My Fearless Kitchen

Quick tips and easy recipes to chase the fear out of your kitchen.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

  • mfk_utensils
  • Recipes
      • Quick and Easy
      • Slow Cooker
      • Grill
      • Freezer Friendly
      • Dips & Snacks
      • Breakfast & Breads
      • Dessert Recipes
      • Main Dish Recipes
      • Side Dish Recipes
      • Soups & Salads
  • Kitchen Tips, Tricks, & More
  • About Farming & Food
    • About GMOs
    • Antibiotics
    • Meat
    • Pigs
    • Eggs
    • Poultry
  • Disclosure, Disclaimers, & Privacy Policy
Home » 3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey

3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey

By Marybeth Feutz 17 Comments

Cooking a turkey seems like a big job. But don’t be afraid! You can cook the perfect turkey in under two hours, by following these 3 simple steps.

3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Cooking a turkey seems like a big job. But don't be afraid! You can cook the perfect turkey in under two hours, by following these 3 simple steps.

3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey

{Referral links are used in this post.}

After learning how to brine the perfect turkey, you need to learn how to cook the perfect turkey. All the prep work you do will be wasted if you overcook your bird. Nobody likes a dry turkey!

One note about the brine. When you take the turkey out – throw the brine away. It’s had a raw turkey sitting in it for 12-18 hours at this point, so there are some food safety issues. (You’ll be thoroughly cooking your turkey, so don’t worry about food safety there.) Do not try to use the brine liquid for cooking. Again, there’s the food safety issue, but it is also SO SALTY that anything you try to cook with it will be ruined.

This technique is from Alton Brown’s Good Eats. I love the way he approaches cooking with science!

1. Don’t Stuff the Turkey

I don’t put stuffing in my turkey. John’s family has an out-of-the-bird stuffing (aka dressing) recipe that they do every year. And there are way too many of us to fit all that stuffing inside the bird. And if you put stuffing inside the turkey, it just takes longer to cook, which means you’re more likely to end up with a dry turkey. And no one likes dry turkey.

But I do put a few things inside the turkey – onion, apple, a cinnamon stick, a few sprigs of rosemary, and a few sage leaves.

Before the turkey is ready to go into the oven, you need to tuck the wings under the back. Rotate the little flapper behind the turkey, so it looks like it’s resting with the arms behind the shoulders. That just keeps these little guys out of the way and keeps them from burning.

3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Cooking a turkey seems like a big job. But don't be afraid! You can cook the perfect turkey in under two hours, by following these 3 simple steps.

2. Make a Turkey Triangle

I think the turkey triangle is the single most important part of roasting a turkey. Brush the skin of your turkey with canola oil (I use a silicone brush like this one). Don’t be shy with the oil – if you think you’ve used enough, go over it one more time! Then grab a sheet of aluminum foil, and fold two corners in so you have a triangle shape. Press the triangle down so it forms to the shape of the turkey breast. Gently take the foil off, coat the part that will touch the turkey with canola oil, and set it aside. You’ll want to set it somewhere where it won’t get crushed, or accidentally thrown away. You don’t need the turkey triangle right now, but you’ll want it in about 30 minutes.

3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Cooking a turkey seems like a big job. But don't be afraid! You can cook the perfect turkey in under two hours, by following these 3 simple steps.

3. Cook the Turkey

Now it’s time to pop your turkey in the oven. I need you to take a leap of faith with me, or rather with Alton Brown. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yes, that’s right, I said 500 degrees.

Roast the turkey at 500 degrees, without the foil triangle, for 30 minutes.

That short, hot roasting does a couple of things. First, it gives the outside of your turkey a beautiful golden color (also thanks to the oil you brushed it with earlier). Second, it cooks the outside layer fast, which sears all the juices inside (just like cooking the perfect steak hot and fast).

3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Cooking a turkey seems like a big job. But don't be afraid! You can cook the perfect turkey in under two hours, by following these 3 simple steps.

After 30 minutes, take the turkey out, and lower your oven temperature to 350 degrees. Now, put on the turkey triangle. Remember, your turkey just came out of a 500 degree oven, so it is hot-hot-hot! This is why we shaped the foil to fit before. Now all you should have to do it place the foil triangle over the bird and give it a gentle pat to stay in place.

This is also the time to put in your meat thermometer (here’s how). Go right through the foil and into the turkey breast. You want the end of the thermometer to be in the middle of the thickest part of the breast. If you have a probe-style thermometer with an alarm (which I highly recommend), set the alarm to 161 degrees.

Put the turkey back in the oven, and ignore it until the thermometer alarm goes off. Seriously. Ignore it. No peeking, no basting, nothing. (With a brine and that first hot-hot-hot 30 minutes to get a good sear on the outside, there will be little to no drippings to baste with, anyway.)

3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey from My Fearless Kitchen. Cooking a turkey seems like a big job. But don't be afraid! You can cook the perfect turkey in under two hours, by following these 3 simple steps.

When the middle of the turkey breast gets to 161 degrees, take the turkey out. Take the thermometer out (don’t forget, this part is hot, too!) and take the foil triangle off. Loosely tent the turkey under a large sheet of foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes. The turkey will continue to heat up a little bit to 165 degrees (which is the USDA recommended temperature for fully cooked poultry). Then carve away!

And did I mention that if you’re using a 12-16 pound turkey, it will be fully cooked in 2 hours or less? Seriously. It only took me about an hour and a half to cook this beauty!

Are you ready to roast your turkey this year? Don’t forget to take the turkey out of the freezer early!

Take the Fear Out of Turkey

Do you want even more tips about turkey? Check out these Top 10 Turkey Tips and never be afraid of cooking turkey again!

Top 10 Turkey Tips from My Fearless Kitchen. This guide has everything you need to know for your Thanksgiving turkey. Learn how to choose the right turkey, how to store it until the big day, and how to brine a turkey. Get the 3 steps to a perfect turkey, get tips on how to fry a turkey safely, and learn how to carve your turkey like a pro. Plus, get a huge list of recipes for your turkey leftovers!

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of This Recipe

  • How to Choose a Turkey – free printable!
  • How to Thaw a Turkey
  • How to Brine a Turkey

3 More Recipes to Try

  • Slow Cooker Cinnamon-Honey Ham
  • Fall-Off-The-Bone Roast Chicken
  • Honey Mustard Baked Ham

Printable Recipe Card for The Perfect Turkey

How To Roast the Perfect Turkey

Marybeth Feutz
Cooking a turkey seems like a big job. But don't be afraid! You can roast the perfect turkey in under two hours, with just a little big of prep work!
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
Course Main
Servings 8 -10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 12-14 pound turkey thawed
  • 1 red apple sliced
  • 1/2 onion sliced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 6 leaves sage
  • 3 cups water
  • Canola oil

Instructions
 

  • Brine the turkey overnight. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse with cold water, and pat dry. Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a pan.
  • Put the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, rosemary, and sage in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Using tongs, loosely place the apple, onion, cinnamon, rosemary, and sage in the turkey's cavity.
  • Tuck the wings under the turkey. Coat the skin with canola oil.
  • Fold a large sheet of aluminum foil into a triangle shape and press to fit the turkey breast. Coat the underneath of the triangle liberally with canola oil and set aside.
  • Roast turkey on the lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, put the triangle over the turkey breast, insert the meat thermometer, return the turkey to the oven, and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
  • Cook the turkey until the center part of the breast reaches 161 degrees F (1.5-2.5 hours total). Let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Shared on:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Holiday Recipe Box, Holiday Tool Box, Main Dish Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: Alton Brown, food, leftovers, recipe, roast turkey, Thankgsiving, turkey

« How to Brine a Turkey
How to Carve a Turkey »

Comments

  1. Ceci says

    12/14/2017 at 8:09 am

    5 stars
    Perfect recipe. must try…

  2. Marybeth Feutz says

    12/18/2017 at 11:04 am

    You won’t believe how easy a turkey is with these tips!

  3. Andrina Mathew says

    09/13/2018 at 4:24 am

    5 stars
    Yummy ,so nice and perfect recipe. I am loving it.

  4. Julia says

    11/03/2018 at 5:40 pm

    I’m so looking forward to Thanksgiving. It is a particularly favorite meal of mine filled with wonderful memories. I love cooking, spending time with family and friends and of course eating all of the delicious food. Your turkey is beautiful!

  5. Marybeth Feutz says

    11/18/2018 at 9:54 pm

    Thank you!

  6. Miranda says

    11/24/2018 at 9:58 pm

    Please don’t tell people it takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours… I have a 14 pound turkey and it’s been cooking 2 1/2 hours and still has at least an hour to go not trusting this site anymore… still waiting…

  7. support says

    11/24/2018 at 10:01 pm

    I’m sorry your turkey is taking longer to cook. I cook mine this way every year. As long as the turkey is fully thawed and you start it at 500 degrees for 30 minutes, a 14-pound turkey should be fully cooked in 1.5-2 hours.

Trackbacks

  1. Slow Cooker Cheesy White Turkey Chili - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    09/11/2017 at 12:13 am

    […] just spent all day slaving over a stove to cook a giant turkey with all the sides. And now you don’t want to cook for days. Yeah, me either. So toss some […]

  2. Fall-Off-The-Bone Roast Chicken - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    09/12/2017 at 1:28 pm

    […] This chicken is roasted like this turkey recipe. […]

  3. How to Deglaze a Pan - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    09/20/2017 at 12:38 pm

    […] 3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey […]

  4. Mini Turkey Pot Pies - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    09/20/2017 at 1:33 pm

    […] I make these Mini Turkey Pot Pies every year with leftover Thanksgiving turkey! […]

  5. How Long Can You Keep Leftovers in the Refrigerator? - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    10/04/2017 at 11:30 am

    […] fast, right? Especially after the holidays when you’ve got a big turkey or a big ham (or both!) taking up refrigerator […]

  6. Slow Cooker Ham, Turkey, and Noodle Casserole - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    02/21/2018 at 11:48 am

    […] perfect for after one of those holidays – you know, when you have leftover ham and leftover turkey? Toss them together with some noodles, and make a completely different […]

  7. How to Shred Meat in Your Mixer - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    02/23/2018 at 11:54 am

    […] will work with chicken, turkey, beef roast, pork roast – anything that you want to be shredded or […]

  8. How to Make Corned Beef - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    02/23/2018 at 2:50 pm

    […] you’ve ever brined a turkey (you haven’t? why not? find out how here), you can make corned beef. You start with a piece […]

  9. Turkey Enchiladas - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    04/24/2018 at 7:13 am

    […] leftover turkey, use ground meat, use leftover chicken, skip the meat and use extra beans if you want a vegetarian […]

  10. Oven-Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    09/16/2018 at 1:23 pm

    […] F. I know, it seems crazy high. (Don’t forget, I start my turkeys at 500 degrees F for the perfect turkey every time!) Just trust me, you want to start the chicken at 450 […]

Comment Policy

I welcome comments and conversation. All comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately. As long as you are respectful and courteous, your comment will be approved.
(Read my comment policy for more details.)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I'm Marybeth, the blogger behind My Fearless Kitchen! Jump in, and let me share what I'm learning about food, farming, quick kitchen tips, and easy recipes to chase the fear out of YOUR kitchen! Read more.
Follow Us On Pinterest

Popular Posts

Half-Sour Refrigerator Pickles

Honey-BBQ Oven-Baked Ribs

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Comment Policy — Disclosures, Disclaimers, & Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · My Fearless Kitchen

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.