Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®
The Best Way to Roast a Turkey (the simple way)
INGREDIENTS
•
Remove turkey from the fridge. Rub a softened stick of butter ALL over the bird. Coating the skin with butter will help to keep the meat moist, add flavor, and ensure the skin turns a perfect golden brown color.
•
Place the turkey on a wire rack in a large, shallow roasting pan. Elevating the turkey allows for the heat to get all around and also for the skin to crisp properly. Try to avoid cramming the bird into an overly small pan; you’ll only end up with o
•
Leave the turkey on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature. Bringing the meat up to room temperature (about 70°F) will both cut down on the cooking time and ensure the fowl cooks evenly. Thanksgiving is a particularly busy time for the
•
I find it is best to start the turkey at a fairly high temperature (400°F), roast for about twenty minutes and then lower the heat to 350°F for the remainder of the cooking time. Sometimes I forget to lower the oven, though, and the turkey still co
•
Time
•
If you cook your turkey from room temperature, untrussed and unstuffed, it will cook significantly faster than a chilly bird stuffed full of bread and trussed tightly. Air will circulate much better around the bird and roasting times will be shorter.
•
These are the approximate roasting times using this method:
•
5 lbs – 1 – 1/2 hrs
•
8 lbs – 1- 3/4 hrs
•
10 lbs – 2 hrs
•
12 lbs – 2 – 1/2 hrs
•
15 1bs – 2 – 3/4 hours
•
17 lbs – 3 hours
•
20 lbs – 3 – 1/2 hours
•
Tip: Loosely cover the turkey with aluminum foil if it looks like the top is browning too quickly. I also have to rotate the pan 180° every hour or so for even browning in my old oven.After pulling it from the oven, do not transfer the turkey to its
►
ADVERTISEMENT