How To Cook
Turkey
Thawing turkey:
Read here for instructions on how to thaw
turkey.
Preparing turkey:
-
Preheat oven
to 180°C (350°F).
-
Remove the
neck & giblets from inside the turkey & the
absorption pads from outside.
-
Wash the
turkey well & pat dry.
-
Place the
turkey on a wire rack, in a shallow baking
tray.
-
Add a cup of
water to the baking tray.
-
Make your
preferred stuffing & loosely stuff the
turkey cavity. Stuffing should be put in the
turkey immediately prior to cooking. *
-
Lay a layer of
bacon rashers over the top of the turkey.
This helps keep the bird moist during
cooking & adds flavour.
-
The turkey is
cooked when the internal temperature of the
thickest part of the turkey thigh reaches a
minimum of 165°C.
-
Once cooked,
remove from oven, cover & allow to stand for
20 minutes.
How long to cook
turkey?
|
Unstuffed Turkey |
|
Turkey
weight |
Cooking time |
|
4 - 8
pounds (1.8 - 3.6 kg) |
1 1/2
- 3 1/4 hours |
|
8 - 12
pounds (3.6 - 5.5 kg) |
2 3/4
- 3 hours |
|
12 -
14 pounds (5.5 - 6.3 kg) |
3 - 3
3/4 hours |
|
14 -
18 pounds (6.3 - 8.2 kg) |
3 3/4
- 4 1/4 hours |
|
18 -
20 pounds (8.2 - 9 kg) |
4 1/4
- 4 1/2 hours |
|
20 -
24 pounds (9kg - 10.9 kg) |
4 1/2
- 5 hours |
|
|
Stuffed Turkey |
|
Turkey
weight |
Cooking time |
|
4 - 8
pounds (1.8 - 3.6 kg) |
2 1/2
- 3 1/2 hours |
|
8 - 12
pounds (3.6 - 5.5 kg) |
3 - 3
1/2 hours |
|
12 -
14 pounds (5.5 - 6.3 kg) |
3 1/2
- 4 hours |
|
14 -
18 pounds (6.3 - 8.2 kg) |
4 - 4
1/2 hours |
|
18 -
20 pounds (8.2 - 9 kg) |
4 1/2
- 4 3/4 hours |
|
20 -
24 pounds (9kg - 10.9 kg) |
4 3/4
- 5 1/4 hours |
|
Notes:
* A safer way to
enjoy stuffing with your turkey is to cook it
separately. Stuffing a turkey can lead to
salmonella, so it is preferable to not stuff the
turkey, but to cook on a baking tray. If you do
go with this method, fill the cavity of the
turkey with a couple of whole apples/onions. If
you do stuff the turkey, make sure the internal
temperature of the stuffing is at least 165°C.
It is possible to
cook a turkey from frozen but you will need to
allow an additional 50% cooking time.
Uneaten cooked
turkey should be refrigerated as soon as
possible & eaten within 3 days.
If the turkey is
stuffed, remove the stuffing as soon as it is
cooked & store in a separate container in the
fridge.
