Holiday Help: The Easiest Way (in My Opinion) to Cook a Turkey
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Clearly the easiest way to cook a turkey is to let someone else cook the turkey. ;)
But, if you’re the one in charge of preparing the meal this year…let me share the easiest way I’ve found to cook a turkey.
I remember being so intimidated to cook a turkey the first time I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. I called my mom a million times to ask questions.
Could it really be that cooking a turkey is as simple as taking out the innards, putting it in a pan, covering it, and baking it? Yes, it is that easy.
My holiday turkeys are not fancy. I don’t stuff them. I don’t slather them with anything. I just put them into the oven and cook them. They create their own broth…smart little birds that they are.
Here is an excerpt from Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Holiday Homemaking ebook on How to Cook a Turkey:
Pick your turkey: You will need about 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person you are serving. Buy your turkey accordingly. Or, buy a larger one if you want to have lots of turkey leftovers. (Here are all kinds of ideas for what to do with leftover turkey!)
Thaw your turkey: Place the turkey in the refrigerator for 3-4 days until thawed.
Prepare your turkey: Once the turkey is thawed, reach in and grab out the bag of giblets. (This is by far every one’s favorite step, right?!) Empty the giblets into your roasting pan as they help make a good, rich broth. Place the turkey, breast side up, into a large baking pan or roaster.
Cook your turkey: Cover with foil or with your roaster lid. Cook at 325° for 15-20 minutes per pound. (For instance, a 20 pound turkey would need to bake for three to four hours.) You know your turkey is done cooking when the little red thingy pops up…or when the legs start to pull away from the body. Your turkey should be golden brown and slightly crisp looking. (Light brown and slick looking? Mr. Turkey is not done yet.)
To Cook your Turkey ahead of time (I highly, HIGHLY recommend doing this!!):
You can cook your Thanksgiving turkey as many days ahead of time as you want. I know most of you like turkey fresh out of the oven on Thanksgiving Day. But, here’s what I learned from my mom, and it really saves a lot of trouble on the big day when I’d really enjoy visiting instead of messing with a big bird.
Cook and cool your turkey any day before Thursday. De-bone and put meat in baggies. Pour broth into jars (3/4 full). Freeze or refrigerate, depending on how far in advance you cooked the turkey. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day before serving.
To reheat turkey, put as much light and dark meat as you think you will need for the Thanksgiving meal in a 9×13 pan. Drizzle a liberal amount of broth over turkey, cover and warm in 300° oven for 30-45 minutes or until meat is hot and steamy.
No one will ever know that you prepared your turkey ahead of time (except for the fact that you won’t be carving the turkey in front of them). It is always juicy and moist. I do it this way every year, and I’m always so thankful that the messy part is over before Thanksgiving day!
Are you in charge of cooking a turkey this year?! Do you stuff your turkey? Have any more helpful turkey cooking tips to share?
Up next in this Holiday Help series…How to Make Turkey Gravy!
Let me know what other questions you might like answered in this Holiday Help series!
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This post is linked to the Happy Housewife and Frugal Fridays .
In addition to our turkey I will be cooking almost 200 lbs for our church dinner. I baste mine in a mix of butter/soy sauce and liquid smoke, the liquid smoke makes it smell WONDERFUL, the soy sauce give it a rich, brown color and the butter makes the skin crispy, I cook it uncovered and empty then put a foil “tent” oven it if it looks too brown before it’s done.
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I am going to cook one this year (actually several sale birds, to be cooked throughout the year). :) How hard can it be–just like roasting a chicken, only a little bigger, right?! I found a recipe for a roasted dry-rub (paprika, brown sugar, etc.) in the Nov. issue of Southern Living that I think I might try. I’ll let you know how it turns out! Thanks for the turkey roasting tips. I am on the lookout for a good roasting pan myself, so the picture and recommendation was helpful. Maybe I can find one at the thrift store someday.
I liked your idea of cooking ahead of time and reheating later. I’m sure your Thanksgiving celebration will be very heavenly :)
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I cook mine almost just like this–except I cook it breast down, which makes for a juicer turkey. Also, when I freeze the meat (I buy 7 turkeys every year in November, cooking and freezing four of them before Thanksgiving), I dip the pieces in the broth from the pan before freezing. This ensures juicy leftovers that I can throw in any recipe (say, chicken cacitore with turkey instead of chicken, etc).
I am not usually in charge of cooking the turkey for Thanksgiving, but we are getting together with my side of the family this year, and I am making the turkey and most of the meal. I am cooking the turkey ahead of time. I like your plan for reheating it for Thanksgiving Day. I will use that!
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What a smart idea. I’m going to share it with my sister (who is doing the turkey cooking this year)!
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Grandma Johnson, mother of 11 and grandmother to *many*, always cooks her turkey (and ham) beforehand and rewarms exactly as you do. It was a long time before I made the connection of people ceremoniously carving the turkey at the table. We were all way too hungry to wait for such fro-fro-ness! Especially Grandpa, who’d been smelling all that good food cooking for days. :>)
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Definitely do NOT stuff the turkey, yuck! The thought of RAW juices, including blood seeping into stuffing (or dressing depending on where you are) just grosses me out.
I cook mine overnight, and wake to the smell of turkey! I ALWAYS use a meat thermometer, I never rely on those red buttons. i could never cook the turkey ahead of time, I can taste the difference. And the turkey HAS to be fresh, not frozen.
A few years back we fried a turkey… that was yummy!
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Danielle Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:10 am
For some reason I can’t reply to the ways to use turkey leftover thread. I make shepherd’s pie w/the turkey!
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Thanks for sharing this Laura. While some of us may be seasoned turkey chefs, there are still ladies out there that have yet to cook a turkey. It’s not hard, but it can be intimidating, especially if you are cooking for others. If you have time and can afford to purchase an extra turkey – especially when they are 40 cents a pound – practice! Freeze the practice turkey to use in other meals over the next few months!
I do not stuff my turkey with dressing – gross! yuck! (think raw, blood – eek!)
I do stuff my turkey with onions, garlic, apple, lemon and herbs, and I baste it with butter – YUM!!!!!!!!! (don’t eat the stuff you stuffed it with!)
Ladies – don’t forget to make some healthy bone broth from your turkey carcasses!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND, if you’re having mashed potatoes, save the water from boiling the potatoes – it makes a great broth/starter for soups, especially potato and vegetable soup!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
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Danielle Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
LOL (we feel identical about stuffing the turkey!)…. I make stock from the bones, adding leftover veggies etc.
Also, I slather olive oil on the turkey before putting it in the over. I just stuff it w/lemons, orgnages, and fresh herbs.
We get our turkey free after spending 400 dollars at the grocery store over a course of a month. So we don’t spend a dime. We can get up to a 20 lb turkey!
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Lori Reply:
November 25th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Barbara,
Thanks for posting an alternate to regular stuffing. I do not want to
add regular stuffing but will use your idea of onions, garlic, apple,
and herbs.
Lori
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I cooked my first turkey last year. It was easy and tasted great! I was nervous about cooking it, so my husband cooked one too (just in case + we have a large family). I don’t have to cook one this year, but I look forward to cooking one again in the future!
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This is so simple! Thanks for sharing. I too think the turkey should be prepared ahead of time. There are so many different side dishes to make and the house to clean.
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Laura, you’re a lifesaver!!! I’m in charge of “catering” my husband’s company Christmas party and I’ve been dreading the bird. I’ve never done it before. I think I’ll be doing the cook-ahead method. Actually we have cooked turkeys in a pit before wrapped in foil. That’s a totally different story. Thanks again for the vote of confidence!
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If you wait till the red thingy poips up on your turkey you will have a dry bird. Go to food network and watch the turkey videos from Alton brown. He taught me the best way to cook a turkey (yes it has a few more steps like brining and aromatics but it’s a juicy turkey that will never fail.
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I cannot wait to do this at Christmas! My mom will be here at Thanksgiving to help me make it that day, but on Christmas I’m on my own. What an amazing tip and I love that it’s always moist with the gravy warming idea. Thank you for sharing this!
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You might add (for those truly doing this for the first time) to rinse the turkey with WATER and gently dry off before putting it into the pan. It really is intimidating!! :)
Thanks for the great do-ahead tip, that would be a lifesaver though this year we have the advantage of the easiest way – someone else is fixing it. :)
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THANK YOU! You made this my best Thanksgiving ever, because I got to enjoy it with my family instead of dashing around madly finishing up the potatoes and gravy while carving the turkey while everyone else sat there waiting on me! My day was much more relaxed because all I had to do was mash the potatoes and reheat the gravy :) AND there was room in the oven for everyone’s dishes that needed “just a few more minutes”.
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