# How do you cook your Turkey?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 25, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976 "2019-11-25T18:05:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/1 "2019-11-25T18:05:54Z")
I think we probably do this every year, but it’s always a worthy topic.
I use the [Safeway 2-hour recipe](https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/turkey/2-hour-turkey-really-3.html). It works perfectly, it’s fast, and the turkey always comes out moist.
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/2 "2019-11-25T19:27:55Z")
After thirty some years of rubbing herbed butter or oil under the skin; brining the bird; smoking the bird over hickory chunks on the grill, now I just buy the best heritage turkey or organic turkey I can find and stick it in the oven with salt and pepper on it and an onion and a handful of fresh herbs thrust into the cavity.
Roast it at 325 upside down (juices flow from the dark meat down to the white, I don’t care what **ChefGuy** says) and flip it for the last hour so the breast browns.
Everyone always sez best turkey ever.
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### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/3 "2019-11-25T19:31:41Z")
We pick up a smoked turkey from this place on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Same as every year.
> **[Sweeney's Country Style Meats & Seafood - Bremerton, WA | Order Seafood...](https://sweeneyscountrystylemeatsseafood.netwaiter.com/bremerton/about/)**
>
> Sweeney's Country Style Meats & Seafood in Bremerton, WA 98311. Order Seafood near me. Restaurant menu information as well as online details about breakfast, lunch, and dinner for restaurants across the U.S.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/4 "2019-11-25T19:38:22Z")
In the oven.
OK, really: I stuff it, rub it with butter, put it into a roasting bag, and then put it in the oven.
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### Author:  [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/5 "2019-11-25T19:59:21Z")
Well, it’s not a full turkey, but a boneless breast; still, I just season it, then put it in the oven for 2 hours.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/6 "2019-11-25T20:04:24Z")
I do something similar to the “2 hour turkey” method. I use high heat, a turkey stand, and I usually cook it in the BBQ, so I can use the oven for the other items.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/7 "2019-11-25T20:10:41Z")
One year I made it in the microwave. It came out very good, and got compliments, however it was too weird to repeat.
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### Author:  [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/8 "2019-11-25T20:39:01Z")
Mine is very easy. First, I slather olive oil all over it. Next, I dump Italian spices all over and in it. Last, I follow the roasting directions that come with the bird.
Never any complaints, and there’s very litte turkey left at the end of the meal.
Sent from my hand-held telephonic communication device using Tapatalk
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### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/9 "2019-11-25T21:36:28Z")
I don’t. I always have a very small Thanksgiving and make a roasted chicken in lieu of a turkey. But my method for roasting a chicken is very similar to Ukulele Ike’s turkey: butter, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper on the skin, and a lemon or two plus some fresh thyme and bay leaves stuffed in the cavity.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/10 "2019-11-25T21:59:30Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> I think we probably do this every year, but it’s always a worthy topic.
> I use the [Safeway 2-hour recipe](https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/turkey/2-hour-turkey-really-3.html). It works perfectly, it’s fast, and the turkey always comes out moist.
Hijack; is it just me or does the turkey at that page look weird to you too?
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### Author:  [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/11 "2019-11-25T22:15:29Z")
My family likes roast chicken rather than turkey. I stuff them with savory dressing made from French baguette with finely sliced carrots celery red shallots and fresh herbs. I roast them to 165f in the breast and let it rest a bit before I carve it. I serve it up with the stuffing, scratch made dinner rolls, mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, giblet gravy and my take on green bean casserole (No canned beans, canned soup or cardboard onion rings allowed.)
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/12 "2019-11-25T22:16:02Z")
Family wants stuffing.
We leave the bird in a cool place overnight, so it warms up as compared to the fridge. Often the garage is a good temp. Otherwise, I just put it on the floor in a cool room of the basement. Starting with the bird at 55F rather than 35F makes a huge difference in how fast it cooks.
Preheat the oven to 450F or maybe 425F, with the convection fan on.
We make hot mushy-bread stuffing. Make the stuffing as the oven warms up. Stuff the bird and tie it closed with those metal things. Put it on a rack to keep it off the pan, put it in a large pan, shove a thermometer into the center of the stuffing, and then put the whole kit and kaboodle in the oven. We usually roast a 20+ pound bird, but this year it’s only 15 pounds. We’ll see how that goes…
For a smaller bird I’d start it on the side, and flip it to the other side, and finally to it’s back, but that’s too much of a PITA for a big turkey.
Cook 30-40 minutes at high heat. Then turn down the oven. It can cook anywhere from 225 to 350, depending on when you want supper. Just make sure to leave time to let it rest.
I like the wings very crispy, so I leave them sticking out until they are just about to burn, then I cover them with a bit of foil.
Cook until the thermometer is 150-160. Allow to rest at least an hour. The temp will continue to rise in the center of the bird through most of that time.
Don’t remove the stuffing or cut into the bird until the temp begins to drop again.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/13 "2019-11-25T22:24:50Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#):
>
> After thirty some years of rubbing herbed butter or oil under the skin; brining the bird; smoking the bird over hickory chunks on the grill, now I just buy the best heritage turkey or organic turkey I can find and stick it in the oven with salt and pepper on it and an onion and a handful of fresh herbs thrust into the cavity.
>
> Roast it at 325 upside down (juices flow from the dark meat down to the white, I don’t care what **ChefGuy** says) and flip it for the last hour so the breast browns.
>
> Everyone always sez best turkey ever.
It ain’t me that says that. It’s people like those at Food Lab, whom I tend to put some faith in.
For me, I buy a fresh bird, perhaps do a dry brine, perhaps not. I stuff it, put it on a rack in a drip pan, shove it in a 450 oven, then reduce the temp to a more moderate level. After about 20 minutes, I tent the breast. Near the end of the cooking cycle, I take the foil off and let the breast brown. No basting or other things that have marginal benefit.
If I tried to roast a turkey at 475 like the OP does, the smoke alarms would be constantly shrieking bloody murder.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/14 "2019-11-25T22:39:37Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> It ain’t me that says that. It’s people like those at Food Lab, whom I tend to put some faith in.
>
> For me, I buy a fresh bird, perhaps do a dry brine, perhaps not. I stuff it, put it on a rack in a drip pan, shove it in a 450 oven, then reduce the temp to a more moderate level. After about 20 minutes, I tent the breast. Near the end of the cooking cycle, I take the foil off and let the breast brown. No basting or other things that have marginal benefit.
>
> If I tried to roast a turkey at 475 like the OP does, the smoke alarms would be constantly shrieking bloody murder.
Never had it even slightly smoke…
I do find I need to cover it with foil around halfway through.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/15 "2019-11-25T23:06:12Z")
Take it out of the bag, put it in the oven at 325. Prep involves removing the giblets, rubbing a bit of butter on it, and putting an onion in the cavity.
Roast four hours, basting occasionally. If it’s getting too brown, put some foil on it. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/16 "2019-11-25T23:32:54Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Never had it even slightly smoke…
> I do find I need to cover it with foil around halfway through.
Hey, if I fry a hamburger I have to turn a fan on to blow on the nearest smoke detector. It’s a very small house, with open design, so the slightest charring (such as turkey drippings) sets them all off (they’re wired together). Maybe if my oven was cleaner. . .😃
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/17 "2019-11-25T23:52:52Z")
I’ve tried most every method listed and all have turned out good. Last year we knew we would be really busy so I ordered a smoked turkey breast from a specialty butcher shop we love. Picked it up on Wed and it was amazing. I consider myself good at smoking but this was better than I could do. My adult kids who are coming home each asked me to do that again. I’ll be picking it up on Wednesday and just worrying about the sides on Thanksgiving day.
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### Author:  [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/18 "2019-11-25T23:57:54Z")
This year I’m doing three turkeys each right at 16 pounds. One will be roasted it’ll get a savory apple juice brine and then cook at 500 for about 30 min then 350 until the probe reaches 161 F. The second turkey will be a fresh turkey and it’ll get a bourbon/soy sauce marinade and then it’ll be deep fried. Lastly there will be another frozen cheap turkey this one won’t be brined but I’ll cut it up into pieces and the bbq it over a cherry wood open pit.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/19 "2019-11-26T00:07:13Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> It ain’t me that says that. It’s people like those at Food Lab, whom I tend to put some faith in.
>
> For me, I buy a fresh bird, perhaps do a dry brine, perhaps not. I stuff it, put it on a rack in a drip pan, shove it in a 450 oven, then reduce the temp to a more moderate level. After about 20 minutes, I tent the breast. Near the end of the cooking cycle, I take the foil off and let the breast brown. No basting or other things that have marginal benefit.
>
> If I tried to roast a turkey at 475 like the OP does, the smoke alarms would be constantly shrieking bloody murder.
😃
I sometimes run a stick of butter over the hot skin. It doesn’t do anything to the meat, but it makes the skin taste good. And the melted butter that drips to the pan probably doesn’t hurt the gravy any, either.
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### Author:  [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2019, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-your-turkey/843976/20 "2019-11-26T00:21:27Z")
We typically do some sort of non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner since we don’t have family in the area and because my wife didn’t come from any family tradition of the “standard” menu and thus has limited fondness for it. We typically do a huge seafood paella and anyone that wants to drop by is welcome.
We’re doing it a little differently this year. We’re going out for dinner on thanksgiving, so I’m cooking with an eye towards what I think is the best part: the leftovers. I’m smoking a smaller heritage bird and we’re going straight to turkey noodle soup. I’ll also roast some vegetables in the drip pan in the smoker for a gravy that will go on stuffing or some other gravy delivery method we choose.
I’ll brine the turkey to keep it from drying during a relatively long smoke. And I’ll baste it with a maple syrup-bourbon glaze. And if I know the neighbors well enough, they’ll come by, you know, just to see what’s in the smoker. No pressure.
I’ll also make my #1 requested item from the smoker, Cheezits tossed in garlic butter and smoked. Doesn’t matter how well the brisket or pastrami or pulled pork or ribs come out, it’s the Cheezits that people ask for. Unless I do the pork belly burnt ends. Those cause people to short circuit and eat to extremes.
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