I need help baking a 20lb turkey??????

Question

I am needing to cook a 20lb turkey for thanksgiving to be done by 3 in the afternoon. What time and temperature should I put it on and how do I know when it is done??? OH and where do I find a good HOME made stuffing recipe that I don't cook inside the turkey--- I don't want stove top...

Answer 1

Unstuffed: 3-1/2 to 4 hours
Stuffed: 4-1/2 to 5 hours

EASY COOKING GUIDE: ROASTING TO PERFECTION
http://www.butterball.com/en/main_canvas.jsp?includePage=roasting_perfection.jsp&t=Roasting%20to%20Perfection&s0=plan_n_prep&s1=guide
http://www.butterball.com/en/main_canvas.jsp?includePage=easy_cooking_guide.jsp&t=Easy%20Cooking%20Guide&s0=plan_n_prep&s1=guide

Turkey 101
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/ff/HolidayFocus/turkey101.htm

Thanksgiving Stuffing
3 large onions, chopped
6 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon rubbed sage
1-1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds day-old French bread, cubed (27 cups)
In a large skillet, saute onions, celery and garlic in butter until tender. Transfer to a large bowl; add broth, parsley, sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Gently stir in bread cubes until mixed. Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish (dish will be full). Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned and heated through. Yield: about 12 cups.
http://recipes.tasteofhome.com/eRMS/recp.aspx?recid=11285

Stuffing Recipes
http://recipes.tasteofhome.com/eRMS/PowerSearch.aspx?search=thanksgiving+stuffing

Answer 2

America's Test Kitchen recommends the following method:
For an 18-20 lb turkey, use a Butterball (no need to brine it).
Rinse, then dry the turkey well. Brush the turkey all over with melted butter. Place on a V-rack in a roasting pan (if using the disposable kind, put a cookie sheet under the pan). Cook the unstuffed turkey for 1 hour at 425 degrees. Remove the turkey from the oven, turn the oven down to 325 degrees, baste it with the juices, turn the pan around and return to the oven for 2 hours. Using a meat thermometer, test the thickest part of the thigh. Turkey is done when temperature reaches 170. Remove from oven, let turkey rest for 30-45 minutes then carve.

So, that would be 3 hours of cooking time, plus the 30-45 minutes of resting time.

When cooking the stuffing, outside of the turkey, I will moisten it from time to time while it bakes with turkey juices.

Answer 3

I suggest at least 5 hours for the turkey at 350.
If you put it in no later than 9:30 am and take it out at 2:30, it would give you 30 minutes to let it rest and then carve it.


You'll know its done when you stick a fork in and the juice is clear and not pink!!

Not sure about "stuffing" but here's a cornbread dressing recipe (mmm mmm good!)

Ingredients:

6 cups finely crumbled cornbread
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 ribs celery (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves, or 2 teaspoons (dried and crushed)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves or crushed
1/4 cup minced fresh-leaf parsley
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the cornbread out on a roasting pan and cook until lightly browned about 10 minutes.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 8 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the celery and onion until soft about 5 minutes.
Add sage & thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
In a large bowl stir together cornbread, and sautéed vegetables.
Mix in parsley, eggs, milk and broth.
Season the moist dressing with salt & pepper and mix well.
Brush or spray a casserole dish with butter and add the dressing to the casserole dish.
Bake 50 minutes

Answer 4

I put the turkey on the night before. Slow cook it till early am. Take it out and carve then after it rest for about 30 minutes. I make my dressing with cornbread and loaves of white bread torn up into little pieces. I add eggs, poultry seasoning, sage, onions and celery, salt and pepper, and the stock from the bird. If there is not enough stock to make kind of soupy then add chicken broth and hot water. Cook at 350 for several hours till celery is done and tender. Taste often. Remember that sage gets stronger as it cooks --so use to taste. you may have to add more. At some point you will want to remove the lid so that you cook a little dryer. At about 2pm I would then put the turkey on top in the oven to get it hot for a 3 pm meal.
Hope this helps
Just Southern Cooking

Answer 5

I've cooked a turkey every year for the past 15 or so years. I have found the very easiest way to cook a turkey is in one of the oven bags. Reynolds makes them and you can find them on the aisle with the tinfoil. The sizes are listed on the box...turkey size...8-24 lbs. etc....the directions are inside the box on how long you will need to cook the turkey. The turkey cooks faster in the bag and is moister. A 20 lb. unstuffed turkey cooked in the bag will take about 3 and a half hours. This is a no fail way to cook a turkey...works every time! Good luck!! I've added an easy recipe below for stuffing...Happy Holidays!!!

Answer 6

Cook it slow and in a plastic bag! Reynolds makes them in a large size! Use their guidelines I would guess around 2 1/2 hrs on about 350 degrees, but the instructions will tell you.

Simple stuffing: Seasoned bread crumbs, one can cream of chicken soup, one can cream of celery soup, one cup chicken broth, one stick butter(melted), mix all ingredients (less bread) together and use liquid to moisten bread crumbs. You might use more or less of the liquid depending on how much bread crumbs you use (depending on number of guest). You can add celery and onion if you want. Bake with the turkey for the last 45 minutes (glass pan works best)

Good Luck! I have been cooking my in-laws turkey for the past 10 years! The bag is the only way to go!

Answer 7

Try this for your stuffing....... Cube up a bunch of bread, if you don't have time to dry it out naturally , dry it in the oven. Put it in a large bowl, sprinkle it with sage, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and toss. Sautee onions, celery mushrooms, and brown homemade bacon bits, let cool. Grate some raw carrot and put it in the bread mixture. Once the others have cooled, toss them in too. Then heat up some chicken stock, or use water mixed with chicken OXO. Pour over bread cubes and stir up until the bread is softened. Grease a casserole dish, put in the mixture, cover and bake at 375 for about an hour. Check it halfway to make sure it isn't drying out, if it is just pour over some more liquid. I'd give you exact measurments, but I don't measure while cooking, just baking. You don't have to put the bacon or meat in it if you don't want to. My mother used to use steak or sausage instead of the bacon sometimes. As for the turkey cook it at 375 for about 4- 5 hours. Spear the thickest part of the thigh to make sure it is done, the juices will run clear.

Answer 8

First of all, please do not Bake your turkey in the oven. The best method of cooking in the oven would be to roast the turkey. A good website to review would be the Butterball website which has tons of holiday cooking tips and recipes.

Answer 9

I'd go to Butterball.com

they actually have a hotline for all turkey questions if you cant find what your looking for on there.

Answer 10

Hope this helps!