The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that it will take between 4 1/4 and 4 1/2 hours for an unstuffed frozen or fresh turkey weighing 18 to 20 pounds to finish cooking in an oven heated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. This results in a total cooking time of around 14 minutes per pound. This works out to around four hours and 26 minutes for a turkey weighing 19 pounds.
Which temperature is better for a turkey: 325 or 350?
Which temperature, 325 or 350 degrees, should I cook a turkey at? Although cooking a chicken “low and slow” is a good rule to follow, there is no one tried-and-true method for doing so without risking the bird’s skin being burned. You can cook it a little warmer for about the same amount of time, or just a little less time overall, but all of our temperature instructions make the assumption that you are cooking at 325.
How long does a 19-pound turkey take to cook at 350 degrees?
Roast your turkey at these temperatures if it weighs between 18 and 20 pounds:
350 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 to 4 14 hours. 325 degrees Fahrenheit for between 4 1/4 and 4 1/2 hours.
How long should a 19 lb turkey bake at 325 degrees?
According to the guidelines provided by the USDA, a fresh or frozen unstuffed turkey should spend around 15 minutes per pound in a normal oven set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are cooking your turkey in an oven that has convection capabilities, the cooking time will be reduced somewhat.
How much time does it take to bake a 19-pound Butterball turkey?
For an unstuffed bird, Butterball recommended the following cooking times:
- 6-7 pounds: 2-2½ hours.
- 7-10 pounds: 2½-3 hours.
- 10-18 pounds: 3-3½ hours.
- 18-22 pounds: 3½-4 hours.
- 22-24 pounds: 4-4½ hours.
- 24-30 pounds: 4½-5 hours.
Should I use aluminum foil to cover my turkey?
We have discovered that roasting a turkey with the breast covered in foil produces much more moist results than roasting the turkey without any foil. Because of this, we prefer to just wrap the breast in foil to ensure that the cooking time is distributed evenly.
How long should a 20-pound turkey be cooked?
You will need to bake a turkey that weighs 20 pounds in the oven for 4 to 5 hours if it is unstuffed, and for 4 14 to 5 14 hours if it is stuffed, if you bake it at the lowest temperature that the USDA advises, which is 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
How should a 19.5 lb turkey be prepared?
If you are roasting the turkey without any stuffing, it will take 13 minutes each pound to cook, but if you are stuffing it, it will take 15 minutes per pound. At what temperature should the turkey be cooked? After placing the turkey in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit from the previous setting of 450 degrees.
At 165 or 180 degrees, is turkey done?
Even though some recipes call for the turkey to be cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the bird can be consumed without risk once it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. It is possible to end up with dry flesh if you cook the breasts past 165 degrees, but the dark meat may be cooked to 180 degrees.
How hot should a 20-pound turkey be?
When the thermometer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it is time to serve.
The food is ready when the thermometer registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If not, put it back into the oven on the same rack. Check it again at 15-minute intervals until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Does the turkey roasting pan have water in the bottom?
Arrange in a single layer on the bottom of the roasting pan. On top of the veggies, place the turkey with the breast side facing up. The roasting pan should have about a half an inch of liquid (either water or stock) added to it. This will prevent the oven from drying out and will also ensure that the turkey stays juicy.
How long should you cook an 18-pound turkey at 325 degrees?
However, as a general rule, you will want to roast a turkey that has not been stuffed for around 15 minutes per pound at a temperature of 325 degrees. Approximately four and a half hours would be plenty to finish up an 18-pounder. The duration of the cooking process will be increased if you roast a stuffed chicken.
How much time should a turkey rest?
Helping Hands for Thanksgiving
As soon as the temperature reaches 165 degrees or even a slightly lower level, remove it from the oven. The length of time spent resting will vary according to the size of the bird, but it will be a minimum of twenty minutes. Depending on how warm the atmosphere is, a big bird could be able to hold its breath for up to forty minutes at a time.
How should a 19-pound Butterball turkey be prepared?
Position the roast with the skin facing up on a flat roasting rack inside of a roasting pan that is two inches deep. Take care not to add any water to the pan. Roast the turkey uncovered according to the Cooking Schedule or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the breast roast registers 170 degrees Fahrenheit and a thermometer inserted into the center of the turkey roast registers 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long should an 18-pound turkey be cooked?
Roast the turkey for 312 to 4 hours for every 12 to 14 pounds it weighs. Roast the turkey for four to four and a half hours for every 14 to 18 pounds. Roast the turkey for 4 14 to 4 34 hours for every 18 to 20 pounds. Roast the turkey for 4 34 to 5 14 hours for every 20 to 24 pounds.
How long does it take for a 20-pound turkey to defrost in the fridge?
The calculation is as follows: Prepare for a thawing time in the refrigerator of 24 hours for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey (for example: budget 4 full days of thawing in the fridge for a 20-pound turkey). Maintain the wrapping on the turkey, and check on it periodically to determine whether the baking sheet or roasting pan requires any further draining.
What can I do to keep my turkey moist?
Here is a useful piece of advice: to prevent the turkey breast from drying up and to ensure that it remains juicy: Make a triangle out of a huge square sheet of foil by folding it. After you have rubbed olive oil on one side of the triangle and formed the foil (with the oiled side facing down) over the turkey breast, you can then remove the foil; this will protect your turkey breast and prevent it from becoming dry.
How long should a turkey be left out before being cooked?
The turkey should be brought to room temperature before being placed in the oven; thus, remove it from the refrigerator at least an hour (for a whole turkey) or thirty minutes (for a cut) before cooking it. Keep it covered and put it somewhere cold.
How is crispy turkey skin made?
The fat should be rubbed into the skin.
The next step you can do to assure that the skin of your turkey will turn out wonderfully crispy is to massage it with a fat, such as butter or oil, after you have properly dried off the surface. Because oil does not include any water, it will produce a skin that is more crisp than butter, which has at least 20 percent water by weight.
How long should an 18-pound, unstuffed turkey be cooked?
Traditional Roast Turkey (unstuffed)
| Unstuffed | |
|---|---|
| 8 to 12 pounds | 2 3/4 to 3 hours |
| 12 to 14 pounds | 3 1/2 to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 pounds | 4 to 4 1/4 hours |
| 18 to 20 pounds | 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours |
What degree of heat should I use to cook a turkey?
The USDA recommends achieving an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher while cooking a turkey. (If you stuffed the turkey, the stuffing, in addition to the flesh, should be at a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.) That is the guideline that they have for every turkey that begins its preparation uncooked.
How long should a turkey be cooked at 350 degrees?
When roasting a turkey without stuffing it, we recommend cooking it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 13 minutes per pound.
What is the shortest safe cooking time for a turkey?
Ensure food safety by following the guidelines provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which states that the minimum temperature for cooking meat and poultry should not go below 325 degrees Fahrenheit. To ensure that the turkey is well cooked, it should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
What if my turkey hasn’t thawed completely?
In the Event That There Is No Time to Thaw
If time is of the essence and you do not even have enough time for the “quick” cold-water thaw, then you should just boil the turkey without any additional preparation. It is totally okay to cook a turkey that is frozen or partially frozen; you simply need to give some additional time for the cooking process.
Before carving a turkey, how long should it rest?
Allow the turkey to rest for at least half an hour before you begin slicing it to prevent the fluids from the bird from dripping onto the cutting board.
Without a thermometer, how can you determine when a turkey is done?
In the absence of a thermometer, you may determine whether or not your turkey is cooked by inserting a fork into the muscle located in the middle of the thigh, as recommended by Nicole Johnson, co-director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. When the fluids flow clear and no longer have a rosy or crimson tint to them, this is a good indicator that the turkey is ready to be served.
Where should a thermometer be inserted in a turkey?
Here are few tips to keep in mind:
- Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing when cooking a whole turkey.
- Be sure the thermometer doesn’t come in contact with any bone, gristle, or pan.
Do I need to tent my turkey?
After the turkey has been cooking for approximately two thirds of the total length of time required (the exact amount of time may vary depending on the size of the bird), Butterball recommends covering the breasts with a tiny tent made of aluminum foil. The turkey breasts’ cooking time will be lengthened as a result of this change.
What are the signs that a turkey is done?
In order to ensure that you cook your turkey to the appropriate temperature, you will want a meat thermometer. Place it so that it is near to the thigh bone but without touching it. It is ready to be served when the internal temperature of the thigh registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit and the internal temperature of the breast registers 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can a turkey be cooked at 325 degrees?
Roast your turkey in a pan at 325 degrees Fahrenheit using the following timeframes as a recommendation for unstuffed turkeys once it has been properly thawed and brined, seasoned, or stuffed according to your preferences.
Do you wash the turkey?
You should wash your hands, but you shouldn’t touch the turkey! There is a widespread misconception among customers that washing their turkey would eliminate pathogens and render it safer. However, it is quite difficult to remove germs from the bird by washing. Instead, fluids that splash about during cleaning can spread bacteria not just onto the surfaces of your kitchen but also onto other meals and utensils.
Should I put broth in the turkey pan’s bottom?
Before I start cooking the turkey, I also like to pour one cup of chicken broth or stock into the bottom of the pan it will be cooking in. This will produce a climate in the oven similar to a steam chamber, which will assist maintain the breast’s moisture but will not prevent the skin from browning.
How frequently should a turkey be basted?
The vast majority of turkey recipes will instruct you to baste it every thirty minutes. However, our general rule of thumb is to check in every forty minutes, and the reason for this is as follows: It is important to avoid opening the oven door too frequently since doing so may cause the entire chicken to take considerably longer to cook, which is a very inconvenient outcome.
What is used to bast turkey?
You may baste the turkey while it’s cooking with melted butter, another type of fat, stock, or even the drippings from the roasting pan.
When roasting a turkey, do you flip it?
Cook the bird with the breast flesh facing down, as if it were upside down, then flip it over halfway through the cooking process based on your assessment. If you are using a kettle and have all of your charcoal on one side of the grill, you will want to rotate the turkey as you turn it so that it does not overcook on one side. This will prevent the turkey from being undercooked on the other side.
What can I do to keep the turkey warm while it is resting?
If it is finished around one hour early, let it rest uncovered for approximately twenty to thirty minutes before serving. Then, in order to maintain its temperature, cover your turkey with aluminum foil and a heavy cloth or blanket. The initial heat is released if you initially let it rest for some time. In this manner, once it is covered, it will not overcook.
Can you leave a turkey outside all night?
Turkey that has been cooked and then left out for more than two hours (or for one hour above 90 degrees Fahrenheit) should be thrown away. The reason for this is that germs multiply very quickly when cooked turkey is stored at temperatures ranging from 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to avoid becoming sick from eating contaminated food, you should refrigerate the cooked turkey as soon as you can after serving it.
What ought to I stuff the turkey cavity with?
Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with a sprig of thyme, a lemon cut in half, an onion cut into quarters, and the garlic. The butter mixture should be painted onto the outside of the turkey, and then the turkey should be seasoned with salt and pepper.
What does the slang term “Butterball” mean?
The meaning of the term “butterball”
1: bufflehead. 2: a person who is overweight
How long should turkey be cooked per pound?
When cooking a turkey that has not been stuffed, the conventional rule of thumb is 15 to 20 minutes per pound of bird. It is recommended to adhere to this procedure and bake one of these crowd-pleasing stuffing recipes in a separate dish as roasting a stuffed turkey is no longer regarded safe for food preparation (not to mention that doing so dries up the bird flesh).
Which temperature is better for a turkey: 325 or 350?
Which temperature, 325 or 350 degrees, should I cook a turkey at? Although cooking a chicken “low and slow” is a good rule to follow, there is no one tried-and-true method for doing so without risking the bird’s skin being burned. You can cook it a little warmer for about the same amount of time, or just a little less time overall, but all of our temperature instructions make the assumption that you are cooking at 325.
Is a stuffed turkey cooked at 325 or 350 degrees?
turkey (weight including giblets): Bake in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for three and a half to four hours. Bake at 325 degrees for three and a half to four and a half hours for a turkey that weighs between 28 and 30 pounds (with the giblets). The times call for birds without stuffing. It is possible that cooking a filled chicken will take the same amount of time as cooking an unstuffed bird; nevertheless, you should be prepared to give anything from 30 to 50 minutes more cooking time.
How long can a turkey that has been defrosted stay in the fridge?
The process of defrosting in the refrigerator:
Put it on a tray in case any fluids spill out while it’s being cooked. There is a one- to two-day window during which a turkey that has been thawed can be stored in the refrigerator. It is possible to re-freeze a turkey that has been thoroughly defrosted in the refrigerator if this becomes required.
What causes the rotten egg smell in my turkey?
People are often able to determine whether or not a turkey has gone bad based on the “texture and smell” of the bird. According to Hanes, the skin of the turkey may become slippery, and the odor is frequently described as being “rotten eggs or like sulfur.” According to Hanes, the process of identifying foodborne germs becomes increasingly difficult.
Can I thaw my turkey outside all night?
Is it possible to defrost a turkey by leaving it out at room temperature overnight? The simple answer to that question is no. The following are several incorrect ways to defrost your bird, as well as the most secure method for thawing a turkey.
Can you refrigerate turkey that has been defrosted in cold water?
Turkey that has been thawed in cold water and then placed back in the refrigerator can be cooked without any concerns.
Should I cook my turkey with butter or oil?
Don’t butter your bird
Although inserting butter beneath the skin may hasten the process of the skin browning, it will not make the meat any more juicy. However, butter contains around 17 percent water, and according to López-Alt, this will cause your bird to have a blotchy appearance. Instead, apply some vegetable oil all over the surface of the meat before roasting it.
Should I use foil to cover my turkey?
We have discovered that roasting a turkey with the breast covered in foil produces much more moist results than roasting the turkey without any foil. Because of this, we prefer to just wrap the breast in foil to ensure that the cooking time is distributed evenly.
Does a turkey ever have an apple in it?
Apples. When stuffing your turkey, you might want to consider cutting an apple or two into quarters. During the cooking process, they will provide the turkey a little bit of more moisture, and they will impart a very delicate flavor that will bring to mind the season of autumn.
Is room temperature required for turkey before cooking?
Take the turkey out of the refrigerator an hour before you want to start roasting it so that it may come to room temperature. This will allow the bird to cook more evenly and more quickly. If you intend to stuff your turkey, you should hold off on placing the stuffing into the turkey until you are ready to place the turkey in the oven.
Can a turkey be cleaned the day before it is cooked?
And some other food safety pointers. Remove yourself from the area around the sink, and no one will be harmed. There is no requirement for you to wash your turkey before you roast it, and in fact, doing so might be harmful.
Which way should you cook the turkey breast?
Cooking a whole turkey with the breast side up for the duration of the cooking period is recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. It can be risky to turn over a large bird while it is still hot, and it is quite simple to break the skin in the process, which will make the completed product less appealing.
Should you bast a turkey?
The meat may be seasoned without the need to baste the surface of the meat. You’ll add flavor to the skin, but every time you open the oven to baste the chicken, you’ll also let some of the heat escape. According to Brown, this implies that the bird will stay inside for a longer period of time while it is being cooked, which in turn means that it will dry up more.
How long does a 20-pound turkey take to cook at 350 degrees?
Roast your turkey at these temperatures if it weighs between 18 and 20 pounds:
350 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 to 4 14 hours. 325 degrees Fahrenheit for between 4 1/4 and 4 1/2 hours.
At 165 or 180 degrees, is turkey done?
Even though some recipes call for the turkey to be cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the bird can be consumed without risk once it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. It is possible to end up with dry flesh if you cook the breasts past 165 degrees, but the dark meat may be cooked to 180 degrees.
How long should I wait for a 20-pound turkey to thaw?
Prepare some space at the far back of your refrigerator for food, and have a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan within easy reach. The calculation is as follows: Prepare for a thawing time in the refrigerator of 24 hours for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey (for example: budget 4 full days of thawing in the fridge for a 20-pound turkey).
How long should you cook a 20-pound turkey?
There is no set time for cooking. For instance, the cooking time for a turkey weighing 20 pounds will be between 4 1/4 and 5 hours; after 4 1/4 hours, check the temperature on the thermometer.
Is pink turkey okay to eat?
Utilizing a meat thermometer is highly recommended if you want to ensure that your turkey, or any other cut of meat, is cooked through and safe to consume. If the internal temperature of the turkey, as measured in the thigh, has reached 180 degrees Fahrenheit and the bird is cooked to the liking of the family, then it is okay to consume all of the flesh, even any that is still pink.
Does the turkey roasting pan have water in the bottom?
Arrange in a single layer on the bottom of the roasting pan. On top of the veggies, place the turkey with the breast side facing up. The roasting pan should have about a half an inch of liquid (either water or stock) added to it. This will prevent the oven from drying out and will also ensure that the turkey stays juicy.
How much time does it take to cook a 20-pound bagged turkey?
For whole, unstuffed turkeys in oven cooking bags, cook at 350 °F for the following approximate times:
- 1 1/2 to 2 hours for an 8-12 lb turkey;
- 2 to 2 1/2 hours for a 12 to 16-pound turkey;
- 2 1/2 to 3 hours for a 16–20 lb turkey;
- 20-24 lb turkey: 3 to 3 1/2 hours.