How to stuff a turkey?

Question

What is the process from beginning to end? I am planning to use Stove-Top Stuffing.

Do I put the stuffing already prepared in the bird?
How do I clean the entire inner turkey before stuffing it?
How long after baking the bird do I stuff?

Answer 1

Rinse the turkey inside and out. Make sure there are no giblets/guts/turkey necks left inside.

There's usually a flap of skin at the neck end (the end with the wings). If you want, you can loosely stuff this end and then tuck the skin under the turkey to secure or pin it closed with toothpicks or poultry pins.

The main cavity for stuffing is from the other end, between the legs. If you're the delicate type or if the stuffing is hot, you can shovel stuffing in with a spoon. Otherwise, use your (freshly-cleaned) hands to stuff it into the cavity. Stuff it loosely - don't pack it, just kind of get it in there. The stuffing will expand as it heats up and absorbs some moisture from the bird.

Tie the legs together across the opening with a piece of kitchen twine (all-cotton, not some poly mix stuff or it may melt and stink everything all up). Some turkeys come with a little bent loop of wire in that area, with the ends embedded in the turkey. You can use that to secure the legs closed across the opening - you kind of tuck the tips of the legs into the loop and that holds them in place.

OK, with that said, lots of folks recommend not stuffing the bird because they're worried the stuffed bird won't get hot enough inside to make sure all harmful bacteria (like salmonella) are killed off, or that people will leave the stuffing in later on and it will serve as another breeding ground for bacteria. Me, I haven't noticed a huge difference in the taste of the stuffing if it's cooked outside the bird (in a separate pan or piled around the bird). Follow your preferences, but make sure the stuffing reaches the same temp as recommended for the turkey (165 degrees).

Use a thermometer to check temperature of bird and stuffing.

Remove stuffing from bird when done. Refrigerate stuffing when done serving; treat it the same as you would treat meat for protection from spoilage.

PS - if you can handle it, try brining the turkey ahead of time. It's really, really good. Very juicy and tasty. Look it up on the web.

Answer 2

You prepare the stuffing first, in a skillet or deep pot. MAKE DAMN SURE all onions are thoroughly cooked, along with any meats or giblets.
You then take the cooked stuffing and put it into the bird's cavity loosely. Don't pack it in, just use a large spoon to drop it in. Then, cook the bird as usual. When the bird is served, you remove the stuffing from the cavity and put it in a separate dish. You don't want the stuffing in the bird when it comes time to put the remains in the fridge, as bacteria can develop in the stuffing.
As to cleaning the bird beforehand, simply run cool water over the entire bird, and within the cavity.

It's just after cleaning the bird that I then like to humiliate it; y'know, hold it by its wings and make it dance across the counter, or act like a ventriloquist's dummy. But that last part is optional...

Answer 3

Thaw the turkey and remove neck and giblets from the neck and body cavities.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F for conventional or 300 degrees F for convection ovens.

Place turkey breast-side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. If cooking stuffing inside the turkey, fill the body cavity with stuffing just before roasting.

Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone.

Roast the turkey, uncovered, until the meat thermometer registers at least 165 degrees F (170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in the thigh).

Use the roasting timetable to estimate approximate cooking time. If stuffed, make sure the temperature of the stuffing has reached 165 degrees F before removing the turkey from the oven.

Answer 4

I like to run water over the bird as I take the internal organs out of the bird....while listening to Marilyn Manson songs...Sorry had to go there it seemed appropriate! After this I shake it to remove excess water and then slap it into the pan. While I prepare the stuffing as the instructions indicate. I personally let it cool a tiny bit then stuff the turkey. Remember do not over stuff the turkey. Use your best judgment on that one. Put it in the oven and bake as the bird requests.

Answer 5

Preheat oven at 325. Take out the pkg of the liver,gizzards,etc from inside the bird. Clean the bird with cold water inside n out, throughly. Brush the bird with oil. Stuff the bird with the dressing. ( make sure not to overstuff cause the bird can explode).Tie the legs together. You didnt mention what size bird you were using, so a example would be a "16 to 20 pounds"- 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours with a Internal Temperature (ºF) of 185. Use a meat thermometer. Hope that helped.

Answer 6

Prepare stuffing just before placing in turkey. Use only cooked ingredients in stuffing - i.e., sauté vegetables, use only cooked meats and seafood (oysters), and use pasteurized egg products instead of raw eggs.

Place prepared stuffing in turkey just before roasting. Do not stuff the turkey the night before roasting.

Stuff both neck and body cavities of completely thawed turkey, allowing ½ to ¾ cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Do not pack stuffing tightly in turkey.

Return legs to original tucked position, if untucked for rinsing or stuffing.
Use a cook method that allows the stuffing to cook along with the turkey. Do not stuff turkeys when cooking on an outdoor grill or water smoker or when using fast cook methods where the turkey gets done before the stuffing.

Answer 7

I would not stuff your bird. Stove-top is meant to be cooked separably from the bird and it's safer and easy-er too! Wash your bird under cold water inside and out.Use paper towel to dry it. There might be a small bag with inners in it.Also there should be a neck in the cavity too.These can be put in pot of water with onion.celery,carrot and a little sage,salt and pepper.Boil and use for gravy. 350 oven about 1 hour a pound to be safe. You didn't say if you bird is fresh or frozen. If frozen,I hope you have it thawing in frig.

Answer 8

Make sure you remove the giblet bag from the bird's cavity, and rinse the neck and body cavities well.
After you've mixed the stuffing ingredients to your tastes, lightly pack it into the cavities (by hand) - stuffing swells upon baking.
These experts should be able to give all the help you need...

Butterball Turkey Talk Line: 800-BUTTERBALL
http://www.butterball.com

Reynolds Turkey Tips Hotline: [phone]
UDSA Meat and Poultry Hotline: [phone]
Q&A: http://www.landolakes.com (800-782-9606)

Answer 9

You need to remove all the internal organs, and then stuff the bird with the stuffing

Answer 10

Feed it Lots of Food