While cooking turkey takes time, the steps are not difficult. Follow the guide below for our best tips to ensure your roast turkey is perfect and juicy! Cook up some stuffing and mashed potatoes for a perfect thanksgiving feast! This is an easy turkey recipe and can be served with your favorite sides like mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and of course cranberry sauce. OVERVIEW of the Steps for Cooking a Turkey: Stuffing a turkey is optional, a stuffed turkey will take longer to cook. If you decide not to stuff your turkey, I would suggest adding onion and some fresh herbs to the cavity for extra flavor. If the turkey has a band of skin near the cavity opening, you can tuck the legs into the band. If not, simply crisscross the legs over the cavity and tie them together (this is called trussing) with a piece of kitchen string or twine. This helps everything cook more evenly. Next, season the turkey by rubbing with oil or butter and sprinkling with herbs/salt/pepper per the recipe below. According to the USDA, a turkey is fully cooked with both the meat and the center of the stuffing reach 165°F. Use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh and ensure it is not touching the bone. I usually take the turkey out a few degrees early (around 160-162°F) as the temperature will continue to rise while it rests. Use the drippings to create a quick and easy turkey gravy for the perfect holiday meal. © SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
