Thanksgiving turkey solutions, suggestions, and total turkey success is exactly what we’ve got going for today’s countdown to Thanksgiving post.
Three weeks goes by super quick, and things do tend to get awfully hectic at this time of year.
With that in mind, I thought I would post this info sooner rather than later to allow time to gather and plan for your gather together times.
How big of a bird will I actually need?
How do I properly defrost the thing?
What temperature is best to cook a turkey on?
How long do I cook the Thanksgiving turkey for?
Herb, Lemon, and Garlic Turkey
Roast, bake or air fry?
To stuff, or not to stuff?
What’s the best seasonings of the turkey roasting-baking-frying season?
Let’s talk turkey.
How much turkey do you need?
From the folks at Delish
Thawing the Frozen Thanksgiving Turkey
For Refrigerator Thawing:
Place turkey on a tray to eliminate leakage to other areas of refrigerator.
Thaw breast side up, in original unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge (40 degrees F or below).
Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4-5 lbs.
Suggested thawing time for a frozen turkey:
4 to 12 pound turkey: 1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pound turkey: 3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pound turkey: 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pound turkey: 5 to 6 days
Cold Water Thawing:
Thaw breast side down, in original unopened wrapper.
Cover the turkey completely with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes.
Estimate a minimum thawing time of 30 minutes per pound.
4 to 12 pound turkey: 2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pound turkey: 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pound turkey: 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pound turkey: 10 to 12 hours
The good people at Butterball offer cooking calculators and conversion charts for everything Thanksgiving turkey.
Here’s the link: Butterball Calculators and Conversions Chart
The Amazon Echo calls up Alexa the answer machine, now we’re cooking playlists, recipes, and the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line® .
Prep the bird and don’t forget to tie those bad boy turkey legs together with cooking twine.
Thawed turkey roasting times in a 325 °F regular oven:
6 to 10 pounds: 2 to 3 hours (unstuffed) – 2¼-3½ hours (stuffed)
10 to 18 pounds: 3 to 3½ hours (unstuffed) – 3¾-4½ hours (stuffed)
18 to 22 pounds: 3½-4 hours (unstuffed) – 4½ – 5 hours (stuffed)
22-24 pounds: 4-4½ hours (unstuffed) – 5-5½ hours (stuffed)
24-30 pounds: 4½-5 hours (unstuffed) – 5½-6½ hours (stuffed)
Thawed turkey roasting times in a 325 °F convection oven:
6 to 10 pounds: 1½-2 hours (unstuffed) – 1¾-2½ hours (stuffed)
10 to 18 pounds: 2 to 2½ hours (unstuffed) – 2½-3¼ hours (stuffed)
18 to 22 pounds: 2½-3 hours (unstuffed) – 3¼ hours (stuffed)
22-24 pounds: 3-3½ hours (unstuffed) – 3¾-4¼ hours (stuffed)
The turkey is done when the temperature with a meat thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the breast and 175°F in the thickest part of the thigh.
Better Homes & Gardens – Photo by Jason Donnelly
Taylor Digital Folding Probe Meat Thermometer with Blue Backlight Display
Use a food thermometer to check the turkey in the thickest part of the breast.
If you stuff the Thanksgiving turkey, the center of the stuffing must reach 165 degrees F.
Cross contamination between turkey and stuffing is a concern, so just make sure both turkey and stuffing reach proper temperatures.
Let the turkey stand 15 minutes before carving.
Safe Turkey Prep, Thawing, Stuffing, Cooking, Clean Up Tips:
Always wash your hands before and after preparing or eating food.
Thaw turkeys in the refrigerator, never on the counter.
Don’t wash raw poultry before cooking. It can spread germs to other areas.
Place stuffing in the turkey just before cooking.
Cook raw poultry thoroughly to at least an internal temperature of 165° F.
Wash your counters, cutting boards, and utensils after they touch raw meat.
Don’t feed your pets raw food.
The black graniteware covered roaster speaks holidays to me, but I’m always open to a new trad roasting pan that gets the Thanksgiving turkey roasted to perfection.
Personal preference for white meat drives me to simply roast a boneless turkey breast.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place turkey breast, breast-side up, into the roasting pan.
Dry the skin of the turkey breast by patting with a paper towel.
Give the outer skin of the turkey a generous rub down with butter.
Season the turkey breast with seasonings and herbs of your choice (see suggestions further down in the post).
Rub the seasonings into the skin of the turkey breast.
Roast the turkey breast at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes per pound until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F.
Nordic Ware Copper Roaster XL Large
Cajun Classic 15″ Oval Aluminum Roaster GL10050
Check out vintage shops and flea markets for good deals on vintage cookware.
Cooks 2-pc. Nonstick Roaster with Rack
Stainless Steel Roaster Pan Extra Large & Lightweight
Gibson Home Kenmar High Dome Oval Roaster Set
Thyme & Table Carbon Steel Roasting Pan with Removable Rack, Black
Farberware 12″ x 16″ Nonstick Roaster with Rack
Aroma® 18Qt. Roaster Oven with High-Dome Lid, Black
3-Piece 18 inch Jumbo Roasting Pan with Lid and Basting Rack, Stainless Steel
Going the pressure cooker and air fryer route gives the holiday cook a holiday helping hand.
Turkey breast is the requested option of the Places In The Home crowd, and I usually go with a 3lb. bird breast.
Here’s my two-step how to air fry a Thanksgiving turkey:
Remove any netting from around the breast, lightly coat turkey breast with olive oil and season with preferred seasonings.
Kalorik MAXX Touch 16 Quart Air Fryer Oven
Select the air fryer or air crisp function and set fryer to 350 degrees.
The first round of “frying” is for 20 minutes.
Now comes step 2.
Using caution as not to burn yourself, turn the turkey breast and re-coat with olive oil and seasonings.
Set to air fryer or air crisp function at 350 degrees for an additional 30 minutes or until internal temperature of turkey breast reaches 165 degrees.
Allow turkey breast to rest in the place for 10-15 minutes.
Cooks 5-Qt. Programmable Latch and Travel Slow Cooker
For the slow-cooker cooks:
Seasoning the Bird:
I usually add a stalk of celery cut into three equal parts and ½ peeled and sliced onion or 2-3 cut green onions.
Add 1 ½-2 cups of chicken broth or white wine to roasting pan to keep the turkey moist during baking.
No turkey roasting-baking is complete without butter (Julia Child would be so proud).
Rub 4 Tablespoons (½ stick) butter over turkey breast meat under skin. Next, add 4 tablespoons butter to the turkey cavity. Finish up by rubbing a generous amount of butter over the outside of the turkey.
Sprinkle turkey with seasonings of your choice of seasonings such as salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, thyme, garlic, rosemary, or Creole seasoning.
Williams-Sonoma Turkey Seasoning Paste
Cover with roasting pan lid or a foil tent for first 1-1½ of roasting.
Farberware Professional Dishwasher Safe 3-in-1 Plastic and Rubber Baster
Set of 2 Stainless Steel Turkey Lifters
Cuisinart 3-Piece Rose Gold Carving Set
Based on a Thanksgiving dinner for six (6) people, this How Much to Serve guide is simply that; a guide give or take a helping or two.
Turkey:
1-1½ pounds sliced turkey per person (which means you will need to buy a 9 pound turkey). Think leftovers!
Dressing/Stuffing:
1½ cup serving per person
Sides:
1-½ cup serving per person
Bottles of Wine:
2-3 bottles should be enough to sip and toast for dinner for 6.
Desserts:
Figure on one 9 inch pie being enough for a party of six.
One 5 inch, round, single layer cake.
Plymouth Turkey Extra Large Serving Platter
BLACK+DECKER 9 Inch Electric Knife
Arthur Court Thanksgiving Turkey Carving Fork and Carving Knife
Better Homes & Gardens – Photo by Con Poulos
Carving the Bird:
Place the bird on a carving board or reliable surface for carving, breast side up with the legs facing away from you.
Position the carving fork in the lower part of the breast to hold the turkey steady as you carve.
Find the hip joint connecting the thigh and the breast and begin slicing through. Repeat on the opposite side.
Separate the drumstick from the thigh by cutting through the joint.
Let’s move on to the drumstick/ turkey leg.
Pull each leg to extend them away from the body and slice between the breast and the drumstick.
Move the leg backward to loosen it away from the socket, cut away from skin and remove. Repeat on the opposite side.
Now we’re winging it!
Locate the joint connecting the wing to the body and slice on through.
Repeat on the opposite side.
For the breast, begin by slicing as close to the breastbone as possible.
Slice all the way down as to have one large piece and repeat on the opposite side.
Place breast on cutting surface and slice from smallest end to the largest.
Arrange and plate as you like.
Thyme & Table Stoneware Oval Serving Platter, Harvest
Cherished family recipes shine at the holidays, and this handwritten recipe platter (submit your recipe) will become a treasured slice of tradition.
Handwritten Recipe Personalized Platter
November ushers in the holiday season, and the Thanksgiving Day meal sets the tone and the table for delicious times.
2pc Stainless Steel Laquiole Pakkawood Carving Set Brown – French Home
Gathering around the holiday table gorgeously set and featuring a Thanksgiving turkey baked-roasted-grilled-air fried to absolute golden perfection is a culinary tradition to feast upon.
