Yes folks, I’m here to tell you how to prepare THE BEST Thanksgiving turkey EVER!! I’m estimating that my family has been preparing turkeys this way for approximately 80 years. We’re 3 generations strong and passing this method onto the 4th generation this year.
In all those years, we have NEVER…repeat…NEVER had a dry turkey. Our bird is always moist and full of flavor every single time. A 22+/- pound turkey is so easy to prepare and done to absolute delicious perfection in approximately 6 hours. And this is how my family does it…
Let’s Make The BEST Thanksgiving Turkey EVER…
Clean the turkey, remove it’s little “lunch” (of turkey parts) inside the bird. Cook the parts or toss them-that’s your preference. Check the skin of the entire outside of the turkey and remove any remaining feathers or quills and such. Yes folks, there’s always a few unwanted stragglers that were missed during the processing!
The controversial subject of wash or don’t wash the turkey is your preference. There are arguments and opinions in all ways. I’m not here to discuss that hot bed issue. Whichever way you choose, just be sure to pat your turkey dry with paper towels and safely discard them.
Please be sure to wash your hands after handling the raw turkey before you touch anything else. Avoiding cross contamination is very important. Be sure to bleach any and all kitchen surfaces that the turkey or your gooey turkey hands have touched. Food safety first folks!
My family and I prefer the Butterballâ„¢ brand of turkeys. https://www.butterball.com/
But, in years when we weren’t able to afford or obtain a butterball, a store brand has also fared well with this form of preparation and cooking.
Stuff That Thanksgiving Turkey!
Yes folks, my family always stuffs their turkey with a flavorful dried bread (or crouton), herb, celery and onion stuffing. Trust me, it cooks all the way through and so does the turkey. The stuffing and the turkey add so much flavor to each other and they both cook through completely, every time. I promise you, neither is undercooked and no one has ever gotten sick from eating our Thanksgiving turkey or stuffing.
A few years ago, I started wrapping the stuffing with cheesecloth before inserting into both ends of the turkey. It makes it much easier to remove the stuffing from the bird once cooked. So you don’t have to scrape all the remnants out of the turkey caverns.
Prepare the turkey in a roasting pan-be sure to apply non-stick spray to make clean-up easier. I prefer to use disposable foil pans, because clean-up is so much easier than scrubbing a dirty roasting pan after a long day of cooking. And also because when I dismantle the carcass and all the turkey pieces to their new homes of leftovers for later uses, I throw any unwanted items into the foil pan and then throw it all away.
Lace That Bird!
After you have stuffed the turkey, be sure to get a turkey lacer and lace that bird up to contain the legs and the flavorful stuffing inside. Or you can tuck the legs in the skin and the wings under the body and let the insides all hang out. As you can see, I prefer to contain all that goodness!
STOP, before you put the turkey in the roasting pan, add a couple inches of liquid in the form of chicken stock, turkey stock, vegetable stock or a combination of stock and water. You don’t want the turkey swimming, but you also don’t want him to boil dry. Put the liquid in first, not the turkey, so there is a barrier between the turkey and the heat source that will prevent the turkey from burning. If you’d like to put a rack under the turkey, you can do that as well. Make sure there’s enough liquid, but not too much. I usually add around 2 inches of liquid at most. If you don’t have stocks, you can use water. But remember…start with good flavors, end with better flavors.
Making your own stocks is so easy and worth the effort to obtain better flavors. Here’s a little stock helper…https://www.facebook.com/frugalanddelicious/posts/1117008052010265
For The Best Thanksgiving Turkey, Season The Bird Inside and Out
Keep it simple folks. Let the turkey flavor speak for itself. Along with the subtle flavors from the stuffing inside, you don’t need to add too much more. At least my family never has. Just brush the entire outside surface of the turkey with olive or vegetable oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. That’s it! IF you feel you must add more seasonings then paprika, garlic powder and/or onion powder will suffice. Fresh herbs such as thyme or sage are also OK. Of course do so to you or your family’s preferences.
Now, Cover That Bird!
Now that the turkey is in it’s little bath…time to give it some privacy. Cover the turkey completely with layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Take it all the way to the edges and seal it tightly. Squeeze that foil tight and be sure (if you’re using disposable foil pans) to bend the outside edges upward so any steam or liquids leak back into the pan and not onto your stove. Trust me, I learned my lesson the messy way!
This is the key to making The Best Thanksgiving Turkey Ever! It’s always moist and full of flavor…basically you’re going to steam it first. DON’T PEEK! DON’T OPEN THAT FOIL UNTIL IT’S TIME TO PUT IT IN THE OVEN! Unless….you didn’t put enough liquid in the bottom of the pan and you smell it burning. Then you are basically back to square one with a new pan, more liquid and then put the turkey in the pan, seal the foil and start the cooking process all over again.
Cook that Bird!
CAREFULLY, place the turkey filled roasting pan ON TOP of your stove…Yes, folks, on top of your stove! Across 2 burners of equal heat setting. Bring the liquid to a boil. Allow to boil for 30-60 minutes, depending on size of the turkey. Though, truth be told…one year I got seriously distracted and let it boil for well over an hour. OOOps! Thankfully no ill will came to the turkey other than his original demise. But, if I recall….it was done a bit sooner that particular year. My family didn’t mind, because we ate sooner and they could return to the living room and watch the football game sooner! So, after it boils for 30-60 minutes or so….then reduce to a good simmer for about 4 hours.
Burner Size Does Matter
For 38 years, I always had a gas stove with 2 equal sized burners on one side of the stove. So this used to be a bit easier to do. Then, we moved to a home in an area that gas stoves are not an easy option. To say I had a mere panic attack that first Thanksgiving morning in our new home would be an understatement.
Alas, I took a deep thoughtful breath and figured it out. Kind of simple…I set both burners on one side to the same number/heat setting. And halfway through the cooking time, I carefully (and sometimes with a helper) lifted the heavy turkey and liquid filled double panned base upwards slightly (so as not to scratch the stovetop) and turned it around so that what was in front is now in back and vice versa. Then continue to cook the turkey as before.
Uncover That Bird, Baste And Bake It!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the layers of foil surrounding the turkey. You’ll notice that the legs are already pulling away from the torso. Fabulous! It may not be super pretty, but I promise you…it will be moist and delicious! Now carefully transfer the turkey filled roasting pan into the preheated 400 degree oven. Using a turkey baster, apply hefty squirts of that fabulous flavorful turkey broth all over the bird. Now set your timer and be sure to baste the bird every 15 minutes for only 1 hour. Yes, only 1 hour in the oven!!! Just until it’s skin is a lovely shade of brown and crispy!
Remember to let your turkey rest before cutting and serving!
Then remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for at least 30-40 minutes or so. Put a little foil tent (with clean foil) over it to maintain some warmth until you are ready to carve and serve it. Remove the stuffing from the turkey, unwrap the cheesecloth covering and place the stuffing into a serving bowl first. Then carve and serve the turkey as usual.
This method works for a turkey breast as well!
Morale Of This Best Thanksgiving Turkey Story…
This may be an unorthodox method for cooking a turkey, but I swear it works. And you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to put the turkey in the oven and let it bake all day. And you won’t ever eat a dry turkey again.
The reduced turkey time in the oven gives you time to use the oven to bake all those casseroles and other side dishes that need to be baked in the oven. And the resting time gives you a chance to put those items back into the oven just to warm them through until it’s time to take them to the table or buffet.
Simply Stated Turkey Time Frame…
Here’s the tried and true time frame my family and I have always used…start with a 22-24 pound turkey (more or less poundage will affect the overall time frame +/-).
If you put the turkey on the stove at 9am, it will cook there until 2pm. Then at 2pm, remove the foil. Place the turkey in a preheated 400 degree oven and baste every 15 minutes for 1 hour (or until properly browned). Remove the turkey at 3pm and allow to rest (tented with fresh foil), until ready to slice and serve.
If you put the turkey on the stove at 10am, it will cook there until 3pm. Then at 3pm, remove the foil. Place the turkey in a preheated 400 degree oven and baste every 15 minutes for 1 hour (or until properly browned). Remove the turkey at 4pm and allow to rest (tented with fresh foil), until ready to slice and serve.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Wishing you all the best today and every day and especially on Turkey Day…My Favorite Holiday!!
Be Safe. Be Kind. Virtual Hugs!
Chauncey
For additional deliciousness….Use this blog for reference using a chicken carcass and use the turkey carcass instead. It will make the most delicious base of turkey stock for your soup…YUM!!
https://frugalanddelicious.com/how-to-make-delicious-instant-pot-garbage-soup/
