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Cover loosely with foil for at least an hour while you get on cooking your roast potatoes.
TURKEY DONE TEMP PLUS
The USDA explains: "Bone-in poultry products that are injected or marinated with a solution containing butter or other edible fat, broth, stock or water plus spices, flavor enhancers and other approved substances must be labeled as basted or self-basted.There are fewer things more daunting than staring at a gigantic, naked turkey on Christmas morning, especially if you’ve never cooked one before.īut it doesn’t have to be all Nightmare Before Christmas! We’re here so that when your guests start arriving on the big day, you aren’t flapping about your bird being raw or undercooked. Some turkeys are sold as "basted" or "self-basted" at supermarkets. Cooking times for unstuffed turkeyīasting involves brushing and squirting the juices from the turkey that spill onto the roasting pan back onto the bird to help keep it moist while cooking.ĭepending on what ingredients you spread over your turkey, according to BBC Good Food the baste can be a mixture of juices from bacon, pancetta and butter combined with lemon, herbs and spices.īasting can be done around every hour during the cooking process. Below are the approximate cooking times for turkey, according to their weight, as outlined by the USDA. Stuffed turkey will take longer to cook than unstuffed turkey. Stuffed turkeys will take longer to cook than unstuffed ones. 165 - 170 degrees F is the recommended internal temp taking care to check in the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone. Homemade stuffing seen in a casserole dish.
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The USDA does not recommend stuffing your turkey as it can be "a breeding ground for bacteria if not prepared carefully" and for "optimum safety," stuffing should be cooked separately in a casserole dish, the federal body advises. If you're cooking a whole turkey, the temperature should be checked in at least three spots, including the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast.įor those who stuffed their turkey, the innermost part of the stuffing will also need to reach 165 degrees (Fahrenheit). The internal temperature can be monitored with a meat thermometer. The NTF says turkey must be cooked until it's internal temperature reaches a safe 165 degrees (Fahrenheit). You'll need to set the oven temperature to no lower than 325 degrees (Fahrenheit) and preheating is not necessary, advises the USDA.
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