Can You Leave a Cooked Turkey in the Oven Overnight? A Complete Guide

If you were shocked to learn that you could roast a frozen turkey, you’re in for another surprise: You can roast that turkey while you sleep, too.

At a typical roasting temperature (around 325ºF), a large turkey can take upwards of four hours to roast. Add in pulling the bird out of the fridge beforehand to take off the chill, rest time, and carving, and you’re looking at nearly six hours. If you aim to serve your turkey around lunchtime, this means starting things at 7 a.m. If you can feel your blood pressure rising just thinking about it, don’t fret, there’s an easier way: roast the turkey overnight.

The unconventional cooking method of roasting a turkey while you sleep might seem crazy on the outset, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Cooked low and slow, turkey is tender, juicy, and pretty hard to mess up.

Cooking the perfect turkey for a holiday meal or gathering takes careful planning and preparation. Once the festivities wind down, leftovers are likely abundant. At this point, many home cooks wonder if it’s safe to leave the cooked turkey in the oven overnight.

This is an excellent question that deserves a thorough answer. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll examine if you can keep a cooked turkey in the oven overnight, provide safety recommendations, and share storage and reheating tips to enjoy delicious leftovers.

Is It Safe to Leave a Cooked Turkey in the Oven Overnight?

The short answer is no, Leaving fully cooked turkey inside a turned-off oven overnight is not considered safe by food safety experts

Here’s why

Bacteria can still grow and multiply even at oven temperatures. The interior of an oven cools quickly once turned off and will not keep foods hot enough to limit bacterial growth.
Cooked turkey is a perishable food that can spoil quickly if left at room temperature overnight Even if the oven still feels warm, it likely won’t keep the turkey above the 140°F minimum safe temperature
Foodborne illnesses can occur from bacteria such as salmonella or listeria growing on the turkey overnight. This poses a health risk, especially for the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems.

So while the oven may seem like a convenient storage place, it unfortunately isn’t equipped to keep perishable cooked foods safe overnight.

What is the Safest Way to Store Cooked Turkey?

To safely store leftovers and prevent bacterial growth, the USDA recommends refrigerating or freezing cooked turkey within 2 hours of cooking.

Here are the proper storage methods:

Refrigeration: Place carved turkey in shallow containers to allow for quick cooling. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3-4 days.
Freezing: Allow cooked turkey to cool completely, then wrap tightly in freezer bags, freezer foil, or airtight containers. Freeze for up to 4 months for best quality.
Reheating: Reheat refrigerated turkey to an internal temperature of 165°F. Reheated turkey can be stored for another 3-4 days in the fridge.

Proper refrigeration at 40°F or below is crucial for slowing bacteria growth. Freezing at 0°F stops bacteria completely, allowing for longer turkey storage.

Handling & Reheating Leftover Turkey

When reheating leftover turkey, food safety also needs to be top of mind:

Slice or carve turkey before refrigerating for easier reheating portions.
Discard any turkey that has been left out of refrigeration for over 2 hours. Do not taste test questionable turkey.
Place leftover turkey in the refrigerator immediately after serving. Do not let sit on the counter.
Reheat turkey thoroughly until steaming hot or 165°F. Bring gravy to a rolling boil when reheating.
Only reheat leftovers once for food safety. Discard any uneaten reheated turkey.

With proper handling, leftovers can be safely enjoyed for several days after Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. Taking the right storage steps will provide peace of mind that your holiday turkey won’t go to waste or pose any risks.

Can You Keep a Cooked Turkey Warm in the Oven?

While overnight storage isn’t recommended, you may wish to keep your cooked turkey warm in the oven for a few hours during a long holiday celebration. Here are some tips:

Carve the turkey just before serving time. Keep the carved meat warm in the oven but do not leave whole turkey in oven more than 2 hours after cooking finishes.
Set oven temperature to 200-250°F to keep turkey warm without overcooking.
Place carved turkey in a shallow pan, cover tightly with foil, and check temperature every hour with a food thermometer to ensure it stays above 140°F.
Do not keep warm longer than 2-3 hours, as turkey will start to dry out. After this time, refrigerate all leftovers promptly.

Keeping an eye on the temperature and time will help prevent food safety issues.

Alternatives for Slow Turkey Cooking Overnight

While overnight oven storage doesn’t work, there are some safe and delicious alternatives that take advantage of slow, low oven temperatures over several hours:

Cook from frozen: Put a frozen turkey straight into the oven from the freezer. Cook at an ultra-low 200°F for 8-10 hours.
Brine before cooking: Soak the raw turkey in a saltwater brine overnight before roasting for added moisture and flavor.
Low and slow roasting: Cook the turkey at 250-325°F for 8-10 hours for tender, juicy meat.
Sous vide method: After browning, cook the turkey in a water bath for 12-24 hours at 145°F for the ultimate tender texture.
Slow cooker: Cook smaller turkey breasts on low heat in a slow cooker with broth and aromatics for 6-8 hours.

These methods allow you to safely infuse your turkey with flavor during extended unattended cooking.

The Takeaway on Leaving Turkey in the Oven Overnight

Hopefully this guide has helped explain why you should always refrigerate or freeze leftover turkey within 2 hours after cooking, rather than leaving it in the oven overnight. With proper reheating and food handling, you can continue enjoying delicious leftovers for several days.

If you want to utilize slow cooking methods, alternatives like cooking from frozen, brining, low roasting, sous vide, or using a slow cooker are much safer options.

Remember—when in doubt, throw it out. Don’t take risks with leftovers. Follow these food safety recommendations and you’ll be on your way to turkey meals that can be safely savored from the initial feast through for days to come.

can you leave a cooked turkey in the oven overnight

How to Cook a Turkey Overnight

When you’re starting to think about going to bed, preheat your oven to somewhere between 170-180ºF. If your oven temperature does not go this low, set it to its coolest setting; anything up to 200ºF is fine. Pull the turkey out of the refrigerator, season it with salt and aromatics, and rub the outside with butter. Set a rack in a roasting pan, fill the pan with about a quart of water, arrange the turkey breast-side up on the rack, and wrap the pan tightly in aluminum foil.
Roast the turkey while you sleep and get ready in the morning (as long as 9-11 hours). Don’t worry about basting; the low temperature and moisture from the water will cook it gently.
Remove the foil and take the turkey’s temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Your end goal: a temperature of 160ºF in the breast and 170-175ºF in the thigh. Keep roasting at a low temperature until it is getting close to these numbers, around 155ºF. Remove the pan from the oven and turn up the heat to 475ºF. Once preheated, roast the turkey until the skin has browned and it is 160ºF in the breast and 170-175ºF in the thigh, about 15-30 minutes.
Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes.
Carve and serve!

We tested this with a 14-pound turkey, and it took 10-1/2 hours for it to come to 155ºF, and another 15 minutes for the skin to brown and the temperature to read 160ºF. Do note that smaller birds may dry out a bit if cooked for this long, and don’t take very long to roast to at a conventional temperature, eliminating the problem this overnight method solves. This technique might make sense, however, if you’re roasting a turkey in the neighborhood of 16-20 pounds. For the most freshly-cooked bird possible, plan to tuck in to your Thanksgiving meal around lunchtime.

How Long Can You Leave Food Out?

FAQ

Can you leave a fully cooked turkey out overnight?

Never leave leftovers at room temperature. Pathogenic bacteria can grow rapidly in the “Danger Zone,” the temperature range between 40°F and 140°F. Because they do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food, one cannot tell that a pathogen is present.

How do you store a whole cooked turkey overnight?

You don’t want the meat to dry out while it sits overnight, so you will need to cover it with a liquid. Spoon some chicken broth or the drippings from the roasting pan (and the cutting board) over the turkey so it stays moist. Cover snugly and refrigerate overnight.

Can you eat cooked meat left in the oven overnight?

The Two-Hour Rule Cooked food can only stay in the temperature danger zone for so long before it becomes unsafe to eat. Havern explains: “The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away.

Can you cook a turkey the night before and carve it the next day?

It’s easy: Simply cook it a day or two in advance, let it cool completely, then carve the bird into large pieces—breasts, wings, thighs and drumsticks. Store in a container in the refrigerator until the big day. This method actually result in juicier meat—and an infinitely more relaxed host.