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.
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A fully cooked turkey can be the perfect hassle-free centerpiece for your Thanksgiving feast. With the prep work done, all that’s left is heating it up properly so it’s piping hot and full of flavor when you carve it at the table. Follow these simple tips and techniques for cooking a fully cooked turkey to juicy, delicious perfection.
Getting Started
When you buy a fully cooked turkey, it may be fresh or frozen. Make sure to note the state it’s in when purchasing and allow enough time to thaw if frozen. Place fresh turkeys in the refrigerator upon bringing them home. For frozen ones, keep them stored in the freezer until you are ready to defrost.
Make sure you have a roasting pan large enough to fit your turkey. You’ll also need aluminum foil to cover it while cooking It’s best to cook your fully cooked turkey unstuffed so it heats evenly Cook any stuffing you want to serve separately.
Preheating your oven properly is key. Most fully cooked turkeys do best reheated at a lower temperature, like 325°F. Be sure to preheat your oven for at least half an hour before cooking.
Defrosting a Frozen Turkey
If your precooked turkey is frozen, you’ll need to defrost it before cooking. The best method is a slow thaw in the refrigerator. Plan 1-2 days of defrosting time depending on the size. Remove any plastic wrapping and place the frozen turkey in a pan to catch any drips as it defrosts.
Once thawed, your turkey is ready for the oven! Never defrost at room temperature or try to rush thawing in hot water. This can lead to unsafe bacterial growth. And never refreeze a turkey once it’s been defrosted.
Seasoning the Turkey
While fully cooked turkeys come pre-seasoned, you can add extra flavor with a rub or baste Try coating your turkey with olive oil or butter and sprinkling on herbs, salt, and pepper before cooking For a brown sugar rub, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar with 2 tbsp each thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pat the mixture evenly over the turkey.
You can also infuse flavor by soaking cheesecloth in broth or wine and draping it over the breast during roasting. Apply glazes and bastes twice during cooking for delicious results.
Cooking the Turkey
To cook a fully cooked fresh or defrosted turkey, follow these simple steps:
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Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a roasting pan with foil for easy cleanup.
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Remove turkey from packaging and place breast side up in the pan. Pour 1 cup broth or water into the bottom of the pan. This keeps the meat moist.
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Tent the turkey loosely with a foil sheet to prevent drying out.
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Calculate cook time based on size, allowing 15 minutes per pound. For example, cook a 12 lb turkey for 3 hours.
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Halfway through cooking, baste the turkey with juices from the pan. Add more broth if drying out.
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For the last 30 minutes, remove foil so the skin browns. Baste again.
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Use a meat thermometer to check doneness, inserting into the thickest part of the breast and thigh. Turkey should reach 165°F.
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Let the turkey rest 15 minutes before carving for juicy results!
Handy Turkey Roasting Chart
For quick reference, here are approximate roasting times for fully cooked turkeys:
| Turkey Weight | Cook Time at 325°F |
|---|---|
| 8-12 lbs | 1.5 – 2 hours |
| 12-16 lbs | 2 – 2.5 hours |
| 16-20 lbs | 2.5 – 3 hours |
Keeping Food Safe
Proper handling and cooking are key to keep your turkey dinner safe. Always wash hands, prep surfaces, platters, and utensils that touch raw turkey. Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F. Maintain oven temperature of 325°F to prevent bacterial growth.
Store leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Refrigerate promptly and reheat fully when serving again. With safe practices, you can enjoy delicious fully cooked turkey for days after Thanksgiving!
Serving Suggestions
Once your turkey is roasted to perfection, here are some tasty ways to serve it:
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Carve into slices and serve with classic turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, and stuffing.
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Pile sliced turkey on sandwiches and wraps with lettuce, tomato, avocado and aioli.
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Dice and add to soups, salads, and casseroles for a protein boost.
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Shred or chop turkey to mix into enchiladas, tacos, pasta, fried rice and more.
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For easy snacks and appetizers, arrange bite-sized pieces of turkey on a platter with crackers and cheese.
With minimal effort, you can make oven-roasted fully cooked turkey the star of a phenomenal Thanksgiving dinner. Follow these helpful guidelines for thawing, seasoning, roasting, and serving turkey for a beautiful, delicious holiday centerpiece.
How to Store Thanksgiving Leftovers
If youve had a long and leisurely meal, you may have fewer options for saving than you think: Any turkey, stuffing or gravy thats been at room temperature longer than 2 hours should be discarded, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
How you store turkey leftovers is important when it comes to avoiding foodborne illness.
- Remove the meat from the bone and slice up the breast meat, per the University of Tennessee Extension. Legs and wings are OK to refrigerate as-is.
- Place leftovers in small and shallow containers, per the USDA — doing so helps them hit cooler temperatures in the fridge faster.
- Cover the top with plastic wrap or choose a container with a lid.
Roasted turkey should be eaten within 3 to 4 days, according to the University of Illinois Extension. That means that your Thanksgiving turkey should be eaten — or thrown away — by the Monday after the big holiday, per the USDA.
If you want to be able to enjoy leftovers for longer, freeze them, following the same steps as the fridge method above.
As with the refrigerator, small and shallow containers are best for housing your leftovers, per the USDA.
Leftover turkey can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months, according to the USDA.
Defrosting a Ready-to-Cook Turkey
In many cases, an already-cooked turkey arrives at your home frozen — so you wont be able to immediately carve and serve it.
Instead, your first step will be to defrost the bird in the refrigerator. This takes time, so plan ahead: For every 5 pounds, it will take about 24 hours to thaw, according to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. So, a 15-pound turkey will take 3 full days to thaw out.
To thaw, keep the bird in its plastic packaging. Rest it on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator. Considering a thawed turkey cant sit in your fridge endlessly, time the process for your planned meal: Eat it within 3 to 5 days, per the University of Tennessee.
Always check the instructions on your frozen, ready-to-serve turkey. Brands may have instructions specific to their products. Butterballs fully cooked turkey, for example, suggests thawing in the refrigerator with the breast side up.
There are exceptions to the “thaw first” rule: A frozen turkey that is stuffed should not be thawed, according to the USDA.
Is a precooked turkey fully cooked? It sure is! And because the turkey is already cooked, once its fully thawed, youre free to serve it as-is. Heres how:
- Thaw the turkey, following the instructions above.
- Remove the bird from its wrapper.
- Carve and cut up the turkey. You can eat fully pre-cooked turkey in meals like sandwiches and salads.
You can eat a pre-cooked turkey cold. However, if you or your guests have compromised immune systems, avoid eating cold pre-cooked turkey meat, according to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Instead, heat it up to an internal temp of 165 Fahrenheit before eating.
Butterball Fully Cooked Smoked Turkey
FAQ
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