Every holiday I hear someone talking about the anxiety of having to cook the turkey for their family meal and, every year, hundreds of people write well meaning articles promising to make the horribly, horribly difficult process of cooking a turkey easier for you so you won’t ruin the holiday for your friends and family.
There’s just one problem with that, cooking a turkey isn’t hard at all. It is easy. It is one of the easiest things to cook that you could ever cook. It is easier, for instance, than cooking a well seasoned and perfectly seared steak. It is easier than making bread, even from a mix in a bag. It is easier than reading a dozen articles on how to cook a turkey and then deciding between them.
So maybe you’re stuck at school over the Thanksgiving break for whatever reason or maybe you are a person who is in their first apartment ever after graduating and you can’t make it home. You want to have a Thanksgiving turkey and invite a few special people over but you are afraid, afraid because you’ve heard that it’s super hard to cook a turkey. But I’m here to tell you, again, that cooking a turkey is very easy.
Roasting a whole turkey can seem like an intimidating task Many novice cooks worry that cooking a turkey is too difficult and they’ll end up with a dried-out bird and ruined holiday meal. But I’m here to tell you that with the right techniques and tips, cooking a delicious turkey is totally doable for beginners.
Turkey Basics
First, let’s go over some turkey basics.
Size
When buying a turkey, estimate about 1 – 1.5 pounds per person. This will provide enough for generous portions and leftovers. For a group of 8-10 people, a 12-15 pound turkey is a good size.
Fresh vs. Frozen
You can buy a fresh or frozen turkey Fresh turkeys are ready to cook but only last a few days in the fridge Frozen turkeys require thawing but allow you to buy ahead,
Thawing
To thaw a frozen turkey safely, allow 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 4-5 pounds. So a 15 pound turkey will take 3-4 days.
You can also thaw in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold.
Preparing and Seasoning
Rinse giblets out of the cavity. Pat the turkey dry and season inside and out with salt, pepper, herbs like rosemary or thyme.
You can loosen the skin and rub butter or oil underneath to keep the meat juicy.
Roasting Temp and Time
Roast at 325°F, allowing about 15-20 minutes per pound. A 15 pound turkey will take 3-4 hours.
Use a meat thermometer to check doneness. Turkey is done at 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh.
Resting and Carving
Let the turkey rest about 30 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice breast and leg meat.
Step-By-Step Roasting Method
Now let’s walk through the full roasting method from start to finish.
Prep the Turkey
- Take turkey out of packaging and remove giblets.
- Pat the skin dry with paper towels.
- Season inside cavity with salt, pepper, thyme, sage.
- Loosen the skin gently and rub butter underneath.
- Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck wing tips under.
Ready the Roasting Pan
- Place turkey on a roasting rack in a pan.
- Add roughly chopped onion, celery, carrots around turkey.
- Pour 1 cup chicken broth in bottom of pan.
Calculate Roasting Time
- Plan for 15-20 minutes per pound at 325°F.
- A 12 pound turkey will take 3-4 hours.
- Use a meat thermometer to confirm 165°F.
Roast the Turkey
- Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in lower third.
- Place turkey in oven, tent with foil to prevent overbrowning.
- Roast until thermometer reads 165°F in thigh.
Rest and Carve the Turkey
- Let turkey rest 30 minutes before carving.
- Carefully slice breast meat and legs.
Common Turkey Roasting FAQs
Should you brine the turkey?
Brining helps keep the turkey super moist. Soak in a saltwater solution for 1 hour per pound. Rinse before cooking.
Is it ok to stuff the turkey?
Stuffing can take longer to cook than the turkey, so it’s safer to cook it separately.
How do you make turkey gravy?
Use the drippings from the pan to make a simple gravy with flour, chicken broth, and seasonings.
How long do leftovers last?
Store turkey leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Freeze for longer storage.
Conclusion
As you can see, roasting a turkey isn’t too difficult for beginners. With some basic prep and the right roasting guidelines, you can have a beautiful, delicious turkey on your holiday table. Don’t be intimidated to try your hand at roasting this classic centerpiece!
Buy your turkey
“But how much turkey is too much turkey,” you ask. The answer is, in an existential sense, that there is no such thing as “too much turkey.” There is only such a thing as too little turkey. You will buy a turkey that is large but that will still fit in the Pyrex baking pan that you will put your turkey in. Maybe it’s this one? I don’t know, you’re the one picking the turkey. Just make sure that the turkey will fit after you’ve bought your pan and that it’s at least three to four inches deep otherwise you will be sad and have to buy another pan or another turkey and that is a hassle. We are against hassles.
Or, buy one of these disposable aluminum pans of the correct size. They’re literally everywhere right now. This is the easiest way to go. Also, it’s better to have a pan that is too big than risking one that is too small.
There are people who will tell you that you have to buy a roasting rack so that the drippings will go down below the turkey. This person may be your own mother or some other loved one. Continue to love them but understand that they are lying to you. You don’t have to buy a roasting rack and collecting the drippings is only useful if you’re going to make gravy. If you want to make gravy then I cannot help you because making gravy is harder than cooking a turkey and this article is about how easy it is to cook a turkey. Besides, you should use this baking pan for another reason which you’ll see below.
I wouldn’t go over a fifteen pound turkey. Mine, in my freezer right now, is 12.96 pounds and will feed three adults and one child this Thursday with, i’m sure, some left over.
Also, buy a meat thermometer. Every department store has them.
I Bought This Turkey And This Pan, Now What?
Your turkey will be frozen. It will take three days to thaw in the refrigerator which means you should buy your turkey by Monday, November 23rd OR POSSIBLY EVEN SUNDAY and put it in the fridge, not the freezer. In three days it will be thawed. The exact thawing formula is that it takes twenty four hours per 5 pounds of turkey for it to thaw. If you have a fifteen pound turkey it will take three days. Twenty pounds? Four days. Plan accordingly.