The Secret of Cooking Turkey Perfectly

I do not recommend cooking your turkey stuffed. That's because it is far easier to get bacterial contamination from a stuffed turkey.

With a stuffed turkey, you not only need to cook the turkey to 165 degrees F, you have to cook the stuffing to 165 degrees F, too. If the turkey reaches 165 before the stuffing, you have to keep cooking the turkey until the stuffing reaches the proper temperature.

That's why cooking a stuffed turkey almost always results in an overcooked turkey. A better method: Cook the stuffing outside the turkey in a casserole dish.

Here's my fool-proof method for cooking Thanksgiving turkey that turns out moist and juicy every time.

Ingredients:

12-18 lb. turkey
fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary
1-2 apples or lemons (optional)
1/2 cup butter, softened

1. Thaw the wrapped turkey in the refrigerator, allowing 24 hours for every 4-5 lbs. of turkey. That means if you have a 12-lb. turkey, you will need three days to thaw it.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

3. Unwrap the turkey. Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey cavity.

4. Place the turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

5. Stuff some fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage) and/or sliced apples or lemon halves in the turkey cavity.

6. Make a compound butter to flavor the turkey: Mix 1/2 cup softened butter with chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage). Gently separate the skin of the turkey breast from the meat with your fingers (see photo), and spread about half of the butter underneath the skin. This takes some practice, but it's well worth it, as this keeps the turkey moist.

7. Rub the remaining butter all over the top of the turkey skin.

8. Roast the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. as measured by a thermometer. See the table above for approximate turkey cooking times.

9. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest 20 minutes before carving.

This oven bag turkey recipe is my second method for cooking turkey that is guaranteed to be juicy and tender.

Ingredients:

12-18 lb. turkey
1 turkey oven bag
1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp. poultry seasoning

1. Place the wrapped turkey on a large pan (to catch any drippings) in the refrigerator to thaw. Allow 24 hours for every 4-5 lbs. of turkey. That means if you have a 12-lb. turkey, you will need three days to thaw it.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

3. Spray the inside of the bag with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Add flour to bag, and shake to coat.

4. Remove the neck and giblets from turkey.

5. Combine softened butter with poultry seasoning. Gently rub half of the butter mixture under the turkey skin. Rub the remaining butter mixture over the outside of the turkey breast and legs.

6. Close the oven bag with the enclosed nylon ties. If you've misplaced the ties, just tuck the ends of the oven bag under the turkey. Cut a few slits, about one half-inch long in the top of the turkey bag to vent.

7. Roast the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey measures 165 degrees F. See the chart above to get an idea of approximate turkey cooking times.

8. Remove turkey from oven, and let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.

Here's a quick chart to give you an idea of the time it will take to cook an unstuffed turkey at 325 degrees F. If you cook your turkey at a higher temperature, it will take less time.

Important: Do not cook turkey at a temperature lower than 325 degrees F. You risk bacterial contamination.

And remember, the important thing in cooking a turkey is not the amount of time the turkey is cooking in the oven, but that the turkey is cooked to the proper temperature -- 165 degrees F.

The chart below will give you a general idea of how long it will take to cook a turkey, but always check by inserting an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and the thickest part of the thigh to determine if the turkey is done. The thermometer should read 165 degrees F in both places. If one or the other is below 165 degrees F, continue cooking the turkey until both read 165 degrees F.

8-12 lbs.

2-3/4 to 3 hrs.

12-14 lbs.

3 to 3-3/4 hrs.

14-18 lbs.

3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hrs.

18-20 lbs.

4-1/4 to 4-1/2 hrs.

20-24 lbs.

4-1/2 to 5 hrs.