If your turkey weighs 18 to 20 pounds, roast it at:
350°F for 4 to 4¼ hours..
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Should you cook a turkey covered or uncovered?
To achieve that balance, the ideal is to let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered: We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out, then removing the cover for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the skin to crisp.
Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?
Place on the bottom of your roasting pan. Place the turkey, breast-side up on top of the vegetables. Add about a half-inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist, and the turkey juicy.
When should you put foil on the turkey?
Tenting the Turkey – In the beginning, a tent of aluminum foil may be place loosely over the breast of the turkey for the first 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then removed for browning. Or, a tent of foil may be placed over the turkey after the turkey has reached the desired golden brown.
What is the best temperature to cook a turkey at?
Begin by roasting your turkey at 425°F for 40 to 45 minutes before lowering the temperature of the oven to 350°F for the rest of the cook time. Like the other method, it’s a good idea to brush the turkey every 15 to 20 minutes with butter or olive oil to help the surface brown and keep the meat moist.
How do you make turkey skin crispy?
Rub the skin with fat.
Once you’ve carefully dried off the skin, the next step you can take to guarantee perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat, like butter or oil. Oil will yield a crispier skin than butter because butter is at least 20 percent water, while oil contains no water.
What rack should turkey be on in oven?
The preferred method is to roast the turkey in the center of the lowest rack or oven shelf so the top of the turkey will be centered in the oven. If two racks must be used, place the turkey on the lowest or middle rack. When cooking with two roasting pans, position the pans in opposite corners of the oven.
What temperature do you cook a turkey at 325 and 350?
Cooking time for different sizes
| Turkey weight | Unstuffed turkey cooking time | Oven temperature |
|---|---|---|
| 10 to 14 lb | 2-1/4 to 3 hours | 350°F |
| 15 to 22 lb | 3 to 4 hours | 325°F |
| 23 to 25 lb | 4 to 4 1/2hours | 325°F |
| 26 to 29 lb | 4-1/2 to 5 hours | 325°F |
Oct 15, 2019
How long do you cook a 19 lb turkey? In an oven set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, cooking an 18- to 20-pound unstuffed thawed or fresh turkey will take between 4 1/4 and 4 1/2 hours, according to the USDA. This amounts to about 14 minutes of cooking time per pound. For a 19-pound turkey, this comes to about four hours and 26 minutes.
What temp should a 20 lb turkey be?
It’s done when the thermometer reads 165ºF.
If the thermometer reads 165ºF, it’s done. If not, slide it back into the oven. Check it again every 15 minutes until it reaches 165ºF. Because the bird will continue to cook after it’s removed from the oven, it’s better to err on a few degrees under rather than over.
How long do I cook a 20 lb Butterball turkey?
Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion of thigh (not touching bone) registers180°F, 3 hours to 3 hours and 15 minutes, brushing with butter every hour. Let stand for 20 minutes before carving.
Is turkey done at 165 or 180?
While some recipes state that turkey should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the meat is safe to consume once it reaches the 165-degree mark. Cooking the breasts past 165 can result in dry meat, but the dark meat can be cooked to 180.
How long do I cook a 21 pound turkey?
Expect it to take 4.5 to 5 hours to cook a 21.5-pound turkey at 325 degrees Fahrenheit — if your turkey is unstuffed. If it’s full of your favorite stuffing, add at least 15 minutes to the total cooking time. Determine when the turkey is done by internal temperature only.
How often should you baste turkey?
Most recipes will tell you to baste your turkey every thirty minutes. But our rule of thumb is actually every forty minutes, and here’s why. You don’t want to open the oven too many times, or else the whole bird will take much long to cook, and that’s a huge inconvenience.
What should I put in the turkey cavity? Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
How long should a turkey rest? Thanksgiving Help Line
Pull it out as soon as the temperature hits 165, or even a little lower. The amount of resting time depends on the size of the bird, but at least 20 minutes is needed. A large bird can wait up to 40 minutes or longer, depending on the temperature of the room.
What is the best temperature to bake a turkey?
Our Best Turkey Tips
- Buy two smaller birds (or one whole turkey and one turkey breast) if you’re feeding a crowd.
- The Test Kitchen agrees that 375℉ is the best temperature to cook a turkey, because it’s not too hot, not too cold, and cooks quickly enough to ensure that a juicy, flavorful bird is ready by dinnertime.
How long do you cook a 20 pound turkey at 375?
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Place the turkey neck, carrots, celery and the remaining onions in a large roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Should I cover my turkey with foil?
If you notice that the turkey is getting too brown while it is cooking, cover the turkey with the lid from the roaster. If you don’t have a roaster lid, you can cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil. Covering the turkey with foil while cooking traps steam and moistness so the turkey doesn’t dry out.
Should you put water in turkey roasting pan?
Add about a half-inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist, and the turkey juicy.
Do you rub turkey with butter or oil?
Rub the skin with fat.
Once you’ve carefully dried off the skin, the next step you can take to guarantee perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat, like butter or oil. Oil will yield a crispier skin than butter because butter is at least 20 percent water, while oil contains no water.
Should I put olive oil on my turkey?
Olive oil is a nice, healthy alternative to butter and it won’t compromise the taste at all. For added flavor you can try basting a turkey with olive oil infused with herbs. Just make sure you do baste your turkey with butter or oil so you get that crispy turkey skin.
What do you put in the bottom of a turkey pan?
Place chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pick a few herbs off the stalks and add to the vegetables.
What do you put in the bottom of a roasting pan for a turkey? Place chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pick a few herbs off the stalks and add to the vegetables.