According to the University of Minnesota Extension, a 25-pound turkey takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes to complete cooking.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?
Do you cook your turkey at 325 or 350 degrees? Slow and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, but there are no strict rules. All of our temperature guides assume you are cooking at 325, but you can also cook it a little warmer in about the same or slightly less time.
How long do you cook an unstuffed 24 pound turkey?
Traditional Roast Turkey (No Stuffing)
| No Stuffing | |
|---|---|
| 8 to 12 lbs. | 2 1/2 to 3 hours |
| 14-18 lbs. | 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours |
| 18 to 20 lbs. | 4 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours |
| 20 to 24 lbs. | 4 1/2 to 5 hours |
How long does it take to cook a 24lb turkey?
How long does it take to cook a turkey?
| Turkey Weight | Cooking Time | Baking temperature |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 14 lbs. | 3 hours to 3 hours 45 minutes | 170-175°F |
| 14-18 lbs. | 3 hr. 45 min. to 4 hr. 15 min. | 170-175°F |
| 18-20 lbs. | 4 hours 15 min. to 4 hours 30 min. | 170-175°F |
| 20 to 24 lbs. | 4 hr. 30 min. to 5 hr. | 170-175°F |
How do I keep my turkey moist?
Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe
- Choose a fresh turkey instead of a frozen turkey.
- Roast two small turkeys instead of one large turkey.
- Marinate the turkey in brine.
- Rub soft butter under the skin.
- Truss loosely or not at all.
- Roast the turkey upside down first.
- Do not overcook.
- Allow the turkey to rest before carving.
Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?
We have found that covering the turkey with foil produces much more moist results than roasting without foil. To even out the cooking time, it is recommended to simply cover the breasts .
Should you take turkey out of fridge before cooking?
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator before cooking (1 hour for whole turkey, 30 minutes for fillets), as it needs to come to room temperature before placing in the oven. Cover and store in a cool place.
What is the best temperature to cook a turkey?
Stick to a temperature of 325°F so that the turkey is fully cooked without overdoing it.
What is the best temperature to bake a turkey?
Our best turkey tip.
- If feeding a flock, purchase two small birds (or one whole turkey and one breast).
- The Test Kitchen agrees that the best temperature to cook a turkey is 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because it is not too hot, not too cold, and cooks quickly enough to ensure a juicy, flavorful bird is ready by dinner.
Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?
Place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the turkey breast side up on top of the vegetables. Add about 0.5 inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist and the turkey juicy.
How many does a 25 lb turkey feed?
12-16 persons = 16-22 lbs. turkey. 18 to 20 persons = 27 to 30 lbs. Turkey.
How long should a turkey rest for?
Thanksgiving Helpline Remove as soon as temperature reaches 165°F or slightly lower. Rest time depends on the size of the bird, but should be at least 20 minutes. Larger birds can wait up to 40 minutes or more, depending on room temperature.
What is the lowest safe temperature to cook a turkey?
Be safe – The U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) recommends a temperature of at least 325 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking meat and poultry. Cook the turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is turkey done at 165 or 180?
Some recipes state that turkey should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but meat can be safely consumed once it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking breast meat beyond 165 degrees will result in dry meat, while dark meat can be cooked up to 180 degrees.
How long do you cook a Butterball turkey?
Place the bread in the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Roast for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer reaches 180°F, inserting into deepest part of thigh not touching bone. If necessary, loosely cover the breast and top of the bee with foil until about two-thirds of the way through the roast to prevent burning.
Should I put butter or oil on my turkey?
Do Not Butter the Bird Butter under the skin will not make the meat juicier, but may help the skin brown faster. However, about 17% of the butter is moisture, which will cause the bird to speckle, says Lopez Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before roasting.
How do you cook a turkey so it’s not dry?
When roasting a whole bird,” Tommy says, “the key is to cook the legs longer than the breast. The breast dries out.”
Is it better to cook a turkey on a rack?
The main reason is that the rack literally lifts the turkey off the bottom of the pan. This allows hot air to circulate around the bird during roasting and ensures that heat reaches all surfaces of the skin, resulting in more even cooking.
How do you prepare a turkey the night before?
Place the turkey in a good-sized shallow dish and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 days. The day before you plan to roast the turkey, remove the plastic wrap and place the turkey in the refrigerator. The skin will dry out and become slightly translucent.
Do Butterball turkeys have butter in them?
In fact, there is no actual butter in or on the butterball turkey. The fresh turkey is infused with a brine and a brine solution made with “common household spices,” a brand representative told me. Butterballs do not share the ingredients of a secret broiling formula.
How long should a turkey rest before you carve it?
Before cutting anything, let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes so its juices don’t remain on the cutting board.
What if I left my turkey out overnight to thaw?
Thawing raw meat at room temperature for more than two hours imposes rapid bacterial growth. Is thawing turkey at room temperature a good idea? No. If you’re doing it and using it, good luck to you. If you have done it and used it, you are in luck.
Is it OK to leave turkey out overnight?
Cooked turkeys left in more than 2 hours (or 1 hour above 90°F) should be discarded. The reason is that bacteria grow rapidly when cooked turkeys are kept at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F. To prevent foodborne illness, try to refrigerate the cooked turkey as soon as possible.
Should you flip a turkey when cooking?
Cook the bird upside down. That is, breast side down and turn it over halfway through based on presumption. If you are using a kettle and have all the charcoal on one side of the grill, you will also want to rotate the turkey when you turn it so that one side is not overcooked.
Should I start my turkey at a higher temperature?
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator an hour before roasting, as the turkey will cook more evenly and faster if started at room temperature. If you plan to stuff the turkey, wait until ready to put it in the oven before placing the stuffing on the turkey.
How do you know when the turkey is ready?
You will need a meat thermometer to cook the turkey to the proper temperature. Insert it close to the thigh bone, but not touching it. When it reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit at the thigh and 170 degrees F at the breast, it is done and ready to serve.
How do you keep a turkey warm for 4 hours?
A kitchen towel placed over the foil helps keep the meat warm and moist as it is carved and served. For another option, cover the bird with foil and return it to a low temperature 200F oven. Place a pan of water under the turkey to create steam and contribute to the moisture.
How long do you cook a turkey calculator?
Third, different oven temperatures vary slightly.
| Size of turkey | Cooking time (unstuffed) | Cooking time (stuffed) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 – 14 lbs. | 3 – 3¾ hours | 3½ – 4 hours |
| 14 – 18 lbs. | 3¾ – 4¼ hours | 4 – 4¼ hours |
| 18 – 20 lbs. | 4¼ – 4½ hours | 4¼ – 4¾ hours |
| 20 – 24 lbs. | 4½ – 5 hours | 4¾ – 5¼ hours |
What part of the turkey takes the longest to cook?
Experts recommend taking the temperature of the turkey at the thickest part of the thigh. This is because it is the part of the turkey that takes the longest to cook.
How do you cook a turkey chart?
Here’s a handy turkey cooking chart. Time to cook an unstuffed turkey.
| Weight | Cooking Time |
|---|---|
| 8 to 12 lbs. | 2¾ to 3 hours |
| 12 to 14 lbs. | 3 to 3¾ hours |
| 14-18 lbs. | 3¾ to 4¼ hours |
| 18 to 20 lbs. | 4¼ to 4½ hours |
Should I put butter under the skin of my turkey?
Add a layer of butter under the skin before roasting, giving it a rich flavor and adding moisture to the Thanksgiving turkey.
What do you put in the turkey cavity when not using stuffing?
Herbs. The secret to adding extra flavor to your Thanksgiving turkey is to season it liberally. To make sure your favorite herbs permeate every part of the bird, stuff a small bunch into the turkey cavity. Thyme, sage, parsley, and a little rosemary are a great combination, but feel free to customize to your liking.
What do you put in the bottom of a turkey roasting pan?
Place the chopped onion, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pick a few herbs from the stems and add them to the vegetables.
How big of a turkey should I buy for 16 adults?
If the result exceeds 15 or 20 pounds, consider getting more than one turkey for the meal. For example, plan to have the right amount of turkey for 10 adult guests and 8 children. What size turkey should I buy?
| People | Size of turkey |
|---|---|
| 14 | 14-21 lbs. |
| 16 | 16-24 lbs. |
| 18 | 18-27 lbs. |
| 20 | 20-30 lbs. |
Are Smaller turkeys more tender?
Two smaller birds cook faster, so less time in the oven and less meat drier. Smaller turkeys are younger and generally have moist, tender meat.
How big of a turkey do I need for 15 adults?
While 1 pound per person can feel like too little, and 1 1/2 pounds for each guest may be overdoing it, a 1/4 pound turkey per mouth is the perfect balance. At that rate, you would need more than 20 pounds of turkey to feed a large party of 15 or more.
How do you know when turkey is done without thermometer?
To find out if a turkey is done without a thermometer, drill a hole in the mid-thigh muscle at the junction, explains Nicole Johnson, co-director of the Butterball Turkey Talk Line. When the juices are clear and no longer red or pink, it’s a good sign that the turkey is done.”
Can I let my turkey rest for 2 hours?
A 4- to 6-kg turkey should rest for an hour and a half, while a 6- to 10-kg one can rest for two hours. Remove turkey from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
How do you make turkey skin crispy?
Rub skin with fat. Once the skin is carefully dried, the next step you can take to ensure perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with fat such as butter or oil. Since butter is at least 20% water and oil contains no water, oil produces a crisper skin than butter.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?
Do you cook your turkey at 325 or 350 degrees? Slow and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, but there are no strict rules. All of our temperature guides assume you are cooking at 325, but you can also cook it a little warmer in about the same or slightly less time.
Can you cook a turkey overnight at 200 degrees?
A typical roasting temperature is about 325 degrees F for up to 8 hours, depending on the size of the turkey. If you roast your turkey slowly and gently at 200 degrees F for about 10 hours, the low temperature and moisture will hold the turkey in place while it sleeps. There is no need to bast your turkey.
What if my turkey is done early?
If your turkey is done too early, things could get a little complicated, but it is not the end of the world. If it is done about an hour early, let it rest covered for about 20 to 30 minutes. Next, cover the turkey with foil and a thick towel or blanket to keep it warm.
Should I cover my turkey with foil while cooking?
To achieve that balance, ideally the bird should spend time both covered and uncovered. We recommend covering the bird most of the cooking time so that the bird does not dry out. Crispy from the skin.
Where is the best place to insert a thermometer in a turkey?
There are few tips to keep in mind. When preparing the whole turkey, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing. Do not allow the thermometer to touch the bones, gristle, or pan.
Do Butterball turkeys have pop up timers?
Does the Butterball turkey come with a pop-up timer? The Butterball turkey does not come with a pop-up timer. Instead, we recommend using a meat thermometer as the best way to determine if the turkey is properly cooked.
What is special about a Butterball turkey?
Because more than half of holiday cooks stuff their turkeys, Butterball turkeys have a natural foot tuck to hold the legs in place using the skin and to make stuffing easier. Butterball turkeys have no plastic or metal locks. Guarantees you won’t have to worry about hot metal clips when you remove the stuffing.
How do you cook a 25 pound Butterball turkey?
Peel the skin off of a 2-inch deep roasting pan onto a flat roasting rack. Do not add water to the pan. Depending on cooking schedule, or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170°F and roast in center of turkey roast reaches 175°F found.
What does the name Butterball mean?
Definition of butterball 1: A bufflehead. 2: A chubby person.
How do I keep my turkey moist?
Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe
- Choose a fresh turkey instead of a frozen turkey.
- Roast two small turkeys instead of one large turkey.
- Marinate the turkey in brine.
- Rub soft butter under the skin.
- Truss loosely or not at all.
- Roast the turkey upside down first.
- Do not overcook.
- Allow the turkey to rest before carving.
Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?
Place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the turkey breast side up on top of the vegetables. Add about 0.5 inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist and the turkey juicy.
What do I put on top of turkey before cooking?
Also, the oven must be kept open at all times, or the oven will lose heat, the turkey will take longer to cook, and the turkey may dry out. Brushing the herb butter mixture on the outside and inside skin of the turkey makes the skin beautifully browned and tastes wonderful .
What is the best temperature to cook a turkey?
Stick to a temperature of 325°F so that the turkey is fully cooked without overdoing it.
What size turkey is the most tender?
Typically, the youngest turkeys available, less than 4 months old and weighing less than 8 pounds, are labeled for the fryer/roaster and have the most tender meat.
Is it OK to cook a turkey in an aluminum pan?
If you do not have a suitable roaster, you can use disposable aluminum foil roasting pans to cook the turkey.
How long does a 24 lb turkey take to cook in a roaster?
Roasting a Turkey in an Electric Roaster
| Roasting time for a whole turkey cooked in an electric roaster at 325°F (times are approximate – follow manufacturer’s instructions when possible) | |
|---|---|
| Weight | No Stuffing |
| 18 to 20 lbs. | 4¼ to 4½ hours |
| 20 to 24 lbs. | 4 1/2 to 5 hours |
| 24 to 30 lbs. | 5 to 5 1/2 hours |
What can I put in my turkey for flavor?
Basics such as onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage help add traditional Thanksgiving flavors . Add halved lemons or oranges to take the flavor up a notch. Citrus fruits add a nice brightness and tartness to the turkey.
Should I butter my turkey the night before?
Absolutely! In fact, many believe that buttering the turkey the night before not only saves roasting time, but that leaving the butter on or under the skin overnight adds even more flavor to the turkey.
What’s the difference between a Butterball turkey and a regular turkey?
Butterballs are known for their pre-cooked turkey. Frozen Butterball turkey contains an 8% solution of water, salt, spices, and “natural flavoring,” while turkey sold fresh (by law, meaning it has never been chilled below 26 degrees Fahrenheit) contains only 4%. The solution.
What brand of turkey is best?
We roasted turkeys from five different grocery stores. This is the best
- This is how we do it.
- Butterballs.
- Shady Brook Farms.
- Harris Teeterbrand.
- Nature’s Launcher.
- Organic Prairie.
Should you let turkey sit out before cooking?
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator an hour before roasting, as the turkey will cook more evenly and faster if started at room temperature. If you plan to stuff the turkey, wait until ready to put it in the oven before placing the stuffing on the turkey.
Is it better to carve a turkey hot or cold?
Serve the meat on a cold platter A cold platter or room temperature dish will allow the food to cool much faster. As a rule of thumb, serve hot food on a hot platter and cold food on a cold platter. A restaurant secret every home cook should know.