                    Turkey Cooking Tips and Times
  •  Home
  •  Food & Drink
  •  Southern Food
  About.com  Southern Food
  southernfood  Search   •  Southern Food
  •  Easy Recipes
  •  Classic Dishes
  •  Holiday/Seasonal
  •  Share
  •  
See More About:
  •  turkey recipes
  •  roast turkey
  •  cooking instruction
  •  thanksgiving recipes
  •  stuffing and dressing recipes

 Consumer Information From USDA
 Slightly Revised November 1998
Turkey Basics: Safe Cooking
Turkeys Are Cooking Faster Than Before
But "timing's NOT everything." Recommended cooking techniques must also be followed. A meat thermometer should be used to ensure a sufficient internal temperature has been reached to destroy bacteria and prevent foodborne illness -- as well as to prevent overcooking.
Many variables can affect the roasting time of the whole bird:
  •  A partially frozen bird requires longer cooking.
  •  Dark roasting pans cook faster than shiny metals.
  •  The depth and size of the pan can reduce heat circulation to all areas of the bird.
  •  The use of a foil tent for the entire time can slow cooking.
  •  Use of the roasting pan's lid speeds cooking.
  •  An oven cooking bag can accelerate cooking time.
  •  A stuffed bird takes longer to cook.
  •  Oven may heat food unevenly.
  •  Calibration of the oven's thermostat may be inaccurate.
  •  The rack position can have an effect on even cooking and heat circulation.
  •  A turkey or its pan may be too large for the oven, thus blocking heat circulation.
	
ROASTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAFETY AND DONENESS:
1. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 °F. Preheating is not necessary.
2. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Times are based on fresh or completely thawed frozen birds at a refrigerator temperature of 40 °F or below.
3. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep.
Optional steps:
  •  Tuck wing tips back under shoulders of bird (called "akimbo").
  •  Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan.
  •  In the beginning, a tent of aluminum foil may be placed 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.
4. If a meat thermometer is not available, cook stuffing in a casserole. Mix ingredients just before stuffing a turkey; stuff loosely. Additional time is required for the turkey and stuffing to reach a safe internal temperature (see chart below).
5. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer.
The temperature must reach 180 °F in the thigh of a whole turkey (center of the stuffing should reach 165 °F) before removing it from the oven. Cook a turkey breast to 170 °F.
6. Juices should be clear. In the absence of a meat thermometer, pierce an unstuffed turkey with a fork in several places; juices should be clear with no trace of pink.
7. Let the bird stand 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.
APPROXIMATE COOKING TIMES
UNSTUFFED
  •  4 to 6 lb breast.....1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hrs
  •  6 to 8 lb breast...2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hrs
  •  8 to 12 lbs................2 3/4 to 3 hrs
  •  12 to 14 lbs..............3 to 3 3/4 hrs
  •  14 to 18 lbs........3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hrs
  •  18 to 20 lbs........4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hrs
  •  20 to 24 lbs..............4 1/2 to 5 hrs
STUFFED
  •  8 to 12 lbs...............3 to 3 1/2 hrs
  •  12 to 14 lbs..............3 1/2 to 4 hrs
  •  14 to 18 lbs..............4 to 4 1/4 hrs
  •  18 to 20 lbs........4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hrs
  •  20 to 24 lbs........4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hrs

For Further Information Contact:
 FSIS Food Safety Education and Communications Staff
 Meat and Poultry Hotline:
  •  1-888-MPHotline
  •  1-888-674-6854
  •  Email: mphotline.fsis@usda.gov Source:

Food Safety and Inspection Service,
 Food Safety Education & Communications Staff
 (202) 720-7943; Fax (202) 720-9063

USDA Food Safety Publications

Turkey Roasting Holiday Dinner Safety Index
Thanksgiving Recipes Index
Christmas Recipes Index
	
	
	
	
	
Thanksgiving Recipes	
• Main Dish
 • Side Dish & Casseroles
 • Gravy Recipes
 • Stuffing and Dressing
 • Salads and Relishes
 • Congealed & Fruit Salads
 • Breads, Biscuits & Rolls
 • Desserts
 • Turkey Basics & Safety
 • Index Page

More Holiday:
 • Christmas Recipes
 • All Holiday Pages
 • Appetizers I
 • Appetizers II
 • Food Gifts
 • Holiday Gift Tags
 • Holiday Cookies

	
	
	
	
Related Recipes	
Main Recipe Index
Crockpot Recipes
Turkey Recipes
Crockpot Turkey Recipes

	
	
	
Compare Prices	
• Holiday Dinner Gear
 • Holiday Baking Essentials
 • Casseroles & Baking Pans
 • Crock Pots

	
	
	
	
Recipe Search	
  southernfood    Go!  

	
	
	

Crockpot Recipes | Casseroles | Main Recipe Index 	
Related Articles
  •  Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes - How to Cook Turkey for Beginners - Turkey Tim...
  •  Preparing and Cooking your Turkey Safely
  •  Turkey 101 - Thanksgiving Dinner Turkey Recipes Shortcuts Tips Hints - Turk...
  •  Turkey Roasting Guide - Calculate Roast Turkey Cooking Time
  •  Physics of Turkey - Thermodynamics and the Cooking of a Turkey
  Diana Rattray  Guide since 1997Diana Rattray
Southern Food Guide
  •  Sign up for my Newsletter
  •  My Blog
  •  My Forum
Free Southern Food Newsletter!  18/1a9    http://southernfood.about.com/gi/pages/mmail.htm    http://southernfood.about.com/gi/pages/mmail.htm    +:gs::southernfood    1    southernfood    0    0  Sign UpDiscuss in my Forum
Explore Southern Food
Must Reads
  •  Christmas Recipes
  •  Crockpot Recipes
  •  Holiday Cookie Recipes
  •  Easy Chicken Recipes
  •  Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Most Popular
Crockpot Recipes - More than 1400 Crockpot Recipes for the C...Holiday AppetizersCrockpot Chicken RecipesFrench ToastPork Tenderloin Recipes
See More About:
  •  turkey recipes
  •  roast turkey
  •  cooking instruction
  •  thanksgiving recipes
  •  stuffing and dressing recipes
By Category
  •  Appetizers and Snacks
  •  Beef and Lamb Recipes
  •  Chicken & Turkey Recipes
  •  Crockpot Recipes
  •  Casserole Recipes
  •  Pork and Ham Recipes
  •  Fish and Seafood Recipes
  •  Cookies and Candy Recipes
  •  Dessert and Cake Recipes
  •  Fruit and Vegetable Recipes
  •  Rice, Pasta, Eggs
  •  Bread Recipes
  •  Recipes by Type
  •  Cooking Basics
  •  Southern Regional Food
About.com Special Features
10 Quick and Easy Recipes for Kids
No more cries of "Mom, do I have to?!" These recipes are designed to please every member of the family. More
Tips for Making the Best Cookies
Make all your cookies as flawless as they are delicious with these easy tips. More
  About.com  Southern Food
  •  Home
  •  Food & Drink
  •  Southern Food
  •  Most Popular
  •  Latest Articles
  •  RSS
  •  Advertising Info
  •  News & Events
  •  Work at About
  •  SiteMap
  •  All Topics
  •  Reprints
  •  Help
  •  User Agreement
  •  Ethics Policy
  •  Patent Info.
  •  Privacy Policy
  •  Our Story
  •  Write for About
©2010 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.
All rights reserved.
