Help with Measurements and Cooking Times

This Thanksgiving, don’t waste time trying to figure out how to convert measurements, how much turkey to buy or how much time is needed for thawing and cooking.  Convert a measurement for your Thanksgiving recipe, decide when to start thawing the turkey, take the guess work out of portion sizing for family gathering and roast your turkey to perfection with this Turkey and Measurement Calculator from Butterball Foods.

Turkey Handling and Safety Tips

1. Thaw Your Turkey Safely

  • In the refrigerator in a container;
  • In a leak-proof plastic bag in a sink of cold water (change the water every 30 minutes); or
  • In the microwave, following the microwave oven manufacturer’s instructions.

Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. A thawing turkey must defrost at a safe temperature. When the turkey is left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, its temperature becomes unsafe. Bacteria can grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F.

2. Handle Your Turkey the Right Way

Raw poultry can contaminate anything it touches with harmful bacteria. Follow the four steps to food safety—clean, separate, cook, and chill—to prevent the spread of bacteria to your food, family, and friends.

  • Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling turkey.
  • Do not wash raw turkey. During washing, turkey juices can spread in the kitchen and contaminate other foods, utensils, and countertops.
  • Use a separate cutting board for raw turkey.
  • Never place cooked food or fresh produce on a plate, cutting board, or other surface that previously held raw turkey.
  • Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing turkey and before you prepare the next item.

3. Cook Stuffing Thoroughly

Cooking stuffing separately from the turkey in a casserole dish makes it easy to be sure it is thoroughly cooked. If you cook stuffing in the turkey, put the stuffing in the turkey just before cooking.

With either cooking method, use a food thermometer to make sure the stuffing’s center reaches 165°F. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165°F and may then cause food poisoning. If you cook stuffing in the turkey, wait 20 minutes after taking the bird out of the oven before removing the stuffing; this allows it to cook a little more. Learn more about how to prepare stuffing safely.

Use a food thermometer to check for a safe internal temperature.

4. Cook Your Turkey Thoroughly

Set the oven temperature to at least 325°F. Place the completely thawed turkey in a roasting pan that is 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Cooking time will vary depending on the weight of the turkey. Use a food thermometer to make sure the turkey has reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Check by inserting a food thermometer into the center of the stuffing and the thickest portions of the breast, thigh, and wing joint. Even if your turkey has a pop-up temperature indicator, you should still use a food thermometer to check that it is safely cooked. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat.

Source CDC.gov

How to Roast a Fresh Turkey or a Frozen Turkey to Perfection

  1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Drain turkey juices and pat the bird dry with clean paper towels.
  2. Place turkey breast side up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep.
  3. Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place. (Tucking the wings will help stabilize the turkey in the pan and when carving)   Brush or spray skin lightly with vegetable or cooking oil for best appearance.
  4. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh without touching the bone. When the thigh is up to temperature, and if the turkey is stuffed, move the thermometer to the center of the stuffing.
  5. Place your turkey in the oven.
  6. When the turkey is about ⅔ done, loosely cover the breast with a piece of foil to prevent overcooking.
  7. Your turkey is done when the temperature with a meat thermometer is 180° F in thigh and 170° F in breast or stuffing.
  8. Lift turkey onto platter, and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.