How to Roast a Turkey – learn easy techniques to perfectly roast a turkey. Step by step instructions from start to finish.
The answer is: It depends!
While covering your turkey for part of the cooking process is a great way to ensure a juicy bird, it’s not necessary for the entire cooking time. Here’s a breakdown of when to cover and uncover your turkey:
Covering the Turkey:
- For the majority of the cooking time: Covering your turkey helps it retain moisture and cook evenly. This is especially important during the initial stages of cooking, when the turkey is still raw and prone to drying out.
- If your turkey is browning too quickly: If you notice your turkey is getting too brown before it’s fully cooked, cover it loosely with foil to prevent it from burning.
Uncovering the Turkey:
- During the last 30 minutes of cooking: Uncovering the turkey allows the skin to crisp up and become golden brown. This is the final touch that makes your turkey look and taste delicious.
- If your turkey is not browning enough: If your turkey is nearing the end of its cooking time but the skin is still pale, uncover it and let it cook for an additional 15-20 minutes to achieve a golden brown color.
Additional Tips:
- Use a meat thermometer: The best way to ensure your turkey is cooked through is to use a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, making sure it doesn’t touch the bone. The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Baste the turkey: Basting your turkey with pan drippings or butter helps keep it moist and flavorful. Do this every 30 minutes or so during the cooking process.
- Let the turkey rest: Once the turkey is cooked, let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful bird.
By following these tips, you can achieve a perfectly cooked turkey that is both juicy and flavorful.
Now, let’s take a look at some specific instructions for roasting a turkey:
Ingredients:
- 1 (10-12 pound) turkey
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 onion, quartered
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the lemon zest and juice, and the teaspoon of thyme. Stir and set aside.
- Remove the giblets from inside the turkey cavity. Pat the skin dry with paper towels.
- Place the onion and garlic in the bottom of a roasting rack. Place the turkey on top of the rack.
- Tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Tie the legs together with butcher twine.
- Brush the turkey with the herb butter mixture and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven.
- Cook for 2 hours.
- Remove the aluminum foil and return the turkey to the oven.
- Roast for an additional 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 165°F and the breast reaches 180°F.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Enjoy your delicious and perfectly cooked turkey!
Basic Roast Turkey Recipe
Well with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, it’s time to roast a turkey. I love this season, it’s my favorite time of the year. You can’t turn on the TV without seeing a Christmas movie, and I just can’t resist watching them all. How can you not? I can watch Christmas movies all day long.
So have you roasted a turkey before? Don’t be scared, it’s just a big bird. Over the years, I’ve watched my mother roast turkeys over and over again. I love everything about roasting a turkey. The smell in the kitchen, the holiday atmosphere all around and of course, eating that delicious turkey.
This recipe here for a roast turkey is a simple basic turkey recipe. I seasoned the turkey with salt and pepper and brushed it liberally with a butter that had a lemon flavor.
Can You Cook A Frozen Turkey?
Believe it or not, you certainly can cook a frozen turkey. The sole distinction is that it will require 50% more time to cook than usual. For example, a 10 pound turkey will take about 5 ¼ hours to cook. Best way to check if it’s cooked is still to use a meat thermometer.
The turkey cooks as it thaws, with the legs and wings cooking faster. If cooking a frozen turkey, you won’t be able to do any fancy rubs or brines.
Before cooking, the turkey must be brined, which entails submerging it in a salt-water solution or dry-brining it for about a day. This results in a moist and perfectly seasoned turkey.
If you have the extra time, I strongly recommend to brine your turkey. Check out my post on Brined Roast Turkey Breast for detailed instructions on how to brine your turkey.
A dry-brine, also called pre-salting, seasons the turkey like a wet brine, but there’s no water. Essentially, you rub the meat and skin with the salt and seasonings, then let it rest in the refrigerator for a while before cooking. This works because the salt draws out the meat juices through osmosis. The brine is then reabsorbed by the meat and begins to break down the tough muscle proteins as the salt dissolves into the juices. The result is a juicy, tender, seasoned turkey.
Do you cook a turkey covered or uncovered?
FAQ
Is it better to bake a turkey covered or uncovered?
Do you cook a turkey covered or uncovered Butterball?
Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?