Guidelines For Roasting A Whole Turkey

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Turkey Hints & Tips:

Turkey Basics - How to purchase, stuff, and roast a turkey - Choosing a fresh or frozen turkey - How to thaw a frozen turkey - How to prepare turkey for stuffing.

Thanksgiving Planning - Stress-Free Thanksgiving - How to plan and prepare your Thanksgiving dinner in advance without stress.

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu - Check out some ideas and recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner menu.

Turkey Terminology - Types of Turkeys - Learn the differences between the different types of turkeys in the marketplace.

 Guidelines for Brining Poultry- The secret to juicy chicken breast is simple - brine them before grilling or baking! It's very easy and economical, and requires no special cookware.

 Guidelines For Roasting a Whole Turkey - Learn how to safely and easily prepare and roast your turkey.

Advice on Stuffing a Turkey Safely - As the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday draws near, learn how to safely stuff your turkey.

Using a Cooking or Meat Thermometer - Have you ever cut into a turkey to see if it has finished cooking? Cooking thermometers take the guesswork out of cooking, as they measures the internal temperature of your cooked meat and poultry to assure that a safe temperature has been reached, harmful bacteria have been destroyed, and your turkey is cook perfectly.

Making Perfect Turkey Gravy - Hints and tips for making that perfect turkey gravy.

Handling Leftovers Safely - Leftover" foods are cooked foods that you or your family do not eat within 2 hours after they are cooked. Improper handling or storing cooked food is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the home.
Let's Make Turkey Stock - My favorite thing to do the morning after Thanksgiving is to make homemade turkey stock from the turkey carcass. It is so easy to do and so delicious! The turkey stock can be used for a delicious soup or frozen for future use.

Barbecued Turkey

Cajun Fried Turkey

Smoked Turkey

Turducken

For additional food safety information about meat, poultry or eggs, call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at:
1 (800) 535-4555.

The phone line is staffed by home economists, registered dietitians and food technologists from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET year round. An extensive selection of food safety recordings can be heard 24 hours a day using a touch-tone phone.

Roasting Your Thanksgiving Turkey

The USDA has issued new guidelines for roasting whole turkeys. These changes were based on a study conducted by the University of Georgia, which showed that the existing USDA cooking times were longer than needed to assure safety and doneness. The data supported reductions of 15 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the bird.

The USDA has come up with a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry safety: 165° F. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer.

It appears that "timing's NOT everything." Recommended cooking techniques must also be followed. A meat thermometer should be used to check the internal temperature of the bird in several places for safety's sake and to prevent overcooking.

Many variables can affect the roasting time of the whole bird:

  • A partially frozen bird requires longer cooking.
     

  • Dark roasting pans cook faster than shiny metals.
     

  • The depth and size of the pan can reduce heat circulation to all areas of the bird.
     

  • The use of a foil tent for the entire time can slow cooking.
     

  • Use of the roasting pan's lid speeds cooking.
     

  • An oven cooking bag can accelerate cooking time.
     

  • A stuffed bird takes longer to cook.
     

  • The oven may heat food unevenly.
     

  • Calibration of the oven's thermostat may be inaccurate.
     

  • The rack position can have an affect on even cooking and heat circulation.
     

  • A turkey or its pan may be too large for the oven, thus blocking heat circulation.
     

  • The meat thermometer must be placed properly in the thigh joint.
     

All these factors must be considered when roasting a turkey or any meat product. They can lengthen or shorten the total cooking time. Safe cooking relies on a combination of factors and the use of a meat thermometer.

The roasting methods or techniques used in the University of Georgia study to determine the new approximate cooking times did show that turkeys were cooking faster. The new times are based on cooking turkeys according to the following recommendations.

Roasting Instructions For Safety And Doneness:

1. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325° F. Pre-heating is not necessary.

2. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Times are based on fresh or completely thawed frozen birds at a refrigerator temperature of about 40° F or below.

3. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Optional steps:

  • Tuck wing tips back under shoulders of bird (called "akimbo").

  • Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan.

  • In the beginning, a tent of aluminum foil may be place loosely over the breast of the turkey for the first 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then removed for browning. Or, a tent of foil may be placed over the turkey after the turkey has reached the desired golden brown.
     

    • As part of the study, some birds were tented with foil for the entire cooking time; this increased the cooking time required.

4. This year, the USDA has come up with a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry safety: 165° F. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer. Several types of thermometers are available on the market: regular, oven-proof; instant read and digital; pop-up timers; and microwave-safe thermometers.

  • Make sure the thermometer you buy or use is designed for meat and poultry. At the beginning or toward the end of the roasting time an oven-proof thermometer may be placed in the thigh joint of the turkey to check the internal temperature at intervals during the cooking time. Or an instant-read may be used periodically to check the internal temperature during cooking.
     

  • After each use, wash the stem section of the thermometer thoroughly in hot, soapy water.
     

  • If your turkey has a "pop-up" temperature indicator, it is also recommended that you also check the internal temperature of the turkey in the innermost part of the thigh and wine, and the thickest part of the breast with a meat thermometer.
     

  • The temperature must reach a minimum of 165° F. in the thigh before removing from the oven. The center of the stuffing should reach 165° F. after stand time.

5. Juices should be clear. In the absence of a meat thermometer, pierce the turkey with a fork in several places; juices should be clear with no trace of pink. NOTE: The old-fashioned way of wiggling the leg to see if it's loose will give you an indication that the turkey is ready, but unfortunately, by the time the leg is truly loose, the turkey is sadly overcooked. The only reliable test for doneness is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone.

6. Once you remove the turkey from the oven, tent it with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes, so the meat can firm up and hold the juices, making it easier to carve.

  • The new roasting times are based on the recommendations above and on a 325 degree F. oven temperature. These times are approximate and should always be used in conjunction with a properly placed meat thermometer.
     

Approximate Turkey Cooking Times:

UNSTUFFED TURKEY

4 to 8 pounds.............1-1/2 to 3-1/4 hours
8 to 12 pounds................2-3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds...............3 to 3-3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds...............3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds...............4-1/4 to 4-1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds...............4-1/2 to 5 hours

STUFFED TURKEY

8 to 12 pounds................3 to 3-1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds...............3-1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds...............4 to 4-1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds...............4-1/4 to 4-3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds...............4-3/4 to 5-1/4 hours


 


Using an oven-safe turkey cooking bag. The oven-roasting bag keeps the turkey very moist and it speeds up the roasting time. The preparation and roasting steps are the same ones used for preparing and cooking turkey without an oven bag (see above instructions) except for the following additional steps:

  • Add a small quantity of flour to the bag and shake it to coat the inside of the bag.

  • Place the turkey inside the bag and close the opening with the twist tie provided.

  • A few holes should be punctured in the bag to allow some steam to escape during the roasting process.

The following cooking times can be used as a guideline for an unstuffed turkey roasted in an oven bag in a 350 degree F. conventional oven. NOTE: An additional 30 minutes or more may be required for a stuffed turkey. Remember - the only reliable test for doneness is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone.

8 to 12 pounds ......................1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hours
12 to 14 pounds .....................2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds......................2 3/4 to 3 1/2 hours
18 to 20 pounds............................3 1/2 to 4 hours
20 to 24 pounds...........................4 to 4 1/2 hours