How long does it take to cook a 20lb turkey at 375?

Contents show

How long do you cook a 20lb turkey at 375? Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Rotate the pan, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (dont touch the bone) registers 155 degrees, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

How long does it take to cook a turkey at 375?

Place a roasting rack in the pan and put the turkey on top of it. Roast the turkey until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Is 375 a good temperature to cook a turkey?

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 many hours will it take to cook a 20 pound turkey?

Cooking time will vary. For example, a 20 pound turkey will take 4 1/4 to 5 hours to cook, check the temperature on the thermometer after 4 1/4 hours.

What is the best temperature to cook a 20lb turkey?

If your turkey weighs 18 to 20 pounds, roast it at:

425°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours. 400°F for 3¾ to 4 hours. 350°F for 4 to 4¼ hours.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Do I Cook a Turkey at 325 or 350 Degrees? Though “low and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, there’s no hard-and-fast rule. All of our temperature guides assume you’re cooking at 325, but you can cook it a little warmer for roughly the same, or just a little less time.

How long do you cook a turkey at 400 degrees?

400°F (204°C) is the perfect temperature for cooking a whole bird. You’ll get crispy skin without compromising tenderness. Depending on the size of your bird, it should take anywhere from 2-6 hours to roast at 400°F (204°C).

Do you cook 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.

IT IS INTERESTING:  How long do I cook ground beef?

What temperature should a turkey be cooked at?

The USDA says to cook your turkey to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. (If you stuffed the turkey, the stuffing, not just the meat, should be 165°F).

How long do you cook a turkey at 350 degrees?

We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey.

What is the lowest safe temperature to cook a turkey?

Make it safe – The United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) recommends temperatures no lower than 325 degrees Fahrenheit for cooking meat and poultry. Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

How long do you cook a Butterball turkey per pound?

Set the timer and cook the turkey about 3 to 4 minutes per pound. Cook all dark meat to an internal temperature of 175° F to 180° F, and all white meat to an internal temperature of 165° F to 170° F. Here’s some help on how to check your turkey’s temperature for doneness.

How long should a turkey rest for?

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.

How long do I need to thaw a 20 pound turkey?

Make some room in the bottom of your fridge and have a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan nearby. Here’s the calculation: plan on 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey (for example: budget 4 full days of thawing in the fridge for a 20-pound turkey).

Where do I put the thermometer in the turkey?

Where to Put the Thermometer in a Turkey

  1. When preparing a whole turkey, insert the thermometer into the thickest portion of the turkey breast, the innermost portion of thigh and the innermost portion of the wing.
  2. Make sure the thermometer does not touch bone, gristle or the pan.

How do I keep my turkey moist?

Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe

  1. Choose a fresh turkey instead of a frozen one.
  2. Roast two small turkeys rather than one large one.
  3. Brine the turkey.
  4. Rub soft butter under the skin.
  5. Truss loosely, or not at all.
  6. Roast the turkey upside down at first.
  7. Don’t overcook it.
  8. Let the turkey rest before carving.

How often should you baste your turkey?

How often to baste a 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.

How long does it take to cook a turkey with foil covered?

Foil Wrapped Roasted Turkey

  1. Prep Time. 15 m.
  2. Servings.
  3. Cook Time. 2 – 6 hours.
  4. Course. Main Dish.

How many minutes per pound do you cook a turkey at 400 degrees?

Allow 15 minutes for every pound, according to the Simply Recipes website. Start cooking the turkey at 400 degrees for the first half hour, and then reduce heat to 350 for next two hours. Reduce heat to 225 for the next hour and a half.

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.

What is the most popular way to cook a turkey?

Roasted. Roasting is without a doubt the most popular method used to cook a whole turkey.

When should I tent my 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.

How do you know when turkey is done without thermometer?

To find out if your turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce it with a fork in the mid-thigh muscle, explains Nicole Johnson, the co-director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. “When the juices run clear, and no longer reddish or pink in color, it’s a good indication that your turkey is done.”

How long should a turkey rest before you carve it?

Before you cut a thing, let your turkey rest — at least 30 minutes — so its juices don’t end up on the cutting board.

How do you keep a turkey warm for 4 hours?

If your turkey is done too early, things can get a little complicated, but it’s not the end of the world. If it’s done around an hour early, let it rest uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then cover your turkey with some foil and a thick towel or blanket to keep it warm.

Why is my turkey so dry?

Because dark meat has more connective tissues, it takes longer to break down, so if you cook the turkey whole, by time the legs and thighs are done, the breasts are overcooked and dry. The solution: Carve your turkey before you cook it.

IT IS INTERESTING:  Should I rinse shrimp before cooking?

How long do you cook a 25 pound turkey at 350 degrees?

*For other sizes: 2-1/4-3 hours for 10-14 lbs (at 350°F), 3-4 hours for 15-22 lbs, 4-4.5 hours for 23-25 lbs and 4.5-5 hours for 26-29 lbs. Reduce by 15-30% for a convection oven. If you’re stuffing your turkey, add the weight of the stuffing to the overall weight used to calculate the cooking time.

What is the danger zone for turkey?

When a turkey stays out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, its temperature becomes unsafe even if the center is still frozen. Germs can grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F.

Can I cook a turkey at a lower temperature?

I researched it on the Internet and saw that some slow-roasting methods use temperatures as low as 190° to 200°. The method I’ve been using slow cooks the turkey at 250°. I did some further research and found that the USDA recommends that poultry not be cooked below 325°.

Is slow-roasting a turkey safe?

I recommend slow-roasting only small to medium birds. My turkey is done earlier than I expected? Turkey is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F; however, slow-roasted birds may reach internal temperatures as high as 180 F.

Do Butterball turkeys need seasoning?

Step 2: To brine or not to brine? One of the awesome things about Butterball turkeys is that you don’t have to brine them. They’re already pre-brined with a salt solution! BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t brine them.

Should I cover my Butterball turkey?

When the turkey is about ⅔ done, loosely cover the breast with a piece of foil to prevent overcooking. Your turkey is done when the temperature with a meat thermometer is 180° F in thigh and 170° F in breast or stuffing.

What does the name Butterball mean?

Definition of butterball

1 : bufflehead. 2 : a chubby person.

How long should a 20 lb turkey rest before carving?

A: Ideally, your turkey should rest 30 to 40 minutes to let the juices redistribute. (This gives you enough time to make gravy, too.) We usually recommend that the turkey get back into the refrigerator within 2 hours, so by the time you carve and serve, that timeframe works pretty well.

Should turkey be room temp before cooking?

Before it goes in the oven, the turkey should be at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge (1 hr for a whole turkey, or 30 mins for a cut) before cooking. Keep it covered in a cool place.

Can I let my turkey rest for 2 hours?

Turkeys between 4-6kg should be rested for 1½ hours, and ones from 6-10kg can rest for two hours. Get your turkey out of the fridge 30 minutes before you cook it.

What if I left my turkey out overnight to thaw?

If you thaw raw meat at room temperature for two hours or more, it will be subject to rapid bacteria growth. Is thawing a turkey at room temperature a good idea? Nope. If you’ve done it and gotten away with it, you’re lucky.

Can you leave a turkey out all night to thaw?

Can you leave a turkey out to thaw overnight, perhaps? The short answer is no. Here are the wrong ways to thaw your bird and the safest way to thaw a turkey.

What do I do if my turkey is not fully thawed?

If There’s No Time to Thaw

If you’re up against the clock and have no time left for even the “quick” cold-water thaw, then just cook the turkey as it is. It’s perfectly safe to cook a frozen or partially frozen turkey — you just need to allow some extra cooking time.

Is it safe to eat slightly pink turkey?

The best way to be sure a turkey — or any meat — is cooked safely and done is to use a meat thermometer. If the temperature of the turkey, as measured in the thigh, has reached 180°F. and is done to family preference, all the meat — including any that remains pink — is safe to eat.

When the red thing pops out of turkey is it done?

When the metal melts, it releases the red stick (A) and the spring (C) pops up the stick so you know the turkey is done. Turkey is done when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (73 degrees Celsius).

Do you leave a meat thermometer in the meat while cooking?

The thermometer should not be left in the food while it’s cooking.

Should I put butter or oil on my turkey?

Don’t butter your bird

Placing butter under the skin won’t make the meat juicier, though it might help the skin brown faster. However, butter is about 17 percent water, and it will make your bird splotchy, says López-Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before you roast.

How do you cook a turkey so it’s not dry?

“When roasting the whole bird, the key is to cook the legs longer than the breast,” Tommy says. “Once the breast is cooked, remove the bird from the oven, remove the legs and then put them back in. This stops the breasts drying out.”

IT IS INTERESTING:  How do I clean a greasy stainless steel grill?

How do you keep a turkey from drying out in the oven?

Here is a fantastic tip: to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry.

Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?

We’ve found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time.

How do I prepare the turkey the night before?

Place the turkey in a shallow dish just large enough to hold it and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one or two days. The day before you plan to roast the turkey, remove the plastic wrap and leave the turkey in the fridge. The skin will dry out and turn a little translucent.

Is it better to roast a turkey covered or uncovered?

Q: Should I roast the bird covered or uncovered? A: The Butterball folks recommend cooking the turkey uncovered in a roasting pan. Two-thirds of the way through cooking, Butterball says foil can be placed over the breast area to prevent it from drying out.

How long do you cook a turkey at 375?

  1. Preparing the bird – Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cooking the bird – Estimate 12-15 minutes per pound for stuffed turkeys.
  3. Testing for doneness – You can either test by checking the temperature or checking the color of the juices.
  4. Finishing off – Remove bird from the oven.

What is the best temperature to cook a turkey?

Stick with a temperature of 325°F, which ensures the turkey gets cooked all the way without becoming overdone.

How long does a 20lb turkey cook for?

Cooking time will vary. For example, a 20 pound turkey will take 4 1/4 to 5 hours to cook, check the temperature on the thermometer after 4 1/4 hours.

Is 375 a good temperature to cook a turkey?

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.

What happens if you cook a turkey at 400 degrees?

400°F (204°C) is the perfect temperature for cooking a whole bird. You’ll get crispy skin without compromising tenderness. Depending on the size of your bird, it should take anywhere from 2-6 hours to roast at 400°F (204°C).

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Do I Cook a Turkey at 325 or 350 Degrees? Though “low and slow” is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, there’s no hard-and-fast rule. All of our temperature guides assume you’re cooking at 325, but you can cook it a little warmer for roughly the same, or just a little less time.

What is the best way to keep a turkey moist?

Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe

  1. Choose a fresh turkey instead of a frozen one.
  2. Roast two small turkeys rather than one large one.
  3. Brine the turkey.
  4. Rub soft butter under the skin.
  5. Truss loosely, or not at all.
  6. Roast the turkey upside down at first.
  7. Don’t overcook it.
  8. Let the turkey rest before carving.

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 turkey cavity when not using stuffing?

Herbs. The secret to adding extra flavor to your Thanksgiving turkey is to season it liberally. To make sure that your favorite herbs permeate every bit of your bird, stuff a small bundle into the turkey cavity. Thyme, sage, parsley and a bit of rosemary are a great combination—but feel free to customize to your taste.

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.

Where do you test a turkey to see if it is done?

You’ll need a meat thermometer to make sure you cook your turkey to the right temperature. Insert it close to, but not touching, the thigh bone. If it reads 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast, it’s done and ready to serve.

Do Butterball turkeys have butter in them?

In fact, there is no actual butter in or on a Butterball turkey. The fresh turkeys are injected with a basting solution made of salt water and “common household spices,” one brand representative told me. Butterball will not share the ingredients of its secret basting formula.

Does turkey continue to cook while resting?

Cook your turkey until your thermometer reads 155 -160 degrees. (Yes, we know that new safe cooking guidelines say to cook your bird to 165 degrees (they used to say 180!), but remember that your turkey will continue to cook after removed from the oven and it’s temperature will increase by 10 degrees while resting.