How To Cook A Turkey

How to Cook a Turkey - Step by Step

This web site explains how to cook a turkey. There is a lot of information and we want you to be able to find answers quickly. So, we will walk you through the steps and give you links to help guide you through the process.

Don't overlook all of the other information on the site. There are gems throughout that readers have discovered, reporting that they make all the difference for their celebratory turkey. One reader reported winning a turkey cooking taste test against more experienced cooks using techniques they learned here. Many others have reported receiving accolades from friends and family for the best turkey ever.

Cooking a turkey is not nearly as formidable as many fear. Your results will improve when you know more about the process, and we will share what you need to know here.

Our number one tip is to use a thermometer. You want the turkey cooked enough so that it is safe, but you don't want it cooked so long that it becomes dry.

The most common complaint by people who don't like turkey is that it is too dry. But, good turkey isn't dry. These people are eating overcooked turkey. Invest in an instant read thermometer so that you don't overcook your turkey, or undercook it either.

Okay, here are the basic steps for how to cook a turkey along with the links that explain - in depth - how to complete these steps.

Do you already have your turkey? If not start with selecting the turkey.

If you selected a frozen turkey you will need to defrost it. This can take days in the refrigerator, but if you didn't leave yourself enough time we give you tips on how to defrost it more quickly or how to cook it from a frozen state in our thawing and defrosting section.

After you have thawed your bird, you want to make it as tasty as possible. We have discovered that if your turkey is not already pre-salted, one of the most worthwhile steps that you can take is to brine the turkey. If you have time and space, a wet brine works well. If you want to conserve space and want less of a mess, a dry brine also works very well.

Your next decision for how to cook a turkey is selecting the method. Even if you know that you are going to cook it in the oven you need to decide what temperature you are going to cook it. Are you going to cook it at a low temperature (325 F 163 C) which can create less smoke, or do you want to save time and use the high heat method? Or, are you going to move your turkey cooking outdoors and have a turkey bar-b-q or have a deep fried turkey?

Now, you will probably want an idea of how long it will take to make your turkey. We strongly suggest that you use a thermometer to determine when your turkey is done, but if you need an idea of how long to cook your turkey refer to our cooking timetables in Fahrenheit or to our cooking timetables in Celsius.

After those steps, you will have a beautiful bird, perfectly cooked and properly rested, ready for carving. This is where you find information on carving the turkey.

If you need information about the best wine to serve with your turkey dinner, check out wines that go.

If you have turkey left over (how lucky are you), you can find recipes to enjoy them here. And, other recipes can be found here.

Of course you will want to get our turkey secrets including the secret ingredient.

You now have the tools to create and introduce your guests to really good turkey. Let them know that turkey can be wonderful and that it isn't difficult at all to go well beyond a typical dry and stringy turkey that too many people have settled for.

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