The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird has been cooking our Thanksgiving turkey since she was 9. Yes, NINE years young. One year she asked if she could make it, I said yes, and she has made it every Thanksgiving since. There are a few lessons to be learned here: first is if you have kids or nieces/nephews/cousins/neighbor kids around for your Thanksgiving festivities, put them to work! Even if you don’t trust them to cook the bird, there are all sorts of ways they can help.
Don’t want crazy kids running wild through your kitchen? Give them a potato peeler and sack of potatoes & have them sit outside & peel away. Second lesson here is that I’m pretty sure my daughter makes a better turkey than I ever did. Never would have known that if I didn’t give her the chance!
Here are some tips and tricks she uses to cook the most delicious turkey every year:
1. Make sure you allow plenty of time to thaw your turkey. Overnight thawing just won’t work for a big bird {most turkeys really} and you’ll have a Thanksgiving disaster on your hands if you try to cook a frozen turkey! Be prepared for up to 3-4 days of thawing. Also pull the turkey out of the fridge about 2 hours before you plan to cook it.
2. The girl sometimes spreads a dry rub on the turkey consisting of a few tablespoons of salt and a little pepper all over the skin before she throws it in the fridge for a few days. All that salt soaks into the skin and makes it that much more delicious!
3. Don’t stuff your turkey. I know, I know. This goes against so many Thanksgiving traditions, but it really does complicate things. It’s hard to get the guts you’ve stuffed cooked to the correct temperature while still evenly cooking your turkey. Nothing seems to benefit from a stuffed turkey, the turkey or the stuffing, so we avoid it!
4. Don’t baste the turkey either but do spread a fatty rub all over right before you cook. She uses a mix of butter, garlic powder, more salt {I know it seems like a lot of salt but trust me it cooks off and tastes awesome} and some herbs like rosemary and/or thyme. Rub it all over the bird & even under the skin, but don’t go too crazy with it or you’ll end up with a greasy turkey! She also will put a little broth in the bottom of the roasting pan to keep the turkey moist during cooking sometimes.
5. Cooking temp is important. Cook the turkey for the 1st 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven and then lower the cook temp to 350 for the remainder of the cooking time. Plan on about 15 minutes per pound. We use a roasting rack to allow the heat to circulate. The Girl says it cooks the turkey more evenly.
6. Buy a meat thermometer that can stay in the turkey like this one. Takes all of the guess work out of it. It will let you know when your bird is done without you having to open and close your oven a million times. If you don’t have a thermometer that can stay in the turkey, just make sure the thermometer you use reads 170 at the thickest part of the turkey before you take the bird out. Plan on a cook time of about 15 minutes per pound.
7. Let the bird sit for a few minutes before you serve it. This “resting” period not only keeps your finger tips safe from scalding turkey burns, but it also makes the turkey a bit juicier.
8. Speaking of juices, don’t throw them away. Save them and cook them into the best gravy ever!
And there you have all the tips our resident turkey cooker could think of. What are some of yours?
~Mavis
Kristin says
My secret is bells seasoning and kosher salt and a plastic cooking bag. Love these. No need to baste and super moist.
Mavis Butterfield says
My Mother always cooks hers in a cooking bag as well. Super moist. 🙂
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
My tip, if you don’t require that your bird be photo ready, is to cook it breast side DOWN. Your life won’t be the same after trying this. I’ve been doing it for years (and I cook 2-3 turkeys each year, ironically never on Thanksgiving). It keeps the meat sooo moist!
KK @ Preppy Pink Crocodile
Madam Chow says
That’s what I do for the first hour, then I flip it over, breast-side up, so that the breast can brown. If I do it this way, I keep it at 400 for the first 45 minutes. Also, no basting because my HH likes crispy skin.
Kathy says
This is the way I cook whole chickens too. The breast meat is so moist when done this way. I also flip it over for last part of cooking to brown the breast.
Evonne says
I ♥ that you let your daughter cook the turkey. What a confidence builder for her and liberating for you. Now you don’t have to make the turkey!!
The thanksgiving division of labor at my house is my husband does the turkey, my mom everything else and I get cleanup. Not sure how I got stuck with that. I’ve tried resigning but they laugh at me….
christine says
Has anyone injected their bird with white wine? We have a friend staying with us from Ecuador who plans on doing this to our turkey. She says it makes for a very tender, juicy bird. …
LisaB says
I was reading this like a checklist… “Yes, I do that… Mmhmm… I do that…” The only things that I do in addition to those are to bake it for the first 15-30 minutes with ONLY the dry rub on, no oils/butter because it sets the spices better onto the skin so that when you do drizzle on the oils/butter the spices stay nicely in place. I also cover with foil or a lid while resting the meat before eating. That steam needs to stay in my meat! So awesome of her to have the desire to try and for you to assist with her venture 😀
Carole Browne says
I always use my “Scarborough Fair” rub on my bird. Parsley, sage, rosemary, tyme, garlic and onion in a dab of olive oil. I only rub it under the skin and it makes the meat taste wonderful. The drippings with all that flavor makes great gravy. I also cook it upside down, nobody really cares if it looks pretty. It is always cut up when it is served. I only cook a turkey breast because my family does not like the dark meat. Happy Thanksgiving!
Laura Z says
If you are cooking your dressing on the side instead of stuffing it, I alway put an apple and lemon that have been sliced in half in the cavity of the bird. Keeps it moist from the inside out.