Our 26 Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350? ›

It's better to cook a turkey at 350°F after preheating the oven to 450°F. This makes the skin crispier and ensures the turkey will get cooked evenly.

Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven and roast until lightly golden brown, about 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, 2 to 2 hours 15 minutes hours longer.

The most straightforward approach is to roast an unstuffed turkey, breast-side up, for 13 minutes per pound of turkey at 350°.

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

At 325°F for an unstuffed turkey: 10-12 pounds: cook 2 3/4 to 3 hours. 15-16 pounds: cook 3 1/2 to 4 hours. 18-20 pounds: cook 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

Roast 1 hour, then baste every 30 minutes with pan liquids, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125°F, about 3 hours. Remove foil; raise oven heat to 400°F. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until thigh reaches 180°F, 45 to 60 minutes more.

Roast the turkey in the hot oven for 10–15 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven, baste the bird with the pan juices and lay the bacon rashers over the breast to keep it moist. Baste again. Lower the setting to 180°C/Gas 4 and cook for about 2 1⁄2 hours (calculating at 30 minutes per kg), basting occasionally.

Bake for exactly 1 hour and turn off the oven. Do not open the oven door! Leave the turkey in the oven until the oven completely cools; this may take 4 to 6 hours. Reserve the pan juices and refrigerate the turkey if it will not be served soon after roasting.

Butterball turkeys are of the highest quality product and will be sure to impress your guests. Here's why Butterball is the right choice, especially for the holiday season: Butterball turkeys are always tender and juicy because we take the extra step of individually pre-brining them based on size.

Butterball. Butterball is one of the most popular turkey brands in the United States. They have been producing high-quality turkeys for over 60 years and are known for their tender and juicy meat.

What is best tasting turkey? ›

The Grassland Pasture-raised Turkey was one of our favorite turkeys among all the birds we tested. In fact, we found it to be one of the best turkeys we've ever roasted, with ample breast, thigh, and drumstick meat. It is a sure bet for your holiday table that's bound to impress even the pickiest in-laws.

Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.

24- to 30-pound turkey cooking time (unstuffed): Cook for 4½ to 5 hours at 325°F. 24- to 30-pound turkey cooking time (stuffed): Cook for 5½ to 6¼ hours at 325°F.

A 25-pound turkey will feed approximately 18 to 20 people.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place roasting rack or foil ring on pan, and place turkey on top. In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic, salt, thyme, and parsley.