Baking a turkey can seem like a daunting thing to a lot of people, but it is really easy to make. All you have to do is follow these simple steps and your turkey will come out perfectly done, moist, and delicious.
Imagine your loved ones gathered around the table waiting for the turkey, and when you take it out, it is perfect and golden. You slice it and it is moist and tasty. We all want to serve the perfect turkey to our loved ones.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERFECT TURKEY
- 1 turkey (1 ½ lbs per guest), thawed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT TURKEY IN THE OVEN
The best compliment is an empty platter. Follow these steps and make a delicious gravy too. Keep the leftovers (if any) to make sandwiches, soup, or pie!
- Step 1. Preheat oven to 450F
- Step 2. Take the turkey out of the bag, wash it, and pat it dry. Remove the giblet bag from the head cavity and the neck from the body cavity.
- Step 3. Place the turkey in the roasting pan, breast side up. Make sure it is very dry. Add carrots, celery sticks, cut tomatoes, a quartered onion, and baby potatoes in the pan. Add salt and pepper to the bird and vegetables.
- Step 4. Melt a stick of butter and brush the turkey liberally with the melted butter
- Step 5. Pour two cups of chicken broth into the pan, place turkey in the oven, and reduce temperature to 350F. Bake for 13 mins per pound. Every hour, take the turkey out of the oven, baste with broth and brush it with butter. If the turkey is browning faster than it cooks, cover with aluminum foil and keep baking until the internal temperature between the thigh and the breast reaches at least 165F.
HOW AND WHEN TO MAKE THE TURKEY GRAVY
To make the gravy, take the juice with the drippings out of the pan and place it in the blender with the cooked onions, carrots, tomatoes, and celery you added to the pan at the beginning. Blend until smooth, strain it and transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan.
Season with salt and pepper and cook until heated through. Make a slurry with one teaspoon of cornstarch in ¼ cup sauce, add to the pan and cook until thick.
HOW DO I KEEP MY TURKEY MOIST?
By adding chicken stock to the roasting pan, and basting the turkey every hour, you can be sure that your turkey will turn out moist and delicious.
Brushing it with butter will make the skin golden and ensure an even browning.
HOW DO I KEEP MY TURKEY FROM DRYING OUT
If your turkey is browning too quickly, or you fear it is drying out, cover it with aluminum foil the rest of the cooking time. Don’t forget to baste it. This keeps the skin moist and prevents over-browning of the skin.
Check the internal temperature of the turkey by inserting the meat thermometer between the thigh and the breast. When it reaches 165F, it is done. Do not overcook it, or it will dry out.
DO YOU COOK A TURKEY AT 325F OR 35OF?
Preheat your oven to 450F. Immediately after placing the turkey in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350F. Do not cook the turkey at less than 350F or it will take forever to cook or not cook properly.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
- CHICKEN CRESCENT ROLL CASSEROLE
- BROCCOLI CHEDDAR CHICKEN
- CRISPY CHEDDAR CHICKEN
- CHICKEN PICCATA WITH LEMON SAUCE
- CAJUN CHICKEN WITH BELL PEPPERS
- ALICE SPRINGS CHICKEN RECIPE (OUTBACK COPYCAT)
- MARRY ME CHICKEN
How To Cook a Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 turkey (1 ½ lbs per guest), thawed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F
- Take the turkey out of the bag, wash it, and pat it dry. Remove the giblet bag from the head cavity and the neck from the body cavity.
- Place the turkey in the roasting pan, breast side up. Make sure it is very dry. Add carrots, celery sticks, cut tomatoes, a quartered onion, and baby potatoes in the pan. Add salt and pepper to the bird and vegetables.
- Melt a stick of butter and brush the turkey liberally with the melted butter
- Pour two cups of chicken broth into the pan, place turkey in the oven, and reduce temperature to 350F. Bake for 13 mins per pound. Every hour, take the turkey out of the oven, baste with broth and brush it with butter. If the turkey is browning faster than it cooks, cover with aluminum foil and keep baking until the internal temperature between the thigh and the breast reaches at least 165F.
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