How to Cook a Turkey

The turkey is the centerpiece of a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner which is why properly cooking it is so important. Mess it up and not even the best side dishes will save you. Perfect your technique and you'll be everyone's favorite person, at least for this one day every year. This step by step guide will show you how to make a perfect Thanksgiving Turkey. Remember that to properly roast a turkey, you need to first properly thaw it.

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What You Need

1. fresh or thawed turkey
2. shallow pan
3. aluminum foil
4. meat thermometer
5. vegetable oil, butter or vegetable spread
6. flavoring (herbs, spices, salt, pepper, turkey rub or anything else that tastes good to you)
7. stuffing (optional)

Step 1: Thaw Turkey Properly It's so important that you thaw your turkey the right way. If done improperly, the bacteria can multiply to a point that even oven temperatures won't be able to kill all of them off causing food poisoning. If you are short on time, you can thaw your turkey in cold water or the microwave. You can also cook a frozen turkey but it will take about 50% longer. The worst thing you can do is leave your turkey out on the counter to thaw. This greatly increases the risk that one of your loved ones will get sick. Thawing a Turkey

Step 2: Prepare Your Stuffing Stuffing should be prepared right before it is placed in the turkey. Do not mix wet and dry ingredients ahead of time. Remember to use different utensils for cutting meat and cutting vegetables.

Step 3: Preheat Your Oven The cooking temperature of your oven should be set at a minimum of 325 degrees F.

Step 4: Prepare the Turkey First, remove the turkey from its wrapper. Sometimes the turkey will contain metal brackets or wire to keep it together. Read the packaging instructions for information on what to do with those. You typically leave them in place. Next, place the turkey breast side up in a shallow pan. Remove the giblets and neck from the cavities. The giblets are usually found in a bag and can be used later to make gravy or broth. Coat the turkey with vegetable oil/spread or butter. You can also apply any of your favorite herbs, spices or rub onto the skin of the turkey. Stuff the turkey loosely. Do not pack it in tightly.

Step 5: Cook the Turkey You are now ready to put your turkey into the oven. Once it is cooking, some turkeys need to be basted every 30-45 minutes. You can do this with a large spoon but if you get a turkey baster, you'll make your life a lot easier. Simply suck up the turkey juices at the bottom of the pan with the baster and spread it over the top of the turkey to make sure it stays wet. This will keep your turkey from getting dry. Once the turkey gets brown enough for your tastes, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep it from getting darker.

Step 6: Check the Turkey You can use the tables below or the Turkey Cook Time Calculator for guidelines but only a calibrated meat thermometer should be used to check if the turkey is safe to eat. Some turkeys have thermometers that pop out when they reach the correct temperature. These too should only be used as guidelines. A meat thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh (not touching the bone). Both temperatures should be at 165 degrees F or higher. If you stuffed your turkey, the temperature in the middle of the stuffing needs to reach 165 degrees F before the turkey is safe to eat. Once you take the turkey out of the oven, let it sit for 20 minutes before carving.

Frozen turkeys can be cooking without being thawed but cooking time will be 50% longer.

Step 7: Enjoy If you've followed the steps above, you're now ready to enjoy your turkey. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!