Everyone loves a great meal, and turkey is one you can be sure your guests will appreciate. Whether it’s at a Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party, or you simply want to show off your gourmet skills to your friends, you need your turkey roasting game to be on point. And here, you’ll get helpful suggestions on all things roasted turkey, especially cooking time.

Turkey Cooking Time and Temperature

To roast turkey, the general calculation for cooking time is 13 minutes per pound for unstuffed and 15 minutes per pound for stuffed, at 350°F. By size, you can roast a turkey with these suggestions;

8 to 12 pounders: 3 hours at 325°F.

12 to 14 pounders: 400°F for 2½, 425°F for 2¼  hours, 350°F for 3 hours, 325°F for 3¾  hours

16-pounders: 425°F for 3 hours, 400°F for 3½ hours, 350°F for 3¾  hours, 325°F for 4 hours

18 to 20 pounders: 425°F for 3½  hours, 400°F for 3¾ hours, 350°F for 4 hours, 325°F for 4¼ hours

21 to 22 pounders: 425°F for 4 hours, 400°F for 4½ hours, 350°F for 4¾  hours, 325°F for 5 hours

Cooking Turkey Tips

Thaw

The time it takes for the frozen turkey to thaw depends on its size. Typically, birds between 4 to 12 pounds take about 2 to 3 days to thaw. You average 12 to 16 pounder needs up to 4 days maximum, while turkeys as large as 17 to 20 pounds could use up to 5 days. And if you’re dealing with a bird as large as 22 to 24 pounds, you’ll need almost a week.

Moisten

You can do this by basting it while in the oven every hour. You can also brine the turkey before you roasting, to save from losing temperature when you open the oven door. Or you can use a self- moistening method of placing the bird breast side down and flip halfway through the cooking time. This allows the juices to run over the skin as it cooks. Another method is to simply stuff butter under the skin of the turkey before roasting it. Remember that once you brine a turkey, you no longer need to season it.

Tent

Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil before placing it in the oven. Make sure the shiny side is up so it deflects the heat. Then, remove the foil halfway through the cooking time. This way, the meat doesn’t darken too soon.

Cook Unstuffed

Roasting a turkey unstuffed is the best way to go about it. You can cook the stuffing next to it in a casserole dish. Place aromatic herbs like shallots, thyme, onions, parsley, and even celery stalks in the cavity instead.

Use a Meat Thermometer

To know if the preferred cooking temperature has been reached, use a meat thermometer. The remote versions are best, as you’ll get real-time readings instead of opening the oven to check periodically. Poke the probe deeply in the thigh, but make sure it doesn’t touch the bone.

Rest

Once it’s done, allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This lets the juices seep back into the meat.

Now that you know how to properly calculate how long to cook a turkey, you can try out this great recipe;

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