How to Cook a Whole Turkey

Cooking a moist turkey is easier than it may seem. The turkey takes a long time to cook to the bone. Once the turkey is removed from the oven, it continues to cook. The secret is to cook the bird at a high enough temperature to keep it safe for eating, while not over cooking it and drying the turkey out. Never keep the turkey in the oven while you prepare other parts of dinner. The turkey is the main course; prepare all of the other foods around the turkey, not the other way around.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 20-lb. turkey
• Paper towels
• Roasting pan
• Thermometer

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Remove the giblet and neck from inside the turkey. Wash the turkey inside and out with water and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Place turkey into a roasting pan, breast side up. Apply a loose layer of aluminum foil around the turkey's body, leaving the legs exposed.

4. Put turkey in oven and cook for 1 ½ hours. Remove the aluminum foil. The moisture is now trapped inside the turkey. Removing the aluminum foil allows the turkey to brown.

5. Put turkey back into oven and cook for an additional three hours. At the end of this time stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey. The temperature of choice is 180 degrees F. If the turkey has not reached this point then put it back into the oven, checking the temperature every 15 minutes.

6. Remove the turkey from oven and let it sit for 20 minutes. During this time the turkey is finishing the cooking process internally and allowing the juices to evenly saturate the meat.

7. Carve and serve.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• How to Lose 30+lbs Guaranteed. Try it Free.