Everything You Need to Know About Cooking a Turkey

Mastering the turkey basics can be tricky. Even experienced cooks get nervous when it's time to prepare Thanksgiving's main entree. Let us relieve the pressure with our turkey recipes and information on cooking a turkey that makes Thanksgiving dinner a success.

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What Size to Buy

When choosing the size of turkey for your Thanksgiving gathering:

allow 1 pound per adult for turkeys under 12 pounds.

allow 3/4 pound per adult for turkeys over 12 pounds.

allow 1/2 pound per adult if using a boneless turkey breast.

If you want leftovers for more turkey recipes, buy a turkey 2-4 pounds larger than you need and make one of these delicious dishes.

Get Our Ginger- and Garlic-Rubbed Turkey Recipe

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How to Brine a Turkey

Brining involves submerging your turkey overnight in a mixture of salt, water, and often added spices. The result is tender, flavorful meat with every bite.

Get our step-by-step directions for how to brine a turkey.

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How to Season a Turkey with Herbs

Here's a sneaky trick for how to season a turkey using herbs: After you've rinsed and dried the turkey, gently loosen the skin over the breast. Slide sage leaves between the skin and meat. Tuck additional sage leaves and onion wedges into the neck and body cavity to add big flavor to the drippings.

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How to Roast a Turkey

Learn everything you need to know about how to roast a turkey, from thawing to trussing. We've included a step-by-step photos to make roasting a turkey easy!

Roast a turkey like a pro

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Timing Guidelines for Stuffed Turkeys

Do you know how long to cook a turkey? Or what tempature to cook a turkey at. It all depends on the size of your bird. We recommend roasting in a 325-degree-F oven using these cooking times for stuffed turkeys:

for an 8- to 12-pound turkey, roast 3 to 3-3/4 hours.

for a 12- to 14-pound turkey, roast 3-1/4 to 4-1/2 hours.

for a 14- to 18-pound turkey, roast 4 to 5 hours.

for an 18- to 20-pound turkey, roast 4-1/2 to 5-1/4 hours.

for a 20- to 24-pound turkey, roast 4-3/4 to 5-3/4 hours.

Note: For unstuffed turkeys of the same weight, reduce total cooking time by 15 to 45 minutes.

Get Our Classic Roast Turkey Recipe

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How to Carve a Turkey

After you've successfully roasted the turkey, it's time to carve it and serve! Start by removing the drumsticks before moving on to breasts, wings, etc.

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Honey Roast Turkey

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Here's one of our favorite turkey recipes to try: Add big flavor to the starring dish on your Thanksgiving table with silky-sweet honey and abundant fresh herbs. Serve your delicious turkey with tangy-sweet Apple Cider Sauce instead of traditional gravy for an updated twist.

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Apple Brandy and Sage Glazed Turkey

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A simple and sweet herbed glaze adds delicious fruit and brandy flavors to your Thanksgiving turkey. Use an apple variety such as Jonathan or Granny Smith for unbeatable tangy-sweet flavor.

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Roast Turkey with Sweet Onion Jam

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A jam of tart apple, sweet onion, and roasted garlic flavors a traditional roast turkey. Brushing on the jam during roasting forms a delicious crust for a tasty contrast to the juicy turkey.

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Stuffing Secrets

An essential part of how to prepare a turkey is the stuffing, of course! Stuffings require three elements:

1. Starch: bread, rice, or potatoes

2. Liquid: broth, wine, or liquor

3. Additions: herbs, fruits, meats, seafood, and/or veggies

Create your own:

You'll have to do a little math: Each pound of uncooked turkey requires 3/4 cup stuffing. And for every 1 cup starch, add about 2 tablespoons liquid.

Safe stuffing:

Always mix stuffing ingredients just before stuffing and roasting the bird—do not stuff in advance.

Get Our Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing Recipe

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How to Make Bread Cubes for Stuffing

Making bread cubes to use in stuffing really is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Use a serrated knife to cut bread into cubes about ½ inch wide.

2. Spread cubes in one layer on a baking pan.

3. Bake 10-15 minutes at 300 degrees F. Stir occasionally to ensure that they're evenly browned.

Watch the process for how to make bread cubes.

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Chorizo Corn Bread Stuffing

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Festive cranberries make a welcome appearance in this Southern-inspired stuffing recipe. Cook each serving in its own casserole dish for a holiday-worthy presentation.

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Oysters Rockefeller Sourdough Stuffing

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The flavors of the classic New Orleans dish make this stuffing rich and decadent, but with a healthy dose of spinach for good measure.

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Challah Stuffing with Fennel and Dried Fruit

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Buttery challah, fresh fennel, sweet dried fruit, and crunchy walnuts are perfectly balanced in this stuffing reminiscent of bread pudding.

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Turkey 101

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What Size to Buy

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How to Brine a Turkey

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How to Season a Turkey with Herbs

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How to Roast a Turkey

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Timing Guidelines for Stuffed Turkeys

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How to Carve a Turkey

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Honey Roast Turkey

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Apple Brandy and Sage Glazed Turkey

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Roast Turkey with Sweet Onion Jam

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Stuffing Secrets

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How to Make Bread Cubes for Stuffing

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Chorizo Corn Bread Stuffing

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Oysters Rockefeller Sourdough Stuffing

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Challah Stuffing with Fennel and Dried Fruit

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