Are you ready to learn the secrets of preparing a perfectly cooked turkey that will impress your family and friends? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you on a culinary journey to discover the best techniques and recipes for creating a mouthwatering turkey that will be the star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Whether you prefer a classic roasted turkey, a juicy smoked turkey, or an aromatic herb-roasted turkey, we've got you covered. Get ready to embark on a delightful adventure as we explore the world of turkey cooking and unveil the secrets to creating a perfectly cooked turkey every single time. Let's get started!
Let's cook with our recipes!
PERFECT ROAST TURKEY 101
This recipe yields a plump and regal roast turkey, with crisp, golden-brown skin and an aroma to match.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Turkey Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
- Place rack on lowest level in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, 4-layer square. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
- Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it; an instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Fill large cavity and neck cavity loosely with as much stuffing as they hold comfortably; do not pack tightly. (Cook remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later). Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
- Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
- After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully. Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
- After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180 degrees (stuffing should be between 140 degrees and 160 degrees) and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
- When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off. Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan. Add giblet stock to pan. Stir well, and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy. Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.
A SIMPLY PERFECT ROAST TURKEY
Simple, perfect roast turkey just like grandma used to make. Seasoned with salt and pepper, and basted with turkey stock, the flavors of the turkey really stand out. Stuff with your favorite dressing.
Provided by Syd
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Whole Turkey Recipes
Time 4h30m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
- Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
- Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
- Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 662.6 calories, Carbohydrate 13.7 g, Cholesterol 211.4 mg, Fat 33.8 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 72.2 g, SaturatedFat 10.4 g, Sodium 709.5 mg, Sugar 2 g
PERFECT EVERY TIME TURKEY
makes perfect juicy golden brown turkey, if instructions are followed will work consistently each and every time.
Provided by james keck
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 30m
Yield 16 varies on weight of turkey, 20 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- preheat oven to 325.
- (mix all ingredients in melted butter baste turkey put all remaining ingredients in cavity).
- put in doubled brown grocery bag fold the end and staple shut.
- place in large roasting pan no lid bake at 325 (20 minutes per lb).
- do nothing else I promise you will never cook your turkey any other way.
- moist and perfectly brown.
- (do not open oven).
WORLD'S SIMPLEST THANKSGIVING TURKEY
The most-important meal of the year deserves a foolproof recipe for the World's Simplest Thanksgiving Turkey from Food Network Magazine.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 3h10m
Yield 1 turkey
Number Of Ingredients 0
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pull the neck and giblets out of the cavity; ditch the liver and save the rest of the giblets for gravy. Dry the turkey with paper towels, then season inside and out with salt and pepper. Fill the turkey with aromatics like chopped onions, carrots, apples and herbs, then place breast-side up in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Tent with foil and roast for 2 hours (for a 10- to 12-pound turkey; add an extra 15 minutes per pound for larger birds). Remove the foil, baste with more melted butter and crank the oven to 425 degrees F. Roast for another hour or until the meat at the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Let rest while you make the gravy.
PERFECT TURKEY
A perfectly seasoned and juicy turkey. My friend from France taught me to cook turkey like this, but she never measures anything so use your own judgment for vegetable amounts, etc. I usually err on the side of 'more is better'!
Provided by Shelly White
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Whole Turkey Recipes
Time 17h
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
- Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.
- Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 593.8 calories, Carbohydrate 1.6 g, Cholesterol 241.9 mg, Fat 31.2 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 69.8 g, SaturatedFat 10.1 g, Sodium 7846 mg, Sugar 0.7 g
CLASSIC BRINED AND ROASTED TURKEY
Brined to retain moisture, then basted with butter and wine while roasting, this turkey, the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, is golden and juicy. The bird is brined for 24 hours, so leave plenty of time for this recipe. If you don't brine yours, skip steps one and two.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Turkey Recipes
Yield Serves 12 to 14
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Put salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and 10 cups water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat; let brine cool completely.
- Add turkey, breast first, to the brine. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture; let soak.
- Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with softened butter; season with salt and pepper.
- Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl. Reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Roast 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Roast, brushing every 30 minutes, 2 1/2 hours more; cover with foil if browning too quickly. If making gravy, add giblets and neck to pan 1 1/2 hours after reducing temperature; roast 30 minutes, and reserve.
- Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees and stuffing reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour. Transfer to a platter. Set pan with drippings aside for gravy. Let turkey stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.
PERFECT TURKEY
"This is a perfect recipe for a moist, flavorful holiday bird! Plan the time to brine the bird overnight - it's worth the extra effort!" By Shelly White from Allrecipes.
Provided by Canuck Mum
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 17h
Yield 1 Turkey
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
- Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.
- Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180°F (85°C).
- Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 14332.8, Fat 748.6, SaturatedFat 243.2, Cholesterol 5801, Sodium 232629.4, Carbohydrate 64.7, Fiber 13.6, Sugar 29.2, Protein 1676
PERFECT TURKEY
Yield Serves 1
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Shake bourbon, sweet vermouth, and dry vermouth with ice in a cocktail shaker. Serve in a Martini glass with a spice-sugared rim (mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice and nutmeg). Garnish with orange peel.
Tips for the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey:
- Choose a fresh or thawed turkey: Fresh turkeys are ideal, but thawed turkeys can be just as delicious if properly thawed.
- Brine the turkey: Brining helps to keep the turkey moist and flavorful. You can use a simple brine made with water, salt, and sugar.
- Roast the turkey at a high temperature: This will help to create a crispy skin and juicy meat.
- Baste the turkey regularly: This will help to keep the turkey moist and prevent it from drying out.
- Let the turkey rest before carving: This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey, making it more tender and flavorful.
Conclusion:
With careful preparation and attention to detail, you can create a perfect Thanksgiving turkey that will be enjoyed by all. Remember to choose a fresh or thawed turkey, brine it, roast it at a high temperature, baste it regularly, and let it rest before carving. With these tips, you'll be able to make a delicious and memorable Thanksgiving turkey every single time.
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