Is cooking a turkey hard?
Not at all! Especially with this amazing Overnight Turkey recipe from The Fancy Pants Kitchen. This ingenious method allows you to wake up to the mouthwatering aroma of a perfectly cooked turkey, freeing up your oven and sanity for other Thanksgiving preparations.
So. how exactly does this work?
- Defrost your turkey: This is crucial, so plan ahead. A 15-pound turkey can take up to three days to defrost in the refrigerator. Never roast a frozen turkey!
- Prep the turkey: Remove the giblets, rinse, and pat dry the bird. Rub it with olive oil and spices, both inside and out.
- Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan: Breast side up. Add onions, celery, parsnips, and garlic under the rack. Pour in enough water to reach the bottom of the rack, but not touching the turkey. Add the reserved giblets to the pan.
- Seal the pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil: This traps moisture and ensures a juicy turkey.
- Slow-cook the turkey at a low temperature: Aim for 170-180°F for smaller turkeys and 200°F for larger ones. Some recipes suggest starting at a higher heat for an hour, but this method keeps it simple and consistent.
- Roast the turkey overnight: Ideally, put it in the oven around 10:00 p.m. and dream of delicious things!
- Check the temperature in the morning: After 9-10 hours, use an instant-read thermometer to check the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 155°F. If not, leave it in the oven until it gets close. Don’t worry, the internal temperature will rise further during the browning stage.
- Brown the turkey: Increase the oven temperature to 450°F and roast for 15-30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crispy. The internal temperature should reach 160°F in the breast and 170-175°F in the thigh.
- Rest the turkey: Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 20-30 minutes, tented with foil. This allows the juices to redistribute for maximum tenderness.
What if the turkey is done early?
No worries! The turkey will stay warm for hours if covered with foil and wrapped in heavy towels. You can also leave it in the oven at a low temperature or refrigerate it and reheat it later.
This Overnight Turkey recipe is a game-changer for Thanksgiving:
- Stress-free cooking: No need to wake up at the crack of dawn to roast the turkey.
- Perfectly cooked turkey: Slow-cooking ensures a juicy and flavorful bird.
- Frees up oven space: Bake your stuffing and other dishes while the turkey cooks.
- Easy and adaptable: This recipe is flexible and can be adjusted to your preferences.
Give this Overnight Turkey a try and experience a Thanksgiving feast like never before!
Additional Tips:
- Use fresh herbs for added flavor.
- Baste the turkey with the pan drippings for extra richness.
- Make gravy with the drippings for a delicious accompaniment.
- Carve the turkey and serve it with your favorite Thanksgiving sides.
Enjoy a stress-free and delicious Thanksgiving with this amazing Overnight Turkey recipe!
Share Your Thoughts…Lastly, if you make Overnight Turkey, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donât forget to tag me onÂ
Makes: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours
Total Time: 10 hours & 20 minutes
- 14-16 pound turkey (see Chef’s Note)
- extra-virgin olive oil
- salt & freshly ground pepper
- poultry spice
- paprika
- garlic powder
- 2 heads of garlic, peeled
- 2 yellow onions, cut in thick slices
- 4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
- 3 parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped
- Heavy duty aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 180°F. If oven won’t go that low, set it to its coolest setting; anything up to 200°F is fine. Thoroughly wash turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Rub turkey with olive oil and then sprinkle spices all over it. Season inside as well as outside. Place turkey in a large roasting pan on a rack.
Place garlic, celery, parsnips and onions under the rack. Add enough water to come to the bottom of the rack and not touch the turkey itself. Add the turkey neck, liver and gizzard to the water in the pan.
Cover the pan completely by making a tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil. To ensure that the moisture stays in the pan, you must ensure that all of its edges are covered. This is the only tricky part to cooking a turkey like this.
Cook the turkey for 9 hours. Make sure the thickest part of the turkey thigh is at 155 °F by using a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the bird. The turkey will continue to cook so don’t worry that it’s too low.  See notes below if the turkey isn’t at 155°F.
Increase the oven’s temperature to 450̚°F, take off the foil tent, and continue cooking for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and browned, the breast reaches 160̂°F, and the thighs reach 170–175̂°F.
After taking the turkey out of the oven, let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes with the foil loosely covering it. Save the drippings for the Delicious Turkey Gravy.
Carve the turkey and serve!
Chef’s Note:
If you are making a larger turkey, just increase the temperature to 200°F and follow the same instructions. The important thing to remember is to take the turkey out when its internal temperature reaches 155 °F for the thigh. I tried a 22-pound turkey and it took 10 hours at 200°F.
Should the turkey still be under 155˒°F after 10 hours and you require oven space, raise the temperature to 300̒°F and check it every 15 minutes.
You can leave the turkey in the pan to cool. If you must leave it for a long time, cover with foil and then place thick towels over it.
Strain the drippings and refrigerate them. Use the drippings as the foundation for your gravy after removing the fat layer (see the recipe for Delectable Turkey Gravy).
See additional tips in blog post.
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How long to cook a 14 lb turkey at 180 degrees?
FAQ
Can you cook a turkey at 180 degrees?
Is 180 too high for turkey?
Is it safe to cook a turkey overnight at 200 degrees?
What’s the lowest temperature you can cook a turkey overnight?
How long do you cook a Turkey at 325 degrees?
Instead, make a separate pan of Rustic Chestnut Stuffing or Cornbread Sausage Stuffing. These times are based on cooking a room temperature turkey at 325 degrees F the entire time; plan on 10 to 12 minutes per pound.
What temperature should a Turkey be cooked at?
A turkey is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. You can cook dark meat to a temperature of 180°F, but white meat turkey should be pulled out of the oven at 165° otherwise, it will get dry. Still, have questions about the two different “done” temperatures for turkey? We’ve probably answered them below.
How long do you cook a turkey breast at 155?
Keep roasting at a low temperature until it is getting close to these numbers, around 155ºF. Remove the pan from the oven and turn up the heat to 475ºF. Once preheated, roast the turkey until the skin has browned and it is 160ºF in the breast and 170-175ºF in the thigh, about 15-30 minutes. Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes. Carve and serve!
How long do you cook a Turkey in the oven?
Cover with foil, cook for 9 hours. After 9 hours, check internal temperature for 160 degrees. Then, increase oven to 450 degrees, remove foil, and roast for another 15-20 minutes for a crispy skin. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving. Enjoy your succulent and flavorful turkey! * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.