Not sure how long to cook your turkey for? Or what temperature to roast turkey at in the oven? This how to cook a turkey cheat sheet is a printable guide to set you up for success when it comes to cooking a whole turkey.
Learn how much turkey per person you need, how to brine turkey, how to thaw turkey, and how to roast turkey in the oven. And we even included storing your turkey for later!
So if you are in charge of cooking turkey for the holidays, print off this free turkey printable to keep with you as you prep your turkey this year.
How Big of A Turkey To Buy? You want to buy a turkey that is going to serve 1-1.25 pounds per person. This is good to know so you can get the right size turkey. Plus if you buy larger you will have leftovers if need be.
Where to Get Printable
Click here to print off your free turkey cooking times printable.
How to Thaw Turkey
Thawing turkey takes time. You can do a water bath method, refrigerating the turkey to slow thaw, or even cook a turkey without thawing.
Fridge Method – Depending on the size it can take anywhere from 1-6 days to thaw your turkey. Make sure to place your turkey in a roaster pan so if it drips any juices the pan will catch it. I share all the different sizes of turkey in the printable and how many days to expect it to thaw.
Water Bath – Adding water to cover the turkey will help it thaw quicker. Every 30 minutes you change out the water, and you will do 30 minutes per pound of turkey.
No Thaw – This method will allow you to cook your turkey from frozen. It will speed up the cook time by 50%. The downfall is no brining, or heavy seasoning can be done.
How to Brine A Turkey
Not sure how to brine a turkey? No worries! It is very easy to do. I share a basic guide on a simple brine that works great.
Mix your salt, flavoring and water, and then cover the turkey in the brine and then brine 6-12 hours. Once you are done brining it is important to rinse off the turkey. Then you will pat the turkey dry and move on to roasting.
How to Roast a Turkey
I wanted to give you a stuffed turkey method and unstuffed. You will find if your turkey is stuffed it will add on time to the cook time. This is because it is going to take longer for the turkey to fully cook.
I share from an 8 pound turkey all the way up to 24 pound turkey cooking time. You are welcome to season and flavor your turkey any way you want. This is cooking turkey in the oven at 325 degrees F.
How Long To Rest Turkey Before Serving
It is recommended to allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes. This is going to help lock in the juices and prevent you from serving up dry turkey.
Holiday Side Dish Ideas To Pair With Turkey
Storing Leftovers
If you happen to have leftovers place in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or you can place in a proper freezer container and freeze for 3-4 months.
Now, if you have a vacuum seal system it will greatly extend the shelf life of your leftover roasted turkey.
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