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How do you cook a turkey without it drying out?
“When roasting the whole bird, the key is to cook the legs longer than the breast," Tommy says. "Once the breast is cooked, remove the bird from the oven, remove the legs and then put them back in. This stops the breasts drying out."
What can I put in my turkey for flavor?
The basics, like onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary and sage, help lend that traditional Thanksgiving flavor. Take your aromatics up a notch by adding halved lemons or oranges. The citrus will add a nice brightness and acidity to your turkey.
What is the best way to keep a turkey moist?
For moist meat without the hassle of clearing fridge space to soak the bird in a vat of brining liquid, try a dry brine. Salting a turkey and letting it rest before roasting seasons it deeply and helps it retain moisture.
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.
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.
When should I season my turkey?
You can season your turkey the night before or as far in advance as two days. Salt is a great (and non-negotiable) place to start, but there are so many seasonings that really rev up the flavor of a bland bird.
Do you put butter on turkey before cooking?
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.
What do you put inside a turkey?
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.
How often should you baste 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.
How long should a 15lb turkey cook?
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....If your turkey weighs 15 to 16 pounds, roast it at:425°F for 3 to 3¼ hours.400°F for 3¼ to 3½ hours.350°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours.325°F for 3¾ to 4 hours.
Should you take turkey out of fridge before cooking?
Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. If you plan to stuff your turkey, wait until you're ready to put it in the oven before putting the stuffing in the turkey.
Is it necessary to baste a turkey?
Basting the skin is not necessary to flavor the meat. You'll flavor the skin, but you'll also let heat out of the oven each time you open it to baste. "That means the bird is going to be in there for a longer time cooking, which means it's going to dry out more," Brown says.
How Long to Cook a Turkey
No guessing: here’s a go-to guide for turkey roasting times for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner.
Geoffrey's Classic Gravy
Geoffrey shows how to make a stress-free turkey gravy for Thanksgiving.
Smoked Turkey Wild Rice Soup
This Smoked Turkey Wild Rice Soup is an award winner you can make at home.
Best 5 Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
Food Network's top five turkey recipes encompass a unique mixture of classic and creative takes on this holiday favorite that are fit for any Thanksgiving feast.
How to Carve a Turkey: A Step-by-Step Guide
Carving a turkey is a skill, not an art, which means you can learn it. Follow these easy steps for mastering the technique, then watch the how-to video.
Turkey Pot Pie I
A perfect way to use leftover turkey. This pie tastes yummy, and will feed up to eight hungry people.
Delicious Turkey Burgers
A delicious ground turkey burger. Experiment with the ingredients and make it your own!
Roasted Turkey Legs
This is a great way to have a small scale turkey dinner anytime of the year. Serve with rice, noodles, or dressing. This recipe can also be increased very easily.
Chef John's Turkey Sloppy Joes
This made for a very enjoyable lunch, and kept warm in a slow cooker, could also work very nicely for a Super Bowl party. It tastes enough like a traditional beef Sloppy Joe to provide that satisfying comfort food fix, yet seems much lighter.
8 Turkey Thigh Recipes That Are Full of Flavor
Turkey thighs are one of the most underrated parts of the bird, and we think that's a shame.
Marinated Turkey Breast
This recipe came from my mother. These always turn out juicy and tender no matter how long my husband leaves them on the grill! Easy to prepare, but it's always best when marinated for at least 4 hours.
Herb-Glazed Roasted Turkey
The holiday season means it's Turkey Time. I could never figure out why so many people wanted to come over...until they confessed it was my recipe for turkey! Gobble, Gobble! I do not stuff the turkey. I make my own stuffing on the side and serve in a festive dish.
Turkey isn't just for Thanksgiving
A journalist, writer, and author, Lizz Schumer has 10+ years of experience covering food and drink for a wide variety of well-known print and online publications.
Simple Roasted Turkey Legs
If your family always fights over who gets the drumsticks, skip the whole bird and just roast up some legs. Easy and versatile poultry seasoning flavors the meat to perfection, but this simple roasted turkey legs recipe also lends itself well to variation. Add whatever herbs and seasonings you prefer.
Turkey Taco Soup
This turkey taco soup uses canned beans for quick and speedy preparation. The spicy Southwestern flavors will spice up your weekday dinner and you can make it with either ground turkey or beef, if that’s what you have on hand. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, chopped scallions or chives, and crushed tortilla chips.
Lighter Turkey Reuben Sandwich
Once you make your own Thousand Island dressing for these lighter turkey Reuben sandwiches, you’ll never buy another bottle. This quick and easy recipe makes a fantastic weekend lunch or a light dinner with a side salad. Feel free to eyeball the proportions or add your own favorite toppings to personalize your meal.
Turkey Green Chili
Go green with this hearty and easy turkey green chili. You can use leftover shredded turkey or ground turkey, as well as canned hominy and white beans to bring it together in a flash. Garnish it with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro or scallions, and crumbled cotija cheese for an even tastier and prettier presentation.
Honey Sriracha Meatballs
Ground turkey meatballs with garlic and scallion are easy to make and they freeze well, so you can make a big batch to always have on hand. They're the ideal base for this fabulous honey Sriracha meatball recipe, which can have dinner on the table within the hour.
Deep-Fried Turkey Breasts
Dying to deep fry your own turkey? Start with this easy deep-fried turkey breasts recipe , using a breast rather than committing to a whole bird. Cajun seasoning spices things up, but you substitute in other seasonings. Make sure you use a dry pot and lower the meat into the pot very slowly so your oil doesn’t spatter and cause injury.
Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey
My grandmother and mother passed this recipe on to me. It changes just a little every year, because we've never written it down before. But it is always incredibly juicy and succulent!
10 Places to Order Turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner
Have you reserved your turkey yet? Secure your bird before they sell out.
A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey
Make your turkey taste just like grandma's with this simply seasoned roasted turkey recipe using salt, pepper, and turkey stock.
Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast
A turkey breast is roasted with a flavorful combination of butter and seasonings and served with homemade pan gravy.
How to Cook a Turkey
The biggest myth in all of American cookery is that a juicy, perfectly cooked turkey is difficult for the novice cook to achieve. Even if this is your first time, don't play scared, this will work! There is nothing to fear but the fear of dry turkey itself.
Easy Beginner's Turkey with Stuffing
This easy to make turkey is great for beginners, but experts will find it equally delicious. Adjust the cooking time for different sized birds.
The Greatest Grilled Turkey
Although not very traditional, grilling turkey is the best way of cooking it—it comes out tender and juicy every time! The turkey drippings may be used to prepare a gravy by placing a metal pan under the turkey inside the roasting pan, and mixing in about 1/2 cup water, adding more water as necessary to prevent the drippings from scorching.