While we adore a whole cooked turkey in all its glory (along with cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mashed potatoes), preparing something so large can be intimidating and time-consuming.
A clever solution to this is to purchase a smoked or prepared turkey. However, even if you buy fully cooked smoked turkey in advance, you still need to reheat it before eating because it is already prepared and still tastes great.
Since warming up a whole turkey is different from warming up a chicken joint, this can be a little challenging. If you make a mistake, your turkey will either turn out to be dry and crusty or will give you food poisoning. We developed this guide on how to reheat a smoked turkey as a result.
In this article, we’ll examine a few techniques for quickly, easily, and effectively reheating a smoked turkey. Keep an eye out for all of our helpful shortcuts and tips!
How To Tell When Turkey Is Done Smoking
Given that smoking turkeys can give them a pinkish tint, it can be challenging to determine when yours is done. This isn’t because the meat is raw; rather, smoking meat results in a slight purple hue. You will see a “ring” of darker color around the meat as you carve your turkey.
As you can see in the image above, the smoke is what gives the legs in particular a purple hue, which is where your flavor is coming from.
When a digital thermometer inserted into the fattest part of the turkey breast registers 160 degrees, your bird is cooked (it will continue to cook to 165 degrees after being removed from the oven and covered with foil).
The USDA recommends getting turkey’s internal temperature to 165 degrees.
What is the Best Oven Temperature
Your best option is to go low and slow. The goal is to still have a juicy turkey. Lower temperatures are ideal for evenly reheating the turkey because you want it to be done so. The turkey’s exterior will become dry before the interior becomes warm enough at a higher temperature. I believe the procedure is similar to reheating a cooked ham.
️ I suggest doing it at 250 degrees. Perhaps up to 325 if you’re really pressed for time, but really don’t go any higher than that because the turkey might dry out.
This is a case of your patience rewarding you.
I never touch any of the bones when cooking a turkey; I always cook it until the deepest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees. Nevertheless, precooked smoked turkey doesn’t need to reach 165 degrees. It simply needs to reach the point where it is outside the supposedly dangerous area. These temperatures are ideal for the growth of harmful bacteria.
If your food is left in this danger zone for too long, your chances of getting sick increase. The range is from 40-140 degrees. This is why your refrigerator must always be at or below 40 degrees. In this case we are concerned about the other end. Your smoked turkey will no longer be dangerous by being cooked to 140 degrees.
Some people might advise reheating it to 165 degrees. This is in contention, with some camps claiming 140 and others claiming 165. Personally, I feel at ease simply exiting the danger zone at 140. However, if that makes you feel a little uneasy, dial 165. Although I don’t want you to eat dry meat, my main concern is that you enjoy the food you are eating.
HOW TO THAW A TURKEY?
| Turkey Size: | In Refrigerator: | In Cold Water: |
| 10 to 18 Lbs. | 3 to 4 days | 5 to 9 hours |
| 18 to 22 Lbs. | 4 to 5 days | 9 to 11 hours |
| 22 to 24 Lbs. | 5 to 6 days | 11 to 12 hours |
| 24 to 30 Lbs. | 6 to 7 days | 12 to 15 hours |
Thawing a turkey take time and patience. An intimidating block of ice, a frozen turkey takes days to thaw.
There are two ways you can thaw your turkey: