I remember before the days of the internet when the only option I had for any cooking directions were the Betty Crocker cookbook and a few others I had gathered along the way. It’s so exciting to be helping you with a task that represents family, food, togetherness, and love – cooking your turkey! I have so many wonderful memories of family and friends centered around eating turkey each year! We’ve put together a start to finish instruction guide from choosing to serving this tasty traditional meal! Also, make sure to read our article on our Top 10 Ways to Save Money (and Stress) on your Thanksgiving Meal! We also have some other FUN Thanksgiving Recipes (like our Oreo Turkey Recipes), our Easy Baked Corn Recipe, or our Reese’s Peanut Butter Trifle Dessert!
Ingredients:
- turkey (any size)
- 2 cups chicken bouillon/broth
Tools:
- Roasting Pan
- Roasting Rack (This is optional, but does make it easier to pull the turkey out of the pan)
- Turkey Baster (I use a soup spoon sometimes).
- twine to tie the legs together if stuffing (This is sometimes included with the turkey)
- carving knife
1. Choose your turkey. You will need to decide what size turkey you need. Most resources say 1/4-1/2 pound per person. We have a lot of (ahem….) larger guys in our family who love to eat, so we usually go with a half pound per person. However, if you have a larger amount of ladies, you could probably go with less. Depending on when you buy your turkey, you may need to keep it frozen for some time, so make sure you have enough freezer space.
2. Thaw your turkey. According to the USDA’s turkey thawing instructions you will need 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey when you are thawing it in the refrigerator. About an hour before you are ready to cook the turkey, pull it out of the refrigerator and remove the giblets and the neck (this is usually in a bag inside the bird). Some people like to boil/cook and eat the giblets, then the broth from this can be used to make your gravy.
3. Stuffing the turkey. To stuff or not to stuff, that is the question! I usually do stuff my turkey, but I realize that it doesn’t cook as evenly when I do this. However, there is nothing more moist than stuffing that is cooked in the bird. When stuffing the bird, this is done right before it is placed in the oven. Remember to make extra if you are having many people, since the bird does not hold that much. Once you have placed the stuffing in the body cavity, you will need to tie the legs together with string. This keeps the stuffing from falling out during the cooking process.
3. Cook the turkey. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place the roasting rack inside the roasting pan. You will place the turkey breast side up, and pour the 2 cups of chicken bouillon over the bird. You can also salt and pepper the turkey to give it extra flavor. To keep skin from drying out or browning too quickly, place a foil tent over the bird. This is done by simply placing foil over the turkey and attaching it to the sides of the roasting pan. This should be removed in the last hour of cooking to allow the skin to brown nicely. The rule for cooking time is 13 minutes per pound!To make sure the turkey is completely cooked, it is recommended that you take readings in several different places and make sure that it is at least 165 degrees in all three places. Also, you can rub butter all over the skin in the last half hour to give it even more flavor.
4. Baste the turkey. You should pull the turkey out every hour and paste it with the broth. This means scooping out the broth with a soup ladle or turkey baster and pouring it over the top of the turkey before putting it back in the oven.
5. Carve the turkey. To carve the turkey, you will need a carving knife or a very sharp knife that can cut through the meat. Start down both sides of the breast by cutting thin pieces of meat slightly less thick than a slice of bread. Once you have carved the meat off the breast, you can usually pull the legs and thighs off by twisting them off the bird or using a knife to cut ligaments. Try to get as much meat off the bird as possible since you will get more for your money! Also, you can turn leftovers into turkey corn chowder or other soups like turkey chili! Finally, enjoy your meal and hopefully your turkey will be the best one yet!
Check out our other Holiday Posts to save time and stress!
Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
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