How to cook a turkey?!
Please help
Answers: Okay this is my first year on my own. My mom usually helps me but she can't anymore. On thanksgiving she always did the turkey and I would do the other stuff. So I'm a bit confused on how to do it. I don't want to do it wrong and ruin a perfectly good turkey I was given at work.
Please help
OK 20 yrs of turkey here. key to a moist bird is basing and butter unfortunately. I don't know how big your bird is but you may find the cooking times on the bird package.
1.clean bird set in your Roaster
2 You will need:
1 stick of butter
3 tsp. poultry seasoning(I use McCormick's).
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
I like to call this the moisture technique
Take the bird and gently separate the skin from the breast on both sides.
in your hand get 2 tbsp of butter and massage it into the one side do the same with the other
(I know this sounds messy but trust me it works)
Take your 1/2 seasoning, 1/2 your garlic powder and half your onion powder and do the same as you did for the butter
with the half a stick of butter left melt it and drizzle all over bird. add 3 cups water to bottom of pan.
I place mine in a 400 degree oven for 15 min then cut it down to 325 for the remainder. cooking time will vary depending on your size bird. EVERY HALF HOUR BASTE!! till done You have to be consistent with this. check bird temp to check for doneness. this is my agenda for tommorrow lol
Pick one up from Boston Market or Honey Baked Hams and claim it as your own. People will truly be amazed and you won't have to deal with all the stresses of cooking.
http://www.honeybakedhams.com
http://www.bostonmarket.com
Season it but it in a turkey bag and put on the oven and let it in there until its golden brown and in the meantime u make the stuffing and prepare the table GOOD luck:)
Hmm...my mom does it for me too, but I am unclear. I think you are supposed to let it cook for hal an hour per pound (or something) so you may be in trouble of eating late!
Sorry I can't help :(
go to foodnetwork.com im sure they have some turkey recipes or you could always fry it that usually only takes a few minutes but you will need to do that outside so you do catch your house on fire
OK first rinse your bird in cool water, take out giblets from inside cavity. rinse with cool water. Pat dry with paper towels. Season inside lightly. Prepare stuffing according to package. Lightly stuff inside of bird. Place bird with wingtips up (tuck them under or cover them with foil) in the roaster pan. Roast at 350 degrees for 20 mins per pound. Check with meat thermometer to get poultry hot enough (165 degrees at the thigh). www.butterball.com has great tips. Good luck!
Since your just asking it now, my meathod wont work, but you may be able to try it some other time, in anycase i will give you some tips.
I like to brine my turkey if at all possible. Just get some chicken broth, allspice, about a cup of salt, peppercorns, some bay leaves, and a bit of brown sugar. Boil it up, and add ice. Put turkey in, completly sumberged, and brine up to 24 hours. Dont forget the giblets! Take em out. You can boil em in some water, and add the water to the pan to help the gravy.
if you dont have the time, you can skip that part
Most people like to put stuffing in the turkey, but this can lead to overdone turkey, and underdone stuffing, which can be a health hazzard, so i suggest cooking the stuffing seperatly. Get some fresh herbs (dry is ok too) i suggest thyme, rosemary, and sage, cut it fine, and use it under the skin. Lifting the skin is easy, just be careful not to tear it. Add some to the cavity as well. Get some apples, and microwave them for a few seconds, and stuff them inside the turkey along with some cut onions. Coat the skin with some olive oil, and pop it into the oven uncovered. You can cover it when it is about 2/3 done. if you have a roasting rack you can use that, if not you can use fresh vegetables, onions, celery and carrots, and this will also produce a flavorful gravy.
Depending on the size, these are some general rules of thumb for cooking times at 325 degrees F
Weight in lbs.
8 2.75 hours
12 3 hours
14 3.75 hours
18 4.25 hours
20 4.5 hours
24 5 hours
Of course you should check it with a thermometer, the breast should be around 155-160, and you should let it rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.
Hope it works out, and good luck!
here ahow to cook turkey site hope it helps plus the cooking bag helps keep the bird most while it cooks