If youre looking to save time and effort, an already-cooked turkey simplifies one of the major projects involved in preparing Thanksgiving dinner. But pre-cooked doesnt mean youre off the hook entirely when it comes to preparation and food safety.
Heres what you need to know to ensure that you safely heat up your ready-to-serve turkey, avoiding the spread of foodborne illness. Following directions will ensure youll be dining on the best pre-cooked turkey possible.
Check the packaging on your already-cooked bird. It should come with step-by-step instructions detailing how to safely heat up the turkey.
And dont forget: This convenient option comes in more than one flavor. If you want a fully cooked smoked turkey, theyre out there!
Serving up a juicy, flavorful turkey is the centerpiece of many holiday meals. While roasting a fresh turkey can take upwards of 4 hours, reheating a precooked turkey provides a convenient shortcut to turkey perfection in about an hour
Whether you picked up a smoked, roasted or fried precooked turkey, follow these simple steps for reheating while keeping the turkey moist, the skin crispy and the flavor on point.
How Long Does it Take to Reheat a Precooked Turkey?
The reheating time depends primarily on the size of your precooked turkey:
- Small 10-12 lb turkey – Reheat for 45-60 minutes
- 12-15 lb turkey – Allow 60-75 minutes
- Larger 15-18 lb turkey – Reheat for 75-90 minutes
Plan for approximately 10-15 minutes of reheating time per pound Monitor the internal temperature and appearance as you get close to the time ranges above
What Temperature to Reheat a Precooked Turkey?
Preheat your oven to 325°F This moderately low temp helps heat the turkey through without overcooking the meat or drying out the skin.
How to Keep the Turkey Moist
The key is reheating your precooked turkey covered to seal in moisture. Leave any wrapping or netting on if present and wrap the entire turkey tightly in aluminum foil. Tent the foil so it’s not touching the bird directly.
The covering traps heat and steaming moisture to help keep the meat juicy. Adding 1 cup of water or chicken broth to the roasting pan under the turkey further increases moisture.
How to Crisp the Skin
Keeping the turkey covered for most of the reheating process will steam the skin moist and soft. Uncover the turkey during the last 15-30 minutes to help crisp and brown the skin.
Brush the skin with oil or rub on a thin layer of butter before uncovering to boost browning. Turn the oven up to 350°F once uncovered if needed for added browning.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow this simple process for reheating a precooked turkey to juicy perfection:
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Preheat oven to 325°F. This moderate temp will evenly reheat the turkey without overcooking.
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Place turkey in a roasting pan. Keep any wrapping or netting on.
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Add 1 cup broth/water to the pan. This will create steam to keep the meat moist.
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Tent turkey tightly with foil. Tucking the foil around the turkey traps moisture.
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Cook covered for 45-90 minutes. Time varies based on turkey size. Turkey should reach 160°F internally.
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Uncover turkey last 15-30 mins. Remove foil tent. Brush skin with oil or butter to crisp.
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Increase temp to 350°F if needed. Blast with higher heat at the end for added browning and crisping if desired.
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Check internal temp of 160°F. Juices should run clear at this safe minimum temperature.
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Let rest 10 minutes before carving. This allows juices to absorb back into the meat.
Reheating Leftover Sliced Turkey
Leftover sliced white and dark turkey meat can be quickly reheated:
- On the stovetop over medium-low heat in broth, gravy or sauce for 5-10 minutes
- In a 350°F oven covered in gravy or sauce for 15-20 minutes
- Microwaved on a plate or in a dish covered in broth for 1-2 minutes
Thaw frozen turkey slices in the fridge before reheating. Reheat thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Enjoy Perfectly Reheated Turkey
With these simple tips, your precooked turkey will reheat beautifully in about an hour with juicy meat, crispy skin and delicious flavors ready to star in your holiday meal.
How to Cook a Ready-to-Eat Turkey
How long you cook a whole bird depends on its weight — a bigger turkey will require more time in the oven. To heat it up, follow these steps:
- Thaw the turkey, following the instructions above.
- Remove the wrapper and place the thawed, already-cooked whole turkey in a roasting pan with the breast side up.
- Brush the turkey skin lightly with olive oil and place it in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (Note: Make sure not to reheat in an oven thats cooler than 325 degrees Fahrenheit, per the South Dakota State University Extension.)
- How do you reheat a precooked turkey without drying it out? Add water to the bottom of the roasting pan, per a recommendation from the New Jersey-based Hincks Turkey Farm.
- Reheat the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, according to the USDA. This time will vary, depending on your oven and the size of the bird, but youll want to cook the turkey for about 10 minutes per pound, according to Honey-B Ham, which sells smoked and fried turkeys. (Keep scrolling for a reheating time chart.)
- Peek in the oven after about an hour. If the turkeys skin is over-browning, cover the entire bird with foil.
- Check the turkey with a meat thermometer starting about 30 minutes before the recommended cooking time. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh to check for doneness. Dont let the thermometer tip touch the bone, because it may be hotter than the meat. The USDA recommends cooking and reheating all poultry, including pre-cooked turkey, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the bird is fully reheated, at 165 degrees, remove it from the oven.
- Let it rest for about 15 minutes. Then, carve and serve.
Use this chart to estimate the cooking time on your already-cooked bird:
|
Turkey Weight |
Servings* |
Reheating Time |
|---|---|---|
|
10 lbs. |
8 |
1 hr 20 mins – 1 hr 40 mins |
|
15 lbs. |
12 |
2 hrs – 2.5 hrs |
|
20 lbs. |
16 |
2.5 hrs – 3 hrs 15 mins |
|
25 lbs. |
20 |
3 hrs 15 mins – 4 hrs 15 mins |
*1.25 pounds of turkey per person is a good guideline for hungry guests, per the National Turkey Foundation (NTF).
If desired, you can use the drippings from the bottom of the roaster pan to make homemade gravy. To thicken it, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of drippings, per the Argo Starch website.
When it comes to stuffing and pre-cooked birds, the situation is complicated. A pre-cooked whole, stuffed turkey that has the USDA or a state mark of inspection is safe to eat, per the USDA.
But youll want to avoid buying a pre-cooked, stuffed turkey from a local restaurant or caterer. Thats because stuffing should not be prepared ahead.
Instead, you can prep the dry and wet stuffing ingredients separately and keep them in the fridge. Do not mix wet and dry ingredients until just before spooning the stuffing into the turkey cavity, per the USDA.
Spoon the stuffing in loosely — think: 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of meat. The stuffing should be moist, because heat destroys bacteria better in a moist environment.
Use a food thermometer to make sure that both bird and stuffing reach 165 degrees, per the USDA.
How to Reheat Leftovers
The rule with reheating turkey — or any Thanksgiving leftover — is simple: Heat up food until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the USDA. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature.
Frozen leftovers can be reheated without thawing them first, per the USDA. Itll just take longer than reheating thawed out foods.
How do you reheat a precooked turkey without drying it out?
FAQ
How long to reheat fully cooked turkey in oven?
How long to reheat a 10 pound smoked turkey?
How long do you cook a pre cooked turkey?
The USDA recommends cooking and reheating all poultry, including pre-cooked turkey, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the bird is fully reheated, at 165 degrees, remove it from the oven. Let it rest for about 15 minutes. Then, carve and serve. Use this chart to estimate the cooking time on your already-cooked bird:
How do you reheat a precooked Turkey?
Place the turkey on a baking sheet and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. To reheat a precooked whole turkey on the stovetop, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Place the turkey in the pot and cover it with water.
How do you reheat a turkey breast?
Heat the oven to 325°F, then place the turkey into a roasting pan breast-side down. The fat will trickle down the turkey and create a tender, juicy breast as the bird reheats. Wrap the turkey with foil place it into the oven. The standard calculation for reheating is 13-15 minutes for every pound of turkey.
How do you reheat a precooked turkey thigh?
To reheat a precooked turkey thigh in the oven, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the turkey thigh on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. To reheat a precooked turkey thigh on the stovetop, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.