How to cook a turkey

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By dasbootjoe
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(6 Ratings)

This is a great recipe for cooking a great thanksgiving turkey

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

The first thing you want to do is preheat your oven to 475F
Step 2

While the oven is heating up, prepare the turkey. First separate the skin form the breast but DON'T remove it. Lightly butter the turkey breast under the skin and then reseal the skin.
Step 3

Next, lightly salt and pepper the outside skin to increase the "crispyness" of the skin.
Step 4

Next, put the turkey in a roasting pan and cook it for 20 minutes at 475F. Doing this will traps the heat in the turkey to make sure that it stays juicy.
Step 5

After the turkey has been cooking for 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 250F. Here we want to slow cook the turkey.
Step 6

Cook the turkey for 20 additional minutes for every pound. (no basting is needed) For example, if you are cooking an 18 pound turkey, you want to cook it for 360 minutes or 6 hours at 250F.
Step 7

Use a meat thermometer to check the progress of your turkey. The interior breast should be at 170F and the thigh should be at 180F. After the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 20 minutes before carving it.
Step 8

Carve and Enjoy!

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