When preparing a whole turkey, it's important to cook the meat thoroughly to avoid food-borne illnesses. The USDA says that a whole turkey should be cooked until its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Always check the bird with a meat thermometer before removing it from the oven and eating it, even if you have cooked it for the recommended time.
Unstuffed Turkey
Unstuffed turkeys take less time to cook than stuffed turkeys because the air can circulate more freely throughout the center cavity of the bird. According to the USDA, a thawed, unstuffed turkey that weighs between 8 and 12 lbs. should take from 2 3/4 to 3 hours to fully cook in a 325-degree F conventional oven. A 12- to 14-lb. turkey takes 3 to 3 3/4 hours to cook. A 14- to 18-lb. turkey requires 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours hours to cook, while a 18- to 20-lb. bird should be ready within 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours. A turkey that weighs 20 to 24 lbs. needs 4 1/2 to 5 hours to cook thoroughly.
If the turkey is frozen, the cooking time will need to be increased by about 50 percent.
Stuffed Turkey
The USDA warns against cooking thawed, stuffed turkeys, as the stuffing can promote food-borne illness if it isn't heated thoroughly. If you do cook a thawed, stuffed turkey, make sure the internal temperature of the stuffing also registers at 165 degrees F before removing it from the oven.
A stuffed, thawed turkey that weighs 8 to 12 lbs. requires 3 to 3 1/2 hours to fully cook at 325 degrees F in a conventional oven. A 12- to 14-lb. bird takes 3 1/2 to 4 hours to cook, while a 14- to 18-lb. turkey requires 4 to 4 1/2 hours. A turkey that weighs 18 to 20 lbs. needs 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours. A 20- to 24-lb. stuffed turkey requires 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours.
Alternate Methods
Though roasting is the most common method of preparing a whole turkey, there are other ways to cook it. Smoking a turkey in a smoker takes about 20 to 30 minutes per pound, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Grilling a turkey in a covered grill over indirect heat takes about 15 to 18 minutes per pound. Deep-frying a whole turkey requires three to five minutes per pound.
With all of these methods, the only appropriate type of turkey to use is a completely thawed, unstuffed bird. None of the methods take long enough to kill the bacteria in the stuffing, and the stuffing could actually be a fire hazard when deep-frying.
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