Wondering how to cook a turkey well this Thanksgiving? If you're feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone. Making a turkey is easier than it sounds, and we turned to Butterball and some other experts to make this easy guide for beginners.
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Fresh turkeys can be kept in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before cooking. They are ready to prepare.
Frozen turkeys can be purchased weeks before Thanksgiving, but they should be stored in the freezer and thawed in the refrigerator a few days before Thanksgiving. Frozen turkeys should not be thawed at room temperature. Use a refrigerator or cold water to thaw a frozen turkey.
How long to thaw a turkey?
Never thaw your turkey on the kitchen counter. According to officials with the US Department of Agriculture, when a turkey has reached room temperature beyond two hours, it enters what is called the Danger Zone. Officials said this is when bacteria grow rapidly.
It’s best to thaw the turkey in a refrigerator, officials said. According to Butterball, allow one day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey if thawing in the refrigerator.
USDA officials also said it’s safe to thaw a turkey in the microwave and cold water. If you do use the cold-water method, officials said allow 30 minutes per pound of turkey and keep it in the original wrapping.
Keep the turkey in its packaging and thaw in cold water upside-down (breast-side down). Change the water every 30 minutes and cook immediately after it is thawed, officials said.
After your turkey is thawed
Once the turkey is thawed, take the following steps:
- Unwrap the turkey and remove the giblets and turkey neck
- Pat the turkey with a dry paper towel. Do not rinse.
- At this point, you can prepare a brine for your turkey or skip the brine and begin seasoning.
- Remember to insert an oven-safe meat thermometer in your turkey before you cook it.
How to brine a turkey
Brining a turkey is like marinating. Brining a turkey is not required, but it can make for a more moist and flavorful bird. If you want to brine your turkey, it's best to prepare the brine the day before and let the turkey brine in the refrigerator overnight, at least 16 hours.
You can brine turkey in a brining bag or in a large, covered pot. The turkey must be covered and kept in the refrigerator while it is brining.
There are many different turkey brine recipes. Here are two well-reviewed recipes:
Recipe: Classic savory brined turkey from Butterball
- 1 quart water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 10 ounces soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dried sage
- 2 tablespoons celery seeds
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 (10- to 20-pound) fresh or frozen whole turkey, thawed if frozen
- 2 quarts ice-cold water
- Boil 1 quart of water in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- Stir in sugar and salt until dissolved.
- Stir in soy sauce, dried sage, celery seeds and dried thyme. Allow to cool.
- Combine the cold water and brine mixture and pour it over the turkey.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Recipe: Best turkey brine recipe from The Pioneer Woman
- 3 c. apple juice or apple cider
- 2 gallons cold water
- 4 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 c. kosher salt
- 2 c. brown sugar
- 3 tbsp. peppercorns
- 5 whole bay leaves
- Peel of three large oranges
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil, letting salt and sugar dissolve.
- Turn off the heat and allow the brine to cool completely.
- Pour the brine over the turkey and refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.
How to roast a turkey
The most popular way to cook a turkey is to roast it, although some people grill or fry their turkeys. Butterball has a turkey cooking calculator to help you find out how long to cook your turkey, but the general rule is 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees for an unstuffed turkey.
Here are Butterball's tips for roasting a turkey:
- Preheat oven to 325° F
- Drain any juices from your turkey and pat dry with clean paper towels.
- Place turkey breast-side up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan, approximately 2 to 2.5 inches deep.
- Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place. (Tucking the wings will help stabilize the turkey in the pan and when carving) Brush or spray skin lightly with vegetable or cooking oil for the best appearance.
- Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh without touching the bone. If the turkey is stuffed, and the thigh is up to temperature, move the thermometer to the center of the stuffing.
- Place your turkey in the oven.
- When the turkey is about ⅔ done, loosely cover the breast with a piece of foil to prevent overcooking.
- Your turkey is done when the temperature with a meat thermometer is 180° F in the thigh and 170° F in the breast or stuffing.
- Lift the turkey onto a platter and let it stand for 15 minutes before carving.
How to cook a turkey without brine
If you don't want to brine your turkey overnight, many chefs claim you can still get a moist bird while skipping the brining step! This recipe from Tastes Better from Scratch has five stars and thousands of positive reviews. You can do this step even if you brined your turkey.
Ingredients:
- 1 12–20-pound turkey
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 apple (your favorite kind), quartered
- .75-ounce container fresh rosemary*
- .75-ounce container fresh thyme*
- .75-ounce container fresh sage
For the herb butter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- fresh chopped herbs
Directions:
- Make the herb butter by combining room-temperature butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, one tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, one tablespoon fresh chopped thyme, and half a tablespoon of fresh chopped sage. (You’ll use the remaining fresh herbs for stuffing inside the cavity of the turkey)
- Remove the turkey from the packaging and remove the neck and giblets from the inside of the bird's cavity. (Reserve them for gravy, if you want, or discard them). Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels.
- Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the quartered lemon, onion and apple and leftover herbs.
- Use your fingers to loosen and lift the skin above the breasts (on the top of the turkey) and smooth a few tablespoons of the herb butter underneath.
- Tuck the wings of the turkey underneath the bird and set the turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan.
- Microwave the remaining herb butter mixture for 30 seconds. Use a basting brush to brush the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey, legs and wings.
- Roast at 325 degrees for about 13-15 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature (inserted in the middle of the thigh and breast) reaches about 165 degrees. (I remove the turkey from the oven once it reaches 160 degrees. Then, I tent it with foil and let it rest on the counter.)
- Allow the turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
Alternative ways to cook a turkey
A turkey can be air-fried, grilled, roasted and even smoked. Butterball has instructions on all these methods on its website.
Turkey tips for beginners
- Need help? Butterball has a hotline, 1-800-BUTTERBALL. You can also text 844-877-3456 or launch a live chat to speak with a turkey expert online.
- A turkey should be kept in the freezer or fridge until it's ready to be prepared. See above.
- Don't rinse your turkey. It is unnecessary and can spread germs around your kitchen. Pat dry with a paper towel instead.
- It's super easy to remove the neck and bag of giblets from most turkeys. Usually, you just pull them out.
- Unless you have your heart set on stuffing your turkey, it is easier to serve stuffing on the side.
- If you don't own a large roasting pan, a disposable foil pan from the grocery store works just as well! Use caution when moving the heavy turkey, especially when it's hot.
- Insert your thermometer in your turkey before cooking. This video shows you where.
- Roast your turkey at 325° F. Most turkeys should cook about 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees.
- A turkey is done when the internal temperature is 160° F.
- Let your turkey rest about 20 minutes before carving.
How to safely store any leftover turkey
After cooking, how you store your leftovers is just as important. According to the USDA, it is best to always carve your turkey before refrigerating it.
Officials said a whole cooked turkey will not cool quickly enough and could create a risk for possible bacterial growth. It’s best to carve the turkey into smaller pieces so it cools faster in the refrigerator.