How to Cook a Turkey the Easy Way

Cooking a turkey seems daunting if you haven't done it before, but it's really very simple. Just follow the step by step instructions below, and you'll have a perfect roast turkey in no time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Turkey
• Meat Thermometer
• Roasting Pan
• Oven
• Olive Oil
• Seasonings (salt, pepper)
• Aluminum Foil

1. Buy a bird.
   
   You need roughly one pound of turkey per person (and that's being generous with the serving size). If you want a lot of leftovers, 1.5 pounds per person should leave plenty.
   
   You may want to consider buying two or three smaller birds instead of one large one. Aside from saving time, it can also mean juicier meat.
   
   While frozen birds are easier to find, if you can manage it, a fresh bird is the way to go. Meat has the unfortunately tendency to loose moisture and become stringy once frozen, and turkey is no exception. For the most tender turkey, fresh is ideal, although you can expect to pay a bit more.
   
   Many turkeys are injected with saline or glucose solutions in order to keep the meat moist (sometimes referred to as "basted" turkeys). While this certainly makes the meat more tender, many prefer natural turkeys without added solutions. Read the label if this is important to you.
   
   Make sure you consider the size of your oven and refrigerator! Also, be sure you have the right sized roasting pan to accommodate your turkey.

2. Store and defrost the turkey.
   
   Frozen birds may be kept in the freezer until a few days before you intend to cook them. The safest way to defrost a turkey is to leave it in the refrigerator. Around 3 days is enough for most large sized birds. In general, small turkeys (8-12 pounds) require one day to defrost, medium turkeys (12-20 pounds) require two or three days to defrost, and large birds require (over 20 pounds) require 4 or 5 days.
   
   Fresh, unfrozen turkeys should be cooked within two days of purchase.
   
   You should be sure the turkey is fully defrosted before cooking. Otherwise, it will not cook evenly, and you risk under cooking the center.
   
   If you have the time and space, consider brining the turkey. This really makes the meat soft and tender. To do this, one day before cooking, soak the turkey in a salt water mixture (roughly 1 cup salt to one gallon water). Note, this same method works well with chicken. One caveat - this may speed up cooking time.

3. Clean and prepare the turkey.
   
   An hour before you plan to start, take the bird out of the refrigerator and let it reach room temperature.
   
   Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. The low temperature means the meat cooks more slowly, which is the best way to cook any meat for maximum juiciness.
   
   Remove the giblets and innards inside the cavity.
   
   Rinse the turkey well, and pat dry.
   
   Some like to season the bird with salt and pepper before roasting. I prefer to wait, since salting the meat prematurely can dry it out.
   
   Forget about "trussing" (tying the legs). This simple takes longer to cook, and dries out the meat.
   
   Ideally, you will have a metal grid that fits in your roasting pan. Oil the bottom of the roasting pan. Now, place your turkey into the pan. The bird should be place breast side up.
   
   If you are using a meat thermometer that is oven safe, you can insert it into the thigh, near the breast. Be sure not to touch the bone.
   
   Add some water to the bottom of the pan. Not much -- ½ an inch will suffice.
   
   Apply a thin coating of olive oil along the bird. This helps to achieve a crispy skin.
   
   Tent the turkey with aluminum foil. This prevents the skin from burning. You will remove it later.
   
   You are now ready to cook the turkey!

4. Cook the turkey.
   
   Place the covered turkey in the oven.
   
   You may wish to baste your turkey, but there is really no need. The tinfoil tent will hold in moisture.
   
   According to the USDA , Turkey roasting times are as follows...
   
   Turkey Weight Roasting Time:
   8 to 12 lbs = 2-3/4 to 3 hours
   12 to 14 lbs = 3 to 3-3/4 hours
   14 to 18 lbs = 3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hours
   18 to 20 lbs = 4-1/4 to 4-1/2 hours
   20 to 24 lbs = 4-1/2 to 5 hours
   
   Rough 45 minutes before the turkey is done, remove the tinfoil tent. This will allow the skin to crisp.
   
   A turkey is done when the meat has reached 180 degrees F (internal temperature, taken on the thigh).
   
   When the bird is done, remove it from the oven immediately. Let it sit and "rest" for 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute.
   
   Enjoy your turkey!!!

[starlet67]

on 6/5/2009 Great tips for cooking a turkey the easy way!5*

[FrazzledNanny]

on 6/4/2009 Very detailed and easy to follow steps on cooking a turkey. 5*

[sonni57]

on 6/2/2009 Good turkey recipe sounds easy enough.