How do you cook a turkey?

Question

I am on my own with 2 kids 7 and 9, I have a 9lb turkey do I put foil on it, if so bright side up or down and how long do I cook it for what heat as well, I read the info on the turkey but still stuck thanks

Answer 1

Basic Turkey Roasting Recipe
Courtesy of H-E-B Culinary Department

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Remove neck and giblets from the neck and body cavity. Rinse whole bird with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub inside cavity and outside of turkey lightly with salt.
3. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush skin with cooking oil and season. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, or use a quick-read meat thermometer toward the end of the cooking time to check doneness. Cover top o turkey with foil, leaving an air space between turkey and foil.
4. Roast about 20 minutes per pound if 8 to 10 pounds or 14 to 16 minutes per pound for larger turkeys (see the chart). Remove foil from turkey during last 1 hour of roasting time.
5. Remove from oven when meat thermometer reads 170 degrees F in the thigh, or when turkey drumsticks move easily in their sockets and juices from the thigh run clear. (If turkey is stuffed, make sure stuffing reaches 165 degrees F.)
6. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.

Timetable for Roasting Unstuffed Turkey at 325 Degrees F

Uncooked Weight Roasting Time*

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

* Add 15 to 30 minutes to these times when roasting a stuffed turkey.
I don't think it matters about the foil, I use the shiney side out

Answer 2

Easiest way and I have never gone wrong:-

1. Place quartered onion inside the body cavity of the turkey - I don't put stuffing in as it is soggy and may stop the bird from cooking thoroughly. Remember to take out giblets from neck as well as body.

2. Put turkey into big meat tray and brush with a little olive oil/butter. Cover with foil, shiny side out.

3. Place in cold oven and turn heat to 100 F/ 50C ish.

4. LEAVE TO COOK OVERNIGHT.

5. In the morning, remove the foil and turn heat up to 325 F / 250C for approximately half an hour.

6. Take out turkey and test by pricking thickest part of the thigh - if the juices run clear it is cooked.

7. Let the turkey stand for half an hour to 'rest' (its had a hard night!) before carving.

My family have always cooked turkey this way and it is wonderful to come down to the smell of turkey in the morning. It also relieves you of one more thing to do!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Answer 3

You don't need to wrap the turkey in foil.

Put dollops of butter over the skin of the turkey, and use this fat when it melts to baste the turkey over the cooking time, it will keep the skin from getting too dry.

with a 9lb turkey you need to cook it on about 180 degrees for 2.5 hours or so, in order to check that it is done, press the rear of the turkey and when clear juices run out it is cooked. It's difficult to be precise because every oven is different.

Take it out of the oven 20 mins or so before you are ready to serve, and let it 'rest' it will keep its heat, and you can make gravy in the meantime. this allows the meat to retain its juiciness.

if you like you can pop your potatoes onto the roasting tray when the bird has got 40 mins left to cook, this should give the potatoes enough time to get nice a cooked, but not burnt. If you want to them to cook quicker boil them for 5 mins first, dry off and then put in the roasting tin, they should be ready in 30 mins or so.

if this is your first xmas cook, it may be good to write yourself out a timeplan for when you put the bird in, when the potatoes go in, when you take the bird out, etc etc, it will help you manage to get everything to the table on time and at the same time.

good luck and enjoy!

Answer 4

Roasted Turkey From Food Network Kitchens
Show: How To Boil Water
Episode: A Starter Thanksgiving





1 (8 to 10 pound) turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, quartered
1 head garlic, halved
Several sprigs fresh herbs, such as; thyme, parsley, rosemary, and sage
2 bay leaves
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
Serving Suggestions: Sage, Sausage and Apple Dressing, recipe follows


Adjust a rack to lowest position and remove other racks. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove turkey parts from neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses, if desired. Dry bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper inside the breast cavity and stuff the onion, garlic, herbs, and bay leaves inside. Set the bird on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; breast side up and brush generously with half the butter and season with salt and pepper. Tent the bird with foil.
Roast the turkey for 2 hours. Remove the foil and baste with the remaining butter. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thigh of the bird, about 45 minutes more.

Remove turkey form the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carve and serve with dressing.

Answer 5

I would go and get a turkey bag and do it that way. It is soooooooo easy. You season the turkey then put it in the bag. Put the bag in the roasting pan and follow the directions on the box. It cooks much faster and is super juicy. Just make sure not to burn a hole in the top of the bagwhen putting it in the oven(I did this once). It comes out perfect!! Good Luck and Happy Holidays :)

Answer 6

i highly recommend buying roasting bags for turkey made by reynolds. . it wll give you the recommended time and temp, which will be a little shorter using the bags. i brined my turkey this year for the first time, and it was juicier and tastier than ever, even though it gets pretty moist using the bags. to brine it, get a new 5 gallon pail, put about a cup of salt, maybe a little less, seasonings and cold water. put the big guy in it, let him soak overnight, in a cold place. wow...very delicious..
good luck
you can do a search on brining on the web too for more instructions, after i did it this year, and i have cooked alot of birds, i will brine all poultry from now on

Answer 7

Well you've already got two great recipes, but if you want an extra suggestion, I always stuff my turkey with fresh sausagemeat - this is because it is tasty, and it's also nice and moist, so it helps keep the turkey meat tender. I also add whole garlic cloves to the sausagemeat mixture.

I also insert blobs of butter under the skin, and then lay strips of streaky bacon over the top and legs of the turkey - again, helps to keep it moist and then bacon turns into crackling! Yum!

Best of luck, I am sure your Christmas dinner will be fab!

Answer 8

Following these recepies on here is all well and good but just make sure it's dead first!!!

Answer 9

in an oven

Answer 10

you put it in a fire