Tips For Cooking The Perfect Holiday Turkey

The holidays are upon us … and that means turkey time! But that also means the pressure is on to cook the perfect turkey. By following the tips provided, you’re sure to impress even the toughest critics.

What Size Turkey To Buy
To ensure ample servings for your holiday dinner, as well as generous leftovers, allow 1 – 1-1/4 lb. of turkey per person.

What Size Pan To Use
For best results, roast your turkey on a wire rack in an open roasting pan. Because of the turkey’s weight, a sturdy pan with good handles is recommended. If you use a foil roasting pan, double it for extra strength and take special care when transferring it into and out of the oven.

Turkey Weight and Pan Size
• 10-14 lb. – Medium (14” X 10” X 2-1/2” high)
• 14-20 lb. – Large (17” X 11-1/2” X 2-1/2” high)
• 20+ lb. – Extra Large (19” X 14” X 3-1/2” high)

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 to 1-1/2 hours before roasting. Do not leave the turkey at room temperature longer than 1-1/2 hours.
Roasting an Unstuffed Turkey

The following times are calculated for an unstuffed turkey brought to room temperature and roasted at 400° F, breast side down, for the first 45 minutes, then turned breast side up and roasted again at 325° F until done.

Turkey Weight and Approximate Time
• 10-12 lb. – 2-1/2 to 3 hours
• 12-14 lb. – 2-3/4 to 3-1/4 hours
• 14-16 lb. – 3 to 3-3/4 hours
• 16-18 lb. – 3-1/4 to 4 hours
• 18-20 lb. – 3-1/2 to 4-1/4 hours
• 20+ lb. – 3-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours

Roasting a Stuffed Turkey
Stuff the turkey just before putting it in the oven (do not stuff it earlier). Spoon the dressing loosely into the body and neck cavities. Do not overfill as the dressing will expand during roasting.

To ensure that a stuffed turkey cooks evenly, roast the bird slowly, breast side up, at 325° F, covering the breast loosely with foil for the first two-thirds of the roasting time. Using the previous chart, add about 30 minutes to the total cooking time for stuffed birds weighing 16 lb. or less, and about 1 hour for birds weighing more than 16 lb.

Additional Tips
• After taking the turkey out of the oven, let it rest for 20-30 minutes. This allows time for some of the juices to be absorbed back into the meat, which makes it more moist and easier to carve.
• If roasting a stuffed bird, remove all of the stuffing at serving time.
• After dinner, remove any remaining meat from the bones and refrigerate the leftovers.
Testing the Turkey for Doneness
Probably the trickiest part of roasting a turkey is being sure the breast and thigh meat are done at the same time. All too often, the breast meat ends up dry and overcooked while you’re waiting for the thighs to finish cooking. Any one of the following techniques will help prevent the breast from overcooking.
• For an unstuffed turkey, roast the turkey, breast side down, for the first one-third of the cooking time. This increases the rate at which the thighs cook, so they’ll be done at about the same time as the breast.
• For a stuffed turkey, loosely cover the breast with a double-thick piece of aluminum foil for the first two-thirds of the cooking time. This slows the rate at which the breast cooks, so it will be done at about the same time as the thighs.

Checking the Internal Temperature
The breast and thighs must reach different internal temperatures for ideal doneness. Begin testing for doneness about 30 minutes before the total roasting time is reached.

The turkey will continue to cook internally after you remove it from the oven, so you may take it out when the thermometer reaches 3° to 4° below the minimum temperature. Then cover the bird loosely with aluminum foil. If roasting a stuffed bird, be sure the stuffing reaches 165° F. 

Reprinted with permission by Williams-Sonoma, Inc. For more cooking tips, visit www.williams-sonoma.com or their local stores at Triangle Town Center and Crabtree Valley Mall.