Easy Turkey Roasting Guide   by Kilieri

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Cooking a Perfect Roast Turkey

Roast turkey is a delicious and impressive meal to set on the dinner table. You don't have to wait until the fall and winter holidays to roast a turkey; you can put on a show for dinner guests any time of the year. And don't worry - roasting a turkey is really fairly easy.

After all, other than a little preparation, the oven does all the work. So, if you are looking for easy turkey cooking instructions you've come to the right place.

Selecting the Turkey 

An 8 to 12 pound turkey with accompanying side dishes will serve six to eight people. If you have a smaller or larger group (or turkey) our turkey roasting time chart gives roasting times for turkeys from 6 to 24 pounds.

Once you have selected the size of turkey, decide if you want to stuff it. If you are fairly new to turkey roasting, or you have never roasted a stuffed turkey before, make it easy on yourself and use a packaged stuffing mix. You can always personalize your stuffing by adding your own favorite taste treats like pecans, black olives, smoked oysters, sautéed onions, or whatever.

Consult the stuffing mix bag for the correct amount of stuffing mix for the size of your turkey. You will probably need butter and chicken broth or chicken bullion, and possibly onions to prepare the stuffing mix. See the directions on the bag.

If you are roasting a turkey there are four things (besides the bird and other food ingredients) that you will need:
  1. - a pan large enough for the turkey,
  2. - a rack for the turkey to sit on in the pan,
  3. - a meat thermometer, and
  4. - a turkey roasting chart.

Preparing the Turkey for Roasting 

Leave the turkey in its original wrapping and thaw it completely in the refrigerator.

Most turkeys come with the giblets and turkey neck packed inside the main body cavity. Some turkeys also include gravy mix packed inside the body. Look inside the thawed turkey from both ends and remove anything you find.

Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit.

Rinse the thawed turkey with cold water and pat it dry with paper towels.
Rub the inside of the turkey with about ½ teaspoon salt.

If you are not going to stuff the turkey cut an onion or two into quarters and place inside the turkey while it roasts. When done, you can serve the onions or discard if you prefer.

If you want to stuff the turkey, do so now. Spoon the stuffing in lightly leaving room for it to swell. If you stuff it too tightly it will not cook thoroughly. Use no more than ¾ cup stuffing per pound of turkey. (You can bake left over stuffing in a covered casserole at 325° Fahrenheit for 30 to 45 minutes until heated through, or according to the package directions.)

Rub the turkey all over outside with vegetable oil and then with minced garlic. Place the turkey breast side up on a metal rack in a shallow roasting pan.

Mix together the seasonings you wish to use. (For an 8 to 10 pound turkey you would use 1 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon each sage and thyme, and about ¼ teaspoon salt.) Sprinkle this seasoning mixture all over the turkey.

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Turkey Roasting Chart 

Roast according to the following chart and until the internal temperature reaches 180° Fahrenheit as measured by a properly placed meat thermometer. (Place it in the meatiest part of the inner side of the thigh, without touching the bone.)

A foil covering is optional. If you desire, you may cover the turkey loosely with foil and remove the foil towards the end of roasting to allow the turkey to brown. Remove it for the last 30 minutes for smaller turkeys, or the last 45 minutes for large turkeys.

To determine the turkey roasting time for an unstuffed turkey check this handy turkey roasting times chart. Use the chart as a guide, but remember to always verify the internal temperature of the turkey and the stuffing. A whole turkey should be roasted until it reaches 180° Fahrenheit, while the stuffing should be 165° Fahrenheit.

To check the internal temperature place a meat thermometer in the center of the inner thigh muscle of the turkey so that the thermometer does not touch the bone and does not rest in fat. Check in several places in the inner thigh. For a whole stuffed turkey you will usually have to add 15 to 45 minutes to the following times.

Turkey Roasting Chart
Roast until internal temperature reaches 180° Fahrenheit. For an unstuffed whole turkey roasted at 325° F oven temperature:
  • 6 to 8 lbs. -- 2 to 2¾ hrs
  • 8 to 12 lbs. -- 2¾ to 3 hrs
  • 12 to 14 lbs. -- 3 to 3¾ hrs
  • 14 to 18 lbs. -- 3¾ to 4¼ hrs
  • 18 to 20 lbs. -- 4¼ to 4½ hrs
  • 20 to 24 lbs. -- 4½ to 5 hrs

How About Some Roast Raptor? 

Two quick questions for you:
  1. Do you like to cook?
  2. Do you play, or do you know someone who plays, the World of Warcraft?
If so, then you need to check out the this cookbook, which takes over 60 recipes from the World of Warcraft and brings them into the real world!

If You're Only Roasting a Turkey Breast 

If you're just doing a turkey breast then here's the chart you want. Oven temperature should be set to 325° F. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 170° F.

Boneless Whole Turkey Breast
  • 2½ to 3½ lbs roast for 2 to 2½ hrs.
  • 4 to 6 lbs roast for 2½ to 3½ hrs.
Whole Turkey Breast with bone in
  • 4 to 6 lbs roast for 1½ to 2¼ hrs.
  • 6 to 8 lbs roast for 2¼ 3¼ hrs.

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Kilieri

Kilieri I have escaped from the corporate world and I now live in beautiful Spokane, WA with my husband, two sons, two dogs and four (that's right - four) cats.
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