Cooking your turkey

imageWe have talked about how to safely thaw your turkey but now it is time to cook it.  Remember to remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavity before cooking.  These should be cooked separately.  Follow these steps for a wonderful product.

  • Set your oven temperature no lower than 325° F.
  • Place your turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
  • Tuck the wings under the shoulders of the bird.
  • Add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the pan.
  • For the first 1 hour to 1 ½ hour cover with the lid of the pan or a tent of foil.  Remove after this time for the turkey to get a nice brown color.
  • Check the temperature of the turkey to make sure it has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F.  Use your meat thermometer to measure the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
  • Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving to keep the meat juicy.
  • If you are stuffing a turkey mix the ingredients just before stuffing it.  Stuff the turkey loosely; do not pack it tightly.  It will take additional baking time for a stuffed turkey and it is important to check the temperature of the stuffing as well to make sure that it reaches the 165° temperature.

The following chart will help you determine how long to cook your turkey.

Unstuffed turkey  (time in hours)

  • 4 to 6 lb breast..1 ½ to 2 ¼
  • 6 to 8 lb breast..2 ¼ to 3 ¼
  • 8 to 12 lbs……….2 ¾ to 3
  • 12 to 14 lbs……..3 to 3 ¾
  • 14 to 18 lbs……..3 ¾ to 4 ¼
  • 18 to 20 lbs……..4 ¼ to 4 ½
  • 20 to 24 lbs……..4 ½ to 5

Stuffed turkey (time in hours)

  • 8 to 12 lbs……….3 to 3 ½
  • 12 to 14 lbs……..3 ½ to 4
  • 14 to 18 lbs……..4 to 4 ¼
  • 18 to 20 lbs……..4 ¼ to 4 ¾
  • 20 to 24 lbs……..4 ¾ to 5 ¼

We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Beth Marrs

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Adult Home Economics Education. I love to cook and entertain and spend time with my family.

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2 thoughts on “Cooking your turkey

  1. If I cook my turkey on Sunday and place the meat in broth in the refrigerator until Thursday then warm it up, will that work?

  2. Hi Carrie. Turkey can be cooked ahead and reheated for your Thanksgiving meal. Just remember that you have four days to eat leftovers so if you cooked it Sunday, Thursday would be day four and we would not recommend keeping any leftovers from your meal.

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