What To Do If The Turkey Is Done Early

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and you’ve got a perfectly brined and seasoned turkey ready to roast, The house smells amazing as your bird slowly turns golden brown in the oven You baste it lovingly every 30 minutes and monitor the temperature, Everything seems to be going exactly according to your timeline

Until suddenly it’s not.

You take the temperature and realize with dawning horror that your turkey is done a full two hours before dinner time. Now what?

Don’t panic! With a few simple tricks, you can keep your turkey tasting delicious until it’s time to carve without overcooking it. Here’s what to do if your turkey finishes early.

How To Tell If Your Turkey Is Really Done

Before you take any action confirm that your turkey is actually fully cooked. Just because it browned quickly doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ready. Use a meat thermometer to test the temperature in multiple places

• Insert it into the thickest part of the breast. It should read 165°F.

• Insert it into the thickest part of the thigh. It should also read 165°F.

• Insert it into the innermost part of the wing. Once again, it should reach 165°F.

If the turkey doesn’t hit 165°F in all three of those locations, it likely needs more time in the oven. But if it does meet that temperature, then you can move on to keeping it warm until meal time.

Let Your Turkey Rest Before Keeping It Warm

Once you confirm your turkey is fully cooked, let it rest for about 20 minutes before you start worrying about keeping it warm.

Resting gives the juices time to redistribute evenly throughout the meat. Skipping this step can lead to drier turkey.

After the short rest, take the temperature again. It should still be above 140°F. As long as you keep the turkey above this temperature until dinner time, you won’t have to worry about food safety issues.

Now you’re ready to move on to a warming method. Choose one based on how much time you have before meal service.

Keep Your Turkey Warm For 1 Hour: Tent With Foil

If your turkey is done about an hour before dinner, the simplest way to keep it warm is to tent it with aluminum foil.

Keep the turkey in the roasting pan, but cover it completely with foil. The foil traps heat and moisture.

You can add an extra layer of insulation by wrapping a towel or blanket around the roasting pan before putting on the foil tent.

Tenting keeps your turkey safe for 1-2 hours. Beyond that, you risk the bird drying out.

Keep Your Turkey Warm For 2 Hours: Use Your Oven On Low Heat

If dinner is still 2 hours away, your oven can continue gently warming the turkey.

Preheat your oven to its lowest setting, usually around 170°F, before putting the turkey in. Any higher and you risk overcooking.

Leave the turkey loosely tented with foil so some heat can penetrate. The oven provides just enough gentle warmth to buy you more time.

Monitor the breast meat closely and remove the turkey if it seems to be drying out. After 2 hours, the skin may lose its crispiness but the meat should still be moist.

Keep Your Turkey Warm For 3-4 Hours: Use an Insulated Cooler

If your turkey finished way ahead of schedule, a well-insulated cooler can keep it warm for up to 4 hours without overcooking.

Here’s how to use a cooler as a faux holding oven:

• Allow turkey to rest for 20 minutes before transferring to the cooler.

• Fill the empty cooler with hot water and let sit for 10 minutes to bring interior to temperature.

• Drain out all water.

• Place turkey still in roasting pan in the empty but heated cooler.

• Cover with towels for extra insulation.

• Close the lid and leave it alone!

The hot water jump starts the warming process. The well-insulated walls of the cooler allow it to stay that way for several hours.

Reheat Sliced Turkey If More Than 4 Hours Until Dinner

If your turkey finishes cooking over 4 hours before dinner time, you can’t hold it that long without refrigerating it.

In that case, your best bet is to carve the meat off the bones after letting it rest. Slice the breast and remove the legs and wings.

Arrange the sliced turkey on a platter, cover tightly, and refrigerate.

When dinner is about 30 minutes away, put the platter in a 225°F oven until warmed through, about 20-30 minutes.

While not ideal, your guests will never know the difference!

Avoid Under and Overcooking By Monitoring Temperature

The best way to prevent a turkey from finishing early or late is to meticulously monitor the temperature as it roasts.

Use a probe thermometer inserted in the breast and thigh to track progress. Adjust oven temperature if it seems to be cooking too quickly or slowly.

Below are approximate roasting times per pound at 325°F oven temperature:

• Unstuffed turkey: 15 minutes per pound

• Stuffed turkey: 20 minutes per pound

But don’t depend just on time! Rely on your thermometer for guaranteed accuracy.

Watch For Signs Your Turkey Is Cooking Too Fast

There are a few clues your turkey might be racing to the finish line before you expect it:

• Browning too quickly on the outside

• Dripping fat into the pan earlier than expected

• Smelling strongly cooked long before estimated time

• Reaching anticipated internal temperature early

If you notice your turkey barreling ahead early in the roasting process, make adjustments by:

• Lowering the oven temperature by 25°F

• Tenting with foil to slow cooking

• Rotating the pan to avoid hot spots

• Removing pan from oven periodically to cool

With vigilance and these simple tricks, you can stay ahead of any early bird turkeys. Don’t let an over eager gobbler ruffle your feathers this Thanksgiving! Stay calm and you can keep that sucker warm and juicy no matter what tricks it tries to pull.

Common Turkey Roasting Temperature Ranges

Here are common target roasting temperatures and approximate cooking times:

Turkey Weight	Unstuffed	Stuffed
8 to 12 pounds	23⁄4 to 3 hours	3 to 31⁄2 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 to 33⁄4 hours	31⁄2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds	33⁄4 to 41⁄4 hours	4 to 41⁄2 hours
18 to 20 pounds	41⁄4 to 41⁄2 hours	41⁄2 to 5 hours
20 to 24 pounds	41⁄2 to 5 hours	5 to 51⁄4 hours

Frequently Asked Questions About Turkey Roasting Times

Still worried about your turkey finishing at the right time? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions:

How long does it take to roast a turkey per pound?

• Unstuffed turkey: About 15 minutes per pound at 325°F
• Stuffed turkey: About 20 minutes per pound at 325°F

When should I start roasting my turkey?

• 12-15 lb turkey: Begin roasting around 9-10 AM for a mid-afternoon meal
• 20-24 lb turkey: Begin roasting around 8 AM for a mid-afternoon meal

How can I prevent the breast from drying out while waiting for the thighs to finish?

Tent the breast with foil when it reaches desired internal temp of 165°F. This prevents overcooking. Continue roasting until thighs reach 165°F.

My turkey is browning too quickly but breast is still undercooked. Help!

Lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees and tent breast meat with foil to slow outer browning. Continue roasting until breast reaches 165°F.

What’s the best way to roast a turkey – high heat or low and slow?

Cook at a steady 325°F to brown the skin and cook the interior evenly without drying out. Avoid very high or very low temps.

Can I hold a fully cooked turkey at room temp for 3 hours before dinner?

No. Holding for longer than 2 hours at room temp allows bacteria to grow. Refrigerate and reheat sliced meat if serving is more than 2 hours away.

In Summary

A perfectly timed turkey roast can be tricky to pull off, but armed with a thermometer and a few warming tricks, you can save the day if your bird finishes early.

Confirm doneness by temperature, allow to rest, then keep warm in a low oven, under a foil tent, or in an insulated cooler.

If you have more than four hours until go time, play it safe by cooling, carving, and reheating the sliced meat.

With good monitoring and these simple holding methods, you can relax knowing your early bird turkey will arrive at the table perfectly roasted.