How long do you cook a 20 pound turkey?

If you’re baking it at 325°F (the lowest temperature the USDA recommends), you’ll need to bake a 20-lb turkey in the oven for 4 to 5 hours if it’s unstuffed, and 4 ¼ to 5 ¼ hours if it’s stuffed.

How long do you cook a 20 pound turkey?

If you’re baking it at 325°F (the lowest temperature the USDA recommends), you’ll need to bake a 20-lb turkey in the oven for 4 to 5 hours if it’s unstuffed, and 4 ¼ to 5 ¼ hours if it’s stuffed.

How long does it take to bake a 9 pound turkey?

This table from the USDA is based on a 325°F oven, and a fully defrosted or fresh bird. (For an unstuffed bird, we’re talking roughly 15 minutes per pound.) If you want to cook a frozen turkey, it will take at least 50 percent longer than the recommended times. Your turkey will cook faster in a 325°F convection oven.

How long can a thawed turkey stay in the fridge?

1 to 2 days

Should I cover my turkey with foil?

Just make sure you uncover the lid about 30 minutes before the turkey’s done roasting so the skin has a chance to get crispy. Covering the bird with foil mimics what a roaster lid would do — it traps steam and moistness so the turkey doesn’t dry out — all the while allowing the skin to crisp up.

How long should a turkey sit before carving?

20 minutes

Why did my turkey cook unevenly?

Solution: An unevenly cooked turkey is almost always a result of not trussing properly — or an oven that doesn’t cook evenly. If you believe your oven doesn’t heat evenly, try rotating the roasting pan a couple of times during cooking. And use an oven thermometer to tell what the temperature is.

How do you fix a chewy turkey?

5 Smart Ways to Salvage an Overcooked Turkey

  1. Let gravy save the day. Cover the slices of meat with lots of that delicious gravy, and no one will be the wiser.
  2. Warm with chicken stock.
  3. Focus on the dark meat.
  4. Make the side dishes the stars of the meal.
  5. Refill everyone’s wine glass.

How long do you cook an 8 pound turkey?

Approximate Times for Roasting an Unstuffed Turkey

Weight Time
6-8 lbs. 2 1/2 to 3 hours
8-12 lbs. 3 to 4 hours
12-16 lbs. 4 to 5 hours
16-20 lbs. 5 to 5 1/2 hours

How often do I baste a turkey?

Basting is optional when roasting a turkey. To ensure a moist turkey, the key is to not overcook it. Try using a remote digital thermometer that will alert you when the turkey is fully cooked yet still juicy. If you choose to baste the bird, do so every 30 minutes.

Should you put water in turkey roasting pan?

We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey.” The drippings will be less flavorful and not as concentrated as roast turkey drippings.

Do you put butter or oil on Turkey?

2. Rub the skin with fat. Once you’ve carefully dried off the skin, the next step you can take to guarantee perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat, like butter or oil. Oil will yield a crispier skin than butter because butter is at least 20 percent water, while oil contains no water.

How long do you cook a 15 lb turkey at 375?

  1. Preparing the bird – Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cooking the bird – Estimate 12-15 minutes per pound for stuffed turkeys.
  3. Testing for doneness – You can either test by checking the temperature or checking the color of the juices.
  4. Finishing off – Remove bird from the oven.

How long does it take to cook a 7 pound turkey?

Unstuffed, a 7 to 8-pound turkey will cook from 2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hours; if stuffed, it will cook in 3 to 4 hours.