4 to 12 lb (1. 8 to 5. 4 kg): 1-3 days of total thawing time 12 to 16 lb (5. 4 to 7. 3 kg): 3-4 days of total thawing time 16 to 20 lb (7. 3 to 9. 1 kg): 4-5 days of total thawing time 20 to 24 lb (9. 1 to 10. 9 kg): 5-6 days of total thawing time
4 to 12 lb (1. 8 to 5. 4 kg): 2 to 6 hours of thawing time 12 to 16 lb (5. 4 to 7. 3 kg): 6 to 8 hours of thawing time 16 to 20 lb (7. 3 to 9. 1 kg): 8 to 10 hours of thawing time 20 to 24 lb (9. 1 to 10. 9 kg): 10 to 12 hours of thawing time
If you don’t have a roasting pan, place your roasting rack on top of a big sheet pan instead. Skip this step if you thawed your turkey in a cool water bath. In this case, start cooking your bird as soon as it defrosts all the way. [5] X Trustworthy Source FoodSafety. gov Online portal combining food safety information from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Go to source
As gross as this is, you do need to remove the neck and giblets before you can start cooking the turkey. Thankfully, you can get it over with pretty early on! Some chefs like to set aside the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard for the gravy. They often throw out the dark red, lumpy turkey liver, which can add a bitter flavor to the sauce. [8] X Research source
Cooking pros suggest using around ⅛ tsp (2. 13 g) of salt and 0. 4 tsp (2. 3 g) of pepper per 1 lb (0. 45 kg) of meat. Go ahead and skip the seasoning if you’re working with a kosher-style bird, which comes pre-seasoned. You also don’t need to season a turkey that’s already brined.
Thyme, rosemary, and parsley are all great herbs to put inside your turkey. Cooking experts don’t suggest an exact amount of herbs or veggies to stick inside of your turkey. It ultimately depends on the size of your bird!
You’re welcome to spread the butter/oil by hand or with a kitchen brush (if you’d prefer not to touch the raw meat directly). Make your turkey even juicier by sliding some butter or oil underneath the turkey breast skin.
Some Thanksgiving turkeys may come packaged with a plastic or metal “hock lock”, which automatically secures the turkey’s legs together. Don’t worry about tying up your turkey if it already has this contraption.
Feel free to add some chopped-up veggies to the bottom of the roasting pan as well, like carrots, shallots, and/or celery. These help add a little extra flavor to the turkey drippings and meat.
8 to 12 lb (3. 6 to 5. 4 kg): 2. 75 to 3 hours of cooking time 12 to 14 lb (5. 4 to 6. 4 kg): 3 to 3. 75 hours of cooking time 14 to 18 lb (6. 4 to 8. 2 kg): 3. 75 to 4. 25 hours of cooking time 18 to 20 lb (8. 2 to 9. 1 kg): 4. 25 to 4. 5 hours of cooking time 20 to 24 lb (9. 1 to 10. 9 kg): 4. 5 to 5 hours of cooking time
The deepest portion of the chicken breast is along the bottom of the turkey, directly opposite of the legs. [20] X Research source
