Cooking a turkey can be a daunting task, especially if you’re tackling the bird for the first time on Thanksgiving With all the sides to prepare and guests to attend to, you want to make sure you allow enough time to properly cook the turkey without drying it out Many people have questions about cooking their turkey at a lower temperature like 200°F to give them more flexibility with the oven and time. So how long does it take to cook a turkey at 200°F?
Factors That Affect Turkey Cooking Time
When cooking a turkey at a lower temperature like 200°F, the most important factor is reaching the safe minimum internal temperature to kill any bacteria. Whole turkeys need to reach 165°F in the breast and 180°F in the thigh before they can be considered safely cooked and ready to eat.
The amount of time needed to reach these temperatures can vary greatly depending on a few key factors:
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Turkey Weight – A good rule of thumb is to calculate 15-18 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey at 325°F. At the lower 200°F temp, it will take roughly twice as long. So a 15 lb turkey will need 450-540 minutes (7.5-9 hours).
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Cooking Temperature – As mentioned the 150°F lower temperature increases time. Raising to 250°F would reduce time vs 200°F.
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Stuffing – A stuffed turkey will take longer than an unstuffed one, as the stuffing inside needs to reach 165°F also.
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Thawed vs Frozen – A fully thawed turkey will cook much faster than a frozen one,
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these tips for successfully cooking a turkey low and slow at 200°F:
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Thaw – Make sure frozen turkey is fully thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hrs per 4-5 lbs.
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Remove Giblets – Check internal cavity and remove bag of giblets if present.
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Prepare Turkey – Pat turkey dry with paper towels and rub skin with oil or butter. Season generously with salt and pepper.
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Place in Oven – Put turkey breast side up on a rack in roasting pan. Add a cup or two of water or broth to pan to prevent drippings from burning.
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Cook at 200°F – Roast turkey uncovered at 200°F, calculating approximately 30 minutes per pound of turkey. For a 15 lb turkey, expect around 7.5-9 hours.
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Baste Occasionally – Baste turkey with pan drippings every hour or so to keep moist.
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Check Temperature – Start checking internal temp of thigh and breast about halfway through estimated cook time. Once 155°F and 180°F are reached, it’s done.
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Let Rest – Allow turkey to rest 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows juices to redistribute for moister meat.
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Carve and Enjoy! – Time to carve off juicy slices of your perfectly cooked low and slow turkey!
Turkey Is Still Undercooked When Time Is Up
If your estimated cook time passes and your turkey still hasn’t reached the proper internal temperature, don’t panic. You have a couple options:
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Continue roasting at 200°F until it reaches temperature, checking every 30 minutes.
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Increase oven temp to 300 or 350°F to speed up cooking, checking temp every 15 minutes.
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Transfer to a 300°F oven to finish if you need the space. Check often to avoid overcooking.
The most foolproof method is using a good meat thermometer and relying on the temperature rather than time. If the breast or thigh are still under 155°F or 180°F respectively when estimated cook time is up, let it keep going until it’s done.
Moist and Tender Keys
To ensure your low and slow turkey comes out juicy and tender, keep these tips in mind:
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Brine turkey in saltwater overnight before cooking for added moisture.
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Baste turkey with pan drippings every hour while cooking.
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Avoid opening the oven door frequently, which lets heat escape.
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Let turkey rest before carving so juices redistribute through meat.
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Use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking.
Time Saving Tips
Cooking a turkey for 8-10 hours can tie up your oven all day long. Here are some time saving tips:
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Cook turkey overnight at 200°F while you sleep!
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Start the night before and finish in morning if needed.
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Increase temperature if turkey isn’t done when you need the oven.
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Cook side dishes in slow cooker or on stovetop to free up oven space.
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Let guests bring ready-to-serve side dishes to share.
Alternatives to Low Oven Roasting
If you want to free up oven space or reduce roasting time, consider these alternatives:
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Grill – Cook turkey on a gas or charcoal grill, saving oven space. Use indirect heat.
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Smoke – Impart delicious smoky flavor by smoking turkey in a smoker box or grill with wood chips.
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Fry – Deep fry turkey for faster cooking, allowing more oven space for sides. Use caution to avoid burns.
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Spatchcock – Butterfly or spatchcock turkey so it roasts more quickly and evenly.
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Turkey Breast – Roast just a bone-in turkey breast, which cooks faster than a whole bird.
Mastering the Turkey
Cooking the perfect turkey can be intimidating, but just follow temperature guidelines, use a meat thermometer, and rely on these tips for a foolproof bird. Roasting low and slow at 200°F gives you ample time flexibility for sides and makes it hard to dry out.
Focus on safe internal temperatures, baste periodically, and let it rest before slicing. Then get ready to enjoy a succulent, tender turkey with your loved ones, even if dinner is delayed a bit. Mastering the turkey may take some trial and error, but the rewards of a home cooked bird are truly worth the effort.
Downright unsafe ways to cook your turkey – Part 1
Jeannie Nichols, – November 07, 2013
Non-traditional methods may be unsafe but with a few changes they can be safe.
There are literally hundreds of ways to cook a turkey. Each year new recipes and techniques are created based on trendy regional ingredients and creative cooking methods. Some are good, some are bad and some are downright unsafe. Here are two “unique” methods that have become popular and how to make them safe.
Slow-cooking overnight method
This method is dangerous and involves cooking the turkey at 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit overnight for 12 to 13 hours. A low oven temperature means the turkey will take longer to heat, increasing the risk of harmful bacteria growth and the production of poisons that may not be destroyed with further cooking.
Make it safe – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends temperatures no lower than 325 degrees Fahrenheit for cooking meat and poultry. Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Turducken
There are two kinds of turduckens. One kind of turducken is a deboned stuffed chicken, inside a deboned stuffed duck, inside a deboned stuffed turkey. Usually the tip end of the turkey leg bones and the first two wing joints are left on the turkey so that after assembly, the finished product resembles a whole turkey. A turducken can also be a partially boned turkey layered with a boned duck, then with a boned chicken and spread with layers of stuffing between each bird. The entire mass is rolled, tied and roasted at 190 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 13 hours.
Make it safe – USDA hotline representatives recommend keeping the birds chilled until ready to assemble. While boning each bird, keep the others refrigerated. After all three birds have been boned and the stuffing has been prepared, assemble the turducken ingredients and quickly get it into a pre-heated 325 degrees Fahrenheit oven. Use a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the bundle and cook the turducken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the temperature in several locations.
Make sure your turkey or turducken is safe this year by following the safe methods recommended by Michigan State University Extension. Using safe methods including the use of a food thermometer is a step in the right direction in having a safe holiday meal.
For information on how to safely prepare your turkey in a paper bag read part two of this article.
Can you cook a turkey overnight at 200 degrees?
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