How long should I cook a turkey at 350 degrees?

Question

Hi! Our turkey (unstuffed) is a 12.0 pound turkey which we are placing in a roasting bag and covering in a roasting pan in the oven. The package said to cook at 350 degrees, but we've lost the cooking chart.

How long should we cook the turkey so it is very moist, but fully cooked?

The turkey was put in a roasting pan with a lid on top and a cooking bag inside.

Answer 1

for about 1.5 hrs.

Answer 2

According to this Roasting Chart for Meats:

TURKEY: Preheated 350 degree oven
8-10 lb. turkey 2 hours
10-12 lb. turkey 2 ¼ hours
12-14 lb. turkey 2 ½ hours
14-16 lb. turkey 3 hours
16-18 lb. turkey 3 ½ hours
18-20 lb. turkey 4 hours
20-22 lb. turkey 4 ½ hours
22-24 lb. turkey 5 hours
25 and over 5 ½ to 6 hours
FOR STUFFED TURKEYS ADD 30 TO 45 MINUTES MORE

By experience 12.0 pound turkey placed in a roasting bag and covered in a roasting pan in the oven at 350 degrees is usually perfectly cooked between 2 ½ - 3 ½ Hours. I usually check it at 3 hour time and it is just what I wanted.

Enjoy your roasting and by the way this link has good tips that you might be interested to check:♥ http://www.wcpo.com/recipes/2003/11/23.html

Answer 3

Use this roasting schedule as a guideline; start checking for doneness 1/2 hour before recommended end times:

10 to 18lb Turkey Unstuffed, Done in 3 to 3-1/2 hours and Stuffed, Done in 3-3/4 to 4-1/2hours.

FYI -- When the turkey is about two-thirds done, loosely cover the breast and top of drumsticks with a piece of lightweight foil to prevent overcooking the breast.

If unstuffed, the turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperature:

180°F deep in the thigh; also, juices should be clear, not reddish pink when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.


If the turkey is stuffed, move the thermometer to the center of stuffing to read temperature. If both the thigh and the stuffing have reached temperatures listed below then the turkey is done.

180°F deep in the thigh; also, juices should be clear, not reddish pink when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
165°F in the center of the stuffing.

Before removing stuffing and carving, let turkey stand 15 minutes to allow juices to set.

Answer 4

Weight Unstuffed Turkey Stuffed Turkey
8 to 12 pounds 2 3/4 to 3 hours 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3 3/4 hours 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4 1/2 to 5 hours 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours
24 to 30 pounds 5 to 5 1/4 hours 5 1/4 to 6 1/4 hours

That is from The National Turkey Federation

Answer 5

About 1/2 hour per pound. I usually cook it slower and longer but you've got to be careful not to dry it out. When you take it out of the oven, let it sit untouched on the top of the stove for 1/2 hour before slicing.

The roasting bag should help some with the moisture issue. And you will baste.

A fresh turkey, unfrozen, will beat a frozen and thawed turkey any day of the week.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How long should I cook a turkey at 350 degrees?
Hi! Our turkey (unstuffed) is a 12.0 pound turkey which we are placing in a roasting bag and covering in a roasting pan in the oven. The package said to cook at 350 degrees, but we've lost the cooking chart.

How long should we cook the turkey so it is very moist, but fully cooked?

Answer 7

You asked for the cook time using a roasting bag, however I've tried different recipes throughout the years, and this recipe from Martha Stewart using a cheesecloth turned out the best browned and juiciest. The original recipe is for a 20 lbs turkey (!) so I adjusted the time to 2-1/2 to 3 hours for your 12 pounder. Since ovens can vary, it's important to use an instant-read thermometer for best results.

1. Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels. Let stand for 1 hour at room temperature.

2. Place rack on lowest level in oven. Heat oven to 450°. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, four-layer square. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.

3. Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it; an instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later). Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.

If your roasting pan only fits sideways in the oven, turn the pan every hour so the turkey cooks and browns evenly.

4. Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine. Reduce oven temperature to 350°, and continue to cook, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.

5. After the second hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180° (stuffing should be between 140° and 160°) and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.

7. When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Answer 8

My Mom always cooked the turkey for 15 minutes per pound. So your 12 pound turkey should cook for 3 hours. That is if you are using a conventional oven and not a microwave oven!

Answer 9

plan on 1 hour for every 4 pounds. to keep it moist, don't constantly take it out of the oven to check on it, and when you do check on it, use a turkey baster to put some of the juice from the bottom of the pan onto the top of the turkey so it can absorb the juice.

Answer 10

You cook a turkey one hour for every four pounds of turkey. So your total time would be 3 hours. Hope this helps!

Answer 11

Hey Now...

The rule is:
One must cook turkey 1 hour for each 4 lbs...
12 lbs = 3 hours...
Stuffed is about an half hour more
Its a general rule...
But most important...
internal temp should be 180 degrees
w/ no red juices flowing out of the bird...

Good Luck

Smiles