How to Cook Thanksgiving Turkey

You are preparing yourself to be cooking Thanksgiving turkey. That’s great news. Cooking Thanksgiving turkey is easier than you think. Read on for details on how to make a delicious Thanksgiving turkey.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. First you must unfreeze your turkey. If you want to be cooking your Thanksgiving Turkey on Thanksgiving day, I suggest taking it out of the freezer a few days before. Put it in the refrigerator to defrost.

2. Begin the prep for cooking the turkey. You can do this the night before or in the early morning of the holiday.

3. Preheat the oven for cooking Thanksgiving turkey according to the directions on the package.

4. Remove all the innards from the turkey. Be sure to check both ends of the turkey, for each end has innards that needs to be removed before you start cooking Thanksgiving turkey.

5. Stuff your turkey with your prepared stuffing. If you do not have a stuffing mix you can quickly mix some up by adding precut bread cubes, finely chopped celery, eggs, finely chopped onions, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix together well. Use the mixture to stuff the Turkey. If you have extra stuffing, do not worry about it, you can cook it when you’re cooking Thanksgiving turkey in another pan.

6. Put your turkey in a pan, and fill the bottom of the pan with water. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Do not put an excessive amount of water in the bottom of the pan, your turkey is likely to make more water as it cooks. You do not want your pan to over flow while you're cooking Thanksgiving turkey.

7. Cut up an onion. Just slice it. After the onion is cut up, place some in the bottom of the turkey pan, put a few pieces of onion on the turkey to help add flavor. Do not put a lot of onion on the turkey for the onion will dry out while you are cooking Thanksgiving turkey.

8. Put some butter on the turkey. You can use spray butter or smear on regular butter.

9. Cover your turkey with aluminum foil. Tuck any excess foil around the pan.

10. Place the Thanksgiving Turkey in the oven.

11. Remove the foil about one hour before you are done with cooking Thanksgiving turkey. This will allow the turkey and the skin to get a nice golden brown color.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are cooking the turkey the night before, set the oven on a very low heat to avoid burning. You can turn it up in the morning.
• Do not skin the turkey, if you do not like skin you can take it off after it is cooked. Cooking Thanksgiving turkey without the skin attached will dry it out.
• Remember to be basting your turkey while it cooks. Do this every 45 minutes or so. This helps to keep the turkey from drying it out. Use the juices in the bottom of the pan for basting.
• If you cook it the night before you can run out in the morning and get your day after Thanksgiving sales ads. And review them while you're cooking Thanksgiving turkey.

Resources

• Thanksgiving Turkey Picture
• How to Safely Cook Thanksgiving Dinner

[kaduzan]

on 11/22/2009 Thank you!!! I was trying to figure out when to take the bird out of the freezer... My first year to make my own.
Awesome :)

[omghow]

on 10/31/2009 Good article on how to cook a turkey. Thanks for the recipe.

[mizzy]

on 10/30/2009 Good article. I remember the first turkey I prepared. I was in college. My what a turkey that was!

[jenng]

on 10/3/2009 gREAT ARTICLE ON How to Cook Thanksgiving Turkey 5*

[cygnetbrown]

on 8/26/2009 Great tips for cooking your Thanksgiving turkey.