Thanksgiving turkey is the star of the holiday table but it’s also one of the most time-consuming dishes to prepare. A full-size bird can take up to 4 hours to roast in the oven leaving many home cooks stressed about timing everything just right.
Luckily, there are some simple tricks you can use to significantly cut down the roasting time for your turkey. Follow these 5 tips to get your perfectly cooked, juicy and delicious turkey done faster.
1. Don’t Stuff the Turkey
Cooking stuffing inside the turkey adds a good hour or more to the cooking time The inside has to reach a safe 165°F, so by stuffing it you are adding a huge heat sink into the middle of the bird
Skip stuffing the turkey entirely to slash roasting time. Cook your stuffing in a casserole dish on the side instead. It will brown up nicely and cook through more quickly.
You’ll get all the great turkey flavor into the stuffing by simply spooning over some of the pan drippings after cooking. Letting the turkey cook undisturbed cuts the time down while still giving amazing results.
2. Cook Turkey Parts Rather Than a Whole Bird
Cooking an entire 12-15 lb. turkey takes significantly longer than just roasting a turkey breast or other pieces. If you have a smaller gathering or limited oven space stick to parts.
Turkey breasts, drumsticks, thighs and wings will all cook much faster than the entire bird. Pound them thin for even quicker cooking. The white and dark meat can be cooked in about 1 hour this way.
You can also roast 2 bone-in turkey breasts instead of a whole turkey if you want that classic whole bird presentation without the cook time. Parts are a great way to speed things up!
3. Don’t Truss the Turkey
Trussing the turkey may give it a nice presentation, but it also slows down the cooking. Tying the legs and wings close to the body insulates the meat and prevents oven heat from circulating evenly.
For faster cooking, skip trussing altogether. Simply tuck the wings underneath and turn the legs inward onto the body before roasting. Keeping the turkey untrussed lets heat move around for quick, even cooking.
4. Avoid Opening the Oven Door
Every time you open the hot oven door, the temperature inside drops significantly. This slowing down the cooking time for your turkey.
Try to avoid peeking in the oven unnecessarily while the turkey roasts. Only open the door when absolutely needed to baste, turn or check temperature. The less you open it, the faster your turkey will cook.
Use your oven light and a remote thermometer to monitor doneness if you can. Limiting oven door openings helps the bird roast faster and more evenly.
5. Spatchcock the Turkey
“Spatchcocking” is a great technique for drastically reducing turkey roasting time. It involves removing the backbone and flattening the bird for quick, even cooking.
A spatchcocked turkey cooks in about half the time of a traditional roasted whole turkey. The breast cooks faster when flattened and the dark meat speeds up with greater oven exposure.
Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone, then flatten the breastbone. Roast at 450°F and your juicy, perfectly cooked spatchcock turkey will be ready in under an hour and a half!
Handy Tips for Extra-Fast Turkey Cooking
If you’re really pressed for time, you can combine these techniques for lighting-fast turkey cooking:
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Spatchcock just the breast or other parts rather than the whole bird
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Pound the turkey to an even thickness or slice into cutlets
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Rub the skin with oil and salt for quick crisping
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Cook at higher heat, up to 500°F for parts or 450°F for spatchcock
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Roast on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet for greatest air circulation
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Use herbs, spices and compound butter under and on top of the skin for great flavor
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Monitor temperature early and often to prevent overcooking
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Let rest only 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving
Delicious Side Dishes That Pair Well With Turkey
A perfectly cooked, moist and delicious turkey is only one part of a great Thanksgiving meal. Here are some classic holiday side dishes that pair fantastically with turkey:
Savory Sides:
- Fluffy mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Rich turkey gravy or giblet gravy
- Herb-roasted root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and Brussels sprouts
- Green bean casserole or roasted green beans with almonds
- Cranberry sauce – try orange or ginger flavors too
- Cornbread stuffing or wild rice stuffing
- Dinner rolls or biscuits
Crunchy, Fresh Sides:
- Tangy cranberry relish with orange and ginger
- Crisp salad with lettuce, pears, pecans and pomegranate arils
- Roasted butternut squash or pumpkin soup
- Quinoa salad with kale, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds
Sweet Endings:
- Spiced pumpkin pie, pecan pie or apple pie
- Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or cinnamon gelato
- Gingersnap cookies or snickerdoodles
Master Faster Roasting for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving Turkey
There’s no need to spend all day babysitting the turkey this Thanksgiving. With smart tricks like spatchcocking, cooking parts and avoiding oven peeking, you can slash the roasting time significantly.
Combine these turkey cooking tips to get a perfectly cooked bird on your holiday table in just an hour or two. Then relax and enjoy time with your loved ones, with one less thing to stress over on Thanksgiving Day!
Ingredients For 2-hour turkey, really.
- 1 thawed, whole turkey (from 10 – 24 pounds)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 to 3 tsp coarsely ground salt (Kosher or sea)
- freshly ground pepper
How To Make 2-hour turkey, really.
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1 PREHEAT OVEN TO 475 degrees F (240-250 degrees C). This is what youll roast it at for the ENTIRE time. Since this employs the use of a VERY hot oven, make sure your oven is CLEAN before you start, AND put about 1 inch of water in the bottom of the roasting pan to reduce the risk of smoking your family out of the house. NOTE: Even WITH a pristine oven, I still smoked out my house last Thanksgiving… so a tip to cut down on the smoke issue is to add about an inch of water (or broth) to the roaster pan…and keep replenishing it as needed. By doing this, not only was the smoking problem eliminated, but I had terrific drippings for gravy! Place oven rack on LOWEST or SECOND-TO-LOWEST position in oven. The lowest position may be too hot in some ovens since its directly above the heating elements.
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- https://youtu.be/Thx8qtu4NMo
- Last Step: Dont forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And dont forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
How can I speed up cooking a turkey?
FAQ
How do you reduce the time of cooking a turkey?
Does covering a turkey with foil cook it faster?
How quickly can you cook a turkey?
How can I Make my Turkey cook faster?
If you fall behind schedule on the big day, don’t panic (we’ve all been there) — here are five smart ways to help your turkey cook faster, so you can get it on the table in time. 1. Don’t stuff the bird. Skip cooking the stuffing in the bird.
How do you slow down a Turkey?
It will only slow down the cooking time. Add aromatics to the turkey cavity, such as garlic cloves, celery, carrots, bay leaves, and herbs. Add broth or water (about 1/4 inch) to the bottom of the roasting pan to avoid any burning.
How do you cook a Turkey in the oven?
Here is a turkey for when time and oven space are at a premium. The bird is butchered before cooking, its backbone removed (a technique called spatchcocking) and its legs separated, increasing the amount of surface area exposed to the oven’s heat and decreasing the amount of cooking time dramatically.
Why should you cook a Turkey in the oven?
The turkey will cook faster and more evenly. Since the turkey is divided into smaller pieces, the meat will cook more evenly and quickly (compared to hours for a whole turkey). Now, you won’t have to wait as long before enjoying your juicy turkey. Your oven will have more space.