How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey | Reynolds Brands (2024)

FAQs

How long to cook 20 lb stuffed turkey in an oven bag? ›

8-12 lb turkey: 1 1/2 to 2 hours; 12 to 16 lb turkey: 2 to 2 1/2 hours; 16-20 lb turkey: 2 1/2 to 3 hours; 20-24 lb turkey: 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Insert meat thermometer through bag into thickest part of inner thigh, not touching bone. Tuck ends of bag in pan. BAKE until meat thermometer reads 180°F, 2 to 2 1/2 hours for a 12 to 16 lb. turkey, 2 1/2 to 3 hours for a 16 to 20 lb.

Preheat oven to 325° F. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels. Place turkey breast-side-up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep. Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place.

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).

The most straightforward approach is to roast an unstuffed turkey, breast-side up, for 13 minutes per pound of turkey at 350°.

A turkey roasted in an oven bag will usually cook one hour faster than traditional open roasted methods. For approximate cooking times, follow the oven bag turkey cooking times chart. For food safety, always use a meat thermometer to ensure your meat is cooked correctly.

Oven bags trap moisture inside, which helps to baste the meat and creates rich and seasoned juices for making delicious gravy. Plus, oven bags can save you from messy spills and make cleaning up a snap after cooking your turkey.

Allow room for bag to expand without touching the oven racks or walls. Approximate roasting time is 3-4 ½ hours. Roasting time will vary by oven.

Wash your hands, but not the turkey! Many consumers think that washing their turkey will remove bacteria and make it safer. However, it's virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the bird. Instead, juices that splash during washing can transfer bacteria onto the surfaces of your kitchen, other foods and utensils.

How long to let turkey sit out before cooking? ›

Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. If you plan to stuff your turkey, wait until you're ready to put it in the oven before putting the stuffing in the turkey.

"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."

To Cover Or Not To Cover

So, yes, you do want to cover the turkey with foil to give it a chance to roast without getting dry. But then, towards the end of the cook time, remove the foil so the skin—the best part in this writer's opinion—gets a chance to crisp up.

No preparation. No more need for planning days in advance to thaw, dealing with messy necks, giblets, or touching raw meat. Forget about basting or brining.

Yes. Larger turkeys sixteen pounds and up that are fully thawed and cooked in an oven bag can cook up to one hour faster than the turkey package directions. See the oven bag cooking chart for estimated times.

One thing to be aware of - it will take far less time to roast the turkey with convection than it takes to roast it non-convection! I usually roast 20+pound turkeys (with stuffing) in 3 to 4 hours.

Cooking bags can be used in the roaster oven as long as the bag does not touch the sides, bottom, or lid.