How long should I roast a 26lb turkey?!
Answers: It will be un-stuffed. I have a conventional oven that can also cook convection. I know one cooks way faster but I want to make sure everything is done around the same time.
try the Butterball website, you just enter in the info it will tell you how long and what temp. However, different website tell you different info.
5 hours? I don't know, I'm only 14.
Roasting times for turkeys are about 20 minutes per pound stuffed and about 16 minutes per pound non stuffed. The turkey is done when the legs and thighs move easily back and forth or when a thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 180°. Uncover the breast and raise the oven to 375° and allow the turkey to brown for a few minutes. It is not recommended to brown the turkey too long as it may dry the meat. When brown, remove the turkey from the oven and set aside for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Happy Holidays!!!
There will be a chart somewhere on the wrapping for stuffed and unstuffed. Try to have the bird room temp before cooking.
Roasting Method: The open pan roasting method will consistently create a juicy, tender, golden brown, picture-perfect turkey.
Place thawed or fresh turkey, breast up, on a flat rack in a shallow pan, 2 to 2? inches deep.
Insert oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Brush or rub skin with oil to prevent drying of the skin and to enhance the golden color.
Place in a preheated 325 °F oven.
When the skin is a light golden color and the turkey is about two-thirds done, shield the breast loosely with a tent of lightweight foil to prevent overcooking of the breast.
Use the roasting schedule in Table 2 as a guideline; start checking for doneness a half-hour before recommended end times.
Turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook turkey to higher temperatures
Let turkey stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set.
Table 2. Approximate Roasting Times for Turkey
Size of Turkey Unstuffed Timing Stuffed Timing
20-24 lbs. 4? - 5 Hours for unstuffed cooking
(325 °F oven temperature)
Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of both turkey and stuffing.
Since the recommendation of a turkey oven bag 10 years ago, I never cook a turkey with out one. They cook in 1/2 the time of a pan roasted turkey and if you cook it breast side down, it will be juicy yumm!
Stuffed in an oven bag approximately 4 hours. Just put it the oven and let it cook!
WOW! That is some bird!!!
Rinse the bird in cold water & pat dry. Besure the water is drained from the inside.
Preheat your oven to 325 & ALWAYS roast your turkey under foil for the first 1 1/2 - 2 hours to infuse lots of moisture & flavor in the bird.
Take an orange & cut it in half. Squeeze the orange inside the body & neck cavities. Sprinkle with paprika, salt & pepper inside the body & neck cavities.
tie the legs together since it will be unstuffed & fold the wings back to keep them from getting to done.
Rub the outside of the bird with 4 - 6 tablespoons of butter, sprinkle with paprika, salt & pepper.
Roast about 2 hours then open the foil & continue to roast another 3 hours basting the bird every 30 minutes. If the bird begins to get to brown, loosely cover with foil again & continue to baste.
Raise the oven temp to 350 & cook for one more hour or until a meat thermometer inserted into the meatyest part of the thigh (NOT touching bone) reads 170 degrees & the juices run clear, or the breast reads 160 degrees.
Transfer the bird to a platter & loosley cover with foil for 20 minutes to allow the meat to rest before carving.
I have a new dual - fuel range & I am not use to it yet, so I will not be using the convection feature this year, so I'm not sure what to tell you on that. I will using the conventional oven feature.
Happy Thanksgiving!