5 hours
Q. How will I know when it's done?
A. Here are the key temperatures for roasting a holiday turkey:
• Cook a whole turkey, or a turkey breast to 165 °F. To check for doneness in a whole turkey, insert a food thermometer in the thickest part of the inner thigh without touching the bone. Check for doneness in a turkey breast by inserting a food thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. Note: Turkey meat will be safely cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F; however, the meat may still be slightly pink. Some people prefer cooking turkey to a higher temperature (whole turkey to 180°F or breast meat to 170°F) for meat that is more well done.
• Stuffing must also reach 165 °F; the turkey is often "overdone" by the time the stuffing reaches a safe temperature.
• Research has shown that you should not rely on a "pop-up" temperature indicator to ensure doneness. Use a thermometer instead.
• For quality, let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily.
Q. Can I cook a turkey while it's still frozen?
A. It is safe to cook a turkey from the frozen state. The cooking time will take at least 50 percent longer than recommended for a fully thawed turkey. Remove wrapping and gravy packet immediately. Follow directions for roasting turkey and checking for doneness above, except remove giblet packet after about 3 hours of cooking time (when turkey is thawed). Cook for about 1.5 times as long as for thawed bird of same size. A 12- to 13-pound bird will take approximately five hours to cook from the frozen state; a larger bird will take longer. Keep covered or tented for about the first 4 hours of cooking time.
More tips:
• Do not rinse turkeys, or other meat, before cooking; this only spreads germs. Use paper towels to gently remove pin feathers or coagulated blood, if desired.
• If your roasting pan does not have a lid, you may place a tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the turkey for the first 1 to 1.5 hours. This allows for maximum heat circulation, keeps the turkey moist, and reduces oven splatter. To prevent over-browning, foil may also be placed over the turkey after it reaches the desired color.