How long does a turkey really take to cook?

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How Long Does It Take to Cook a Turkey?Turkey WeightCooking TimeDoneness Temperature6-8 lb. breast2 hrs 15 mins–3 hrs 15 mins165°F8-12 lbs.2 hrs 45 mins–3 hrs170-175°F12-14 lbs.3 hrs–3 hrs 45 mins170-175°F14-18 lbs.3 hrs 45 mins–4 hrs 15 mins170-175°FЕщё 3 строки•9.11.2020

How many hours per lb do you cook a turkey?

The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that’s about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb. turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Do I Cook a Turkey at 325 or 350 Degrees? Though “low and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, there’s no hard-and-fast rule. All of our temperature guides assume you’re cooking at 325, but you can cook it a little warmer for roughly the same, or just a little less time.

How long should a turkey cook?

Unstuffed

  1. 4 to 8 pounds (breast only): 1 1/2 to 3 1/4 hours.
  2. 8 to 12 pounds: 2 3/4 to 3 hours.
  3. 12 to 14 pounds: 3 to 3 3/4 hours.
  4. 14 to 18 pounds: 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours.
  5. 18 to 20 pounds: 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours.
  6. 20 to 24 pounds: 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

How long does it take to cook a 20 pound turkey at 350?

How long you cook your turkey can vary, depending on the temperature of the oven and whether or not your turkey recipe calls for a stuffed or unstuffed bird. We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey.

Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?

We’ve found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time.

Do you cook a turkey covered or uncovered?

A 10-pound turkey should hold about 7 cups of stuffing. Q: Should I roast the bird covered or uncovered? A: The Butterball folks recommend cooking the turkey uncovered in a roasting pan. Two-thirds of the way through cooking, Butterball says foil can be placed over the breast area to prevent it from drying out.

How long does a 14 lb turkey take to cook at 325?

Assuming you are roasting your turkey in a 325°F oven, plan on 15 to 17 minutes of cooking time for each pound of an unstuffed turkey. Plan on 20 to 22 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey. 8-12 lb. 12-14 lb.

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How long does it take a 20 pound turkey to cook?

Cooking time will vary. For example, a 20 pound turkey will take 4 1/4 to 5 hours to cook, check the temperature on the thermometer after 4 1/4 hours.

How long should a 20lb turkey cook?

If you’re baking it at 325°F (the lowest temperature the USDA recommends), you’ll need to bake a 20-lb turkey in the oven for 4 to 5 hours if it’s unstuffed, and 4 ¼ to 5 ¼ hours if it’s stuffed.

How long do you cook a 10 pound turkey at 325?

Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast in a 325°F oven for 2-1/4 hours.

Do you cook a 10 lb turkey at 325 or 350?

For a 10-13 lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 350° oven for 1 1/2-2 1/4 hr. For a 14-23 lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 2-3 hr.

Should you wash turkey?

Wash your hands, but not the turkey! Many consumers think that washing their turkey will remove bacteria and make it safer. However, it’s virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the bird. Instead, juices that splash during washing can transfer bacteria onto the surfaces of your kitchen, other foods and utensils.

Is turkey done at 165 or 180?

While some recipes state that turkey should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the meat is safe to consume once it reaches the 165-degree mark. Cooking the breasts past 165 can result in dry meat, but the dark meat can be cooked to 180.

What temperature do you cook a 14 pound turkey?

What temperature to cook a turkey: 325°F or 350°F?

  1. Bake at 350°F for any turkey that’s less than 14 pounds (5.9kg)
  2. Bake at 325°F for bigger turkeys over 14 pounds.

How long will a 17 lb turkey take to cook?

How Long Does It Take to Cook a Turkey?

Turkey Weight Cooking Time Doneness Temperature
12-14 lbs. 3 hrs–3 hrs 45 mins 170-175°F
14-18 lbs. 3 hrs 45 mins–4 hrs 15 mins 170-175°F
18-20 lbs. 4 hrs 15 mins–4 hrs 30 mins 170-175°F
20-24 lbs. 4 hrs 30 mins–5 hrs 170-175°F

Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?

Place on the bottom of your roasting pan. Place the turkey, breast-side up on top of the vegetables. Add about a half-inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist, and the turkey juicy.

Should you cook turkey straight from the fridge?

Before it goes in the oven, the turkey should be at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge (1 hr for a whole turkey, or 30 mins for a cut) before cooking. Keep it covered in a cool place.

How do I keep my turkey moist?

Here is a fantastic tip: to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry.

How long should a turkey rest before you carve it?

Before you cut a thing, let your turkey rest — at least 30 minutes — so its juices don’t end up on the cutting board.

How do you make turkey skin crispy?

Rub the skin with fat.

Once you’ve carefully dried off the skin, the next step you can take to guarantee perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat, like butter or oil. Oil will yield a crispier skin than butter because butter is at least 20 percent water, while oil contains no water.

How often do you baste a turkey?

Most recipes will tell you to baste your turkey every thirty minutes. But our rule of thumb is actually every forty minutes, and here’s why. You don’t want to open the oven too many times, or else the whole bird will take much long to cook, and that’s a huge inconvenience.

Is it safe to cook a turkey at 325 degrees?

Once your turkey has been properly thawed and brined, seasoned, or stuffed as desired, roast in a pan at 325°F using these times as guidelines for unstuffed turkeys.

How long does it take to cook a 16 pound turkey?

The rule of thumb for cooking a turkey is 13 minutes per pound. So our 16-pound turkey was estimated to cook in about 3 1/2 hours. However, some factors like brining the bird, cooking with an empty (un-stuffed) cavity, and leaving the legs un-trussed will contribute to much faster cooking.

How long do I cook a 12 lb stuffed turkey?

Cooking Time for a Stuffed Turkey

  1. For 10- to 12-pound turkey, roast 3¼ hours to 3½ hours.
  2. For 12- to 14-pound turkey, roast 3½ to 4 hours.
  3. For 14- to 18-pound turkey, roast 4 to 4¼ hours.
  4. For 18- to 20-pound turkey, roast 4¼ to 4¾ hours.
  5. For 20- to 24-pound turkey, roast 4¾ to 5¼ hours.

How long does it take to thaw a 18 lb turkey in the refrigerator?

The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. This is the safest method because the turkey will thaw at a consistent, safe temperature. This method takes some time, so allow one day for each 4 – 5 pounds of weight. If your turkey weighs 16 pounds, it will take about four days to thaw.

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How long does it take a 20 pound turkey to thaw in the refrigerator?

Here’s the calculation: plan on 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey (for example: budget 4 full days of thawing in the fridge for a 20-pound turkey). Keep the turkey wrapped, and occasionally check to see if the baking sheet or roasting pan needs to be drained.

How long does 19 pound turkey take to cook?

In an oven set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, cooking an 18- to 20-pound unstuffed thawed or fresh turkey will take between 4 1/4 and 4 1/2 hours, according to the USDA. This amounts to about 14 minutes of cooking time per pound. For a 19-pound turkey, this comes to about four hours and 26 minutes.

How long do I cook a 21 pound turkey?

Expect it to take 4.5 to 5 hours to cook a 21.5-pound turkey at 325 degrees Fahrenheit — if your turkey is unstuffed. If it’s full of your favorite stuffing, add at least 15 minutes to the total cooking time. Determine when the turkey is done by internal temperature only.

How many hours do you cook a 10 pound turkey?

How long to cook a 10 lb turkey? Using a conventional oven you will need to cook a 10 lb turkey for 2.5 hours to 3 hours and 20 minutes at 325°F until the internal temp reaches 165°F.

What is the lowest safe temperature to cook a turkey?

Make it safe – The United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) recommends temperatures no lower than 325 degrees Fahrenheit for cooking meat and poultry. Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Should a turkey be rinsed before cooking?

Should You Rinse a Turkey? In short, no. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), rinsing a raw turkey in the kitchen sink can lead to the spread of bacteria on countertops, nearby food, and other surfaces, which can cause cross-contamination.

How long does it take to cook 11 pound turkey?

An 11-pound turkey should take no more than three hours, 40 minutes total to cook completely.

Is a 2 year old frozen turkey still good?

Frozen Turkey

Turkeys can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. However, cook turkeys within 1 year for the best quality.

How do you prepare a turkey the night before?

Place the turkey in a shallow dish just large enough to hold it and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one or two days. The day before you plan to roast the turkey, remove the plastic wrap and leave the turkey in the fridge. The skin will dry out and turn a little translucent.

Can you thaw a turkey on the counter overnight?

You shouldn’t. This might be surprising since many of us have defrosted frozen chicken on the counter at least once, but the answer is a hard “no” when it comes to a full turkey. And in terms of the chicken, you’re really not supposed to thaw it out on the counter anyway.

How do you tell if a turkey is done without a thermometer?

To find out if your turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce it with a fork in the mid-thigh muscle, explains Nicole Johnson, the co-director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. “When the juices run clear, and no longer reddish or pink in color, it’s a good indication that your turkey is done.”

How do you tell if a turkey is done?

You’ll need a meat thermometer to make sure you cook your turkey to the right temperature. Insert it close to, but not touching, the thigh bone. If it reads 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast, it’s done and ready to serve.

Should I tent my turkey?

Butterball suggests that after the turkey has been cooking for 2/3 of the amount of time needed (depending on the size of the bird), that you cover the breasts with a small tent made of aluminum foil. This will slow down the cooking process of the turkey breasts.

What temperature do you bake a turkey at?

Roast in a 325° or 350° (depending on size of bird; see below) oven until thermometer registers 160°. If turkey is unstuffed, tip slightly to drain juices from body cavity into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter. Let stand in a warm place, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes, then carve.

What temperature do I cook a 15 pound turkey at?

For the 15 lb turkey, start the cooking at 400°F for the first 20 minutes to brown it. Then reduce the heat to 325°F for the next 1 to 2 hours, until the internal temperature of the breast reaches about 140°F to 145°F or so. Then reduce the heat further to 225°F until done, anywhere from a half hour to an hour or more.

What if my turkey isn’t fully thawed?

If There’s No Time to Thaw

If you’re up against the clock and have no time left for even the “quick” cold-water thaw, then just cook the turkey as it is. It’s perfectly safe to cook a frozen or partially frozen turkey — you just need to allow some extra cooking time.

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Do you cook turkey breast side up or down?

The United States Department of Agriculture advises to cook a whole turkey breast side up during the entire cooking time. Turning over a large, hot bird can be dangerous and it’s very easy to tear the skin, making the finished product less attractive.

What do you put in a turkey cavity?

Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

What do I put in the bottom of the pan when cooking a turkey?

Place chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pick a few herbs off the stalks and add to the vegetables.

Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?

We’ve found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time.

Should I flip my turkey while cooking?

Cook the bird upside down, meaning the breast meat down, then flip it halfway through based on your estimation. If you are using a kettle and have all of your charcoal on one side of the grill, you will also want to rotate the turkey when you flip it so that it doesn’t overcook on one side.

Should I cover turkey?

The turkey produces its own flavorful juices. Cover the turkey and cook if covered for the first couple hours. You can baste it every 30 minutes if preferred. Cook it uncovered for the last hour and a half so that to turkey turns golden brown.

Should I put butter or oil on my turkey?

Don’t butter your bird

Placing butter under the skin won’t make the meat juicier, though it might help the skin brown faster. However, butter is about 17 percent water, and it will make your bird splotchy, says López-Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before you roast.

Do you add broth when cooking a turkey?

Roasted turkey breast recipe, step by step:

Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake turkey at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound. Add 2 cups more of the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, every 45 minutes during the bake time. After that, baste the turkey every 30 minutes until the turkey is done.

Do you put an apple in a turkey?

Apples. Consider quartering an apple or two for stuffing your turkey. They will provide the turkey with a little extra moisture during the cooking process and a very subtle flavor that will remind you of fall.

Do you let a turkey rest covered or uncovered?

A large bird can wait up to 40 minutes or longer, depending on the temperature of the room. Cover it with foil, but loosely; you don’t want to seal in the moisture, which will cause the skin to steam and lose whatever level of crispness you’ve achieved.

How long does it take to cook a 14 lb turkey at 350 degrees?

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature. The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that’s about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb. turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

How long should a 20lb turkey cook?

Cooking time will vary. For example, a 20 pound turkey will take 4 1/4 to 5 hours to cook, check the temperature on the thermometer after 4 1/4 hours.

Should I use an oven bag for my turkey?

Cooking your Thanksgiving turkey in a Reynolds® Turkey Oven Bag is a great way to ensure your turkey will stay moist and succulent, while turning out deliciously browned. The best part: all the delicious juices stay in the Oven Bag, so you won’t even need to scrub the roasting pan with these easy steps.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 350 or 325?

Do I Cook a Turkey at 325 or 350 Degrees? Though “low and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, there’s no hard-and-fast rule. All of our temperature guides assume you’re cooking at 325, but you can cook it a little warmer for roughly the same, or just a little less time.

Should you put water in turkey roasting pan?

Add about a half-inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist, and the turkey juicy.

How do I keep my turkey moist?

Here is a fantastic tip: to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry.