Step by Step How to Cook a Turkey

All you need to know to make a successful turkey dinner and how to make it a day ahead to save stress on turkey day!

If cooking a turkey dinner seems overwhelming to you–it was to me the first time–here is a Step by Step How to Cook a Turkey guide just for you! It is not difficult to make a delicious turkey dinner with some basic instructions.

If you are Keto or Low Carb, check out my 43 Low Carb & Keto Holiday Meal Ideas Post. (This step by step post is part of that one.) It includes recipes for the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauces, sides, appetizers and yes, of course desserts! 🙂 

Follow my Thanksgiving Pinterest Board for dozens of ideas from all around the web! I am constantly finding new things to add so there will be new things all the time!

Also check out my Free Thanksgiving Unit Study! Whether or not you are homeschooling or a teacher, it has all you need to learn about Thanksgiving with your kids in a fun way with videos, crafts, games, printables, books and even recipes! There are games and crafts to keep the kids busy, placemats for the table and of course, LOTS of recipes!

How to Cook the Turkey the Day Before Serving:

One of my favorite tips is something I learned from my mother-in-law. Cook the turkey the day before and have it ready to go to heat in the oven on the big day. This makes it SO much easier for the cook (ME!) when the company is here. The roasting pan is washed and out of the way, the turkey is carved and it is ready to serve. It makes me much more relaxed and saves time and work when it really counts. And the best part is; no one can tell. The meat is moist and perfect. Yay!

I included the step by step directions below with pictures also, but basically, just cut the meat and put into an oven proof dish and cover with the broth/drippings from the turkey. Cover it all tightly and put into the refrigerator until the next day. I always make the below casseroles ahead of time also and all of them are ready to go into the oven together for about 30 minutes at 350*. The stuffing can be heated gently in the microwave with a wet paper towel over it, the mashed potatoes and gravy made fresh on the stove and dinner is made quite easily. If the casseroles and turkey are in disposable pans, there is very little cleanup and I am not stuck in the kitchen for much of the holiday.

What to Make with the Turkey:

Make this stuffing with stuffing and gravy of course! 😊

Just a note on that; I call it stuffing because I am STUFFING it into the bird, not dressing the bird with it. I dress a salad so call that dressing. Just so no one is confused! 🙂 

We also always have Candied Sweet Potatoes, Simple Make Ahead Broccoli Casserole, Home Canned Green Beans, Creamy Spinach Cheese Bake and mashed potatoes. That is our Thanksgiving meal every year. Yum!

To print the Step by Step How to Cook a Turkey guide click HERE.

The Step by Step Directions:

Before Cooking:

Estimate 1 lb. per person for no leftovers, 1 ½ lbs. for leftovers.

Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator per 5 lbs. of turkey.

Remove turkey from wrapper. Remove neck and giblet bag from cavity of turkey. They can be boiled and added to gravy as giblets or discarded.

Rinse cavity with cool water, especially if there is ice left. Pat dry with paper towels (don’t let any get left in there).

Put turkey, breast side up, in sprayed roasting pan, on rack. If you don’t have a rack, you can crumple up foil to put the bird on top of that.

Stuff with stuffing. Extra stuffing, if you have any, can be put in a greased dish to bake later in the last few minutes with the turkey.

Add pats of butter, about 1 stick, on top of turkey and sprinkle with Adobo.

Add a couple of inches of filtered water to bottom of roasting pan to increase drippings and make broth as it cooks. I added 6 cups to my pan and 15.8 lb. turkey.

Cook uncovered at 325*. I don’t baste; the melting butter kind of does that. You certainly can baste if you want to but I don’t find it necessary. Check it after about 2 hours, then after 1 hour, then every 30 minutes as it gets closer to being finished. When it gets nicely browned, cover loosely with foil so it doesn’t get too brown as it continues to cook.

Cook until 180* in thigh, 160* in stuffing. Be sure to be touching center of meat, not bone or through too far. My 15.8 lb. stuffed turkey cooked 4 ½ hours. Be sure to go by the temperature of the meat, not the color of the skin or time cooked.

It is very important to have a meat thermometer to be sure your turkey is cooked through. It is NO fun to get started carving and realize it isn’t cooked. Not to mention, it is very dangerous to eat undercooked turkey! (OK, I did mention it but it is very important!)

After Cooking:

Let roasted turkey stand 20-30 minutes before carving (it is the perfect time to bake the casseroles if you are cooking it on serving day). This makes it firmer and easier to carve.

Remove stuffing to serving dish and carve as desired.

If doing this ahead of serving day, put in 9×13 dish; white on one side and dark meat on the other. Cover with broth/drippings (not too much extra, but cover) and cover with plastic wrap or foil for refrigerator.

The 9×13 pan with meat covered with broth and covered with foil can be baked at 350* for about 30 minutes to warm through on serving day.

Set aside about 3 cups of drippings for gravy if desired.

Put the bones and skin along with any extra drippings in a pot to make broth or soup or in a container for the freezer to do when you are ready. All of the parts can be used if you wish but if you are busy and don’t have time on the holiday, just dump those bones in the freezer until you have time for them.

Here is a picture of my son’s plate on Christmas Day using the recipes I linked above. 🙂

Are you following me on Pinterest? I have been working very hard making new boards I think you will love and am adding dozens of new pins from all of the popular homeschooling websites!

Come join us on our Facebook group, Loving Homeschool. I am adding daily pictures, links and much more than I would on the blogs and it is a place for you to find support from others on the same journey as you are. Come and share with others, ask questions and learn! And if you love recipes, follow my Best Recipes You Will Want To Make group on Facebook! Feel free to share your own favorites and find many new ones there!

I enjoy offering free printables and resources to bless my readers. Your frequent visits to my blog and purchases through affiliate links and ads keep the lights on so to speak. Thank you!

Cindy

Welcome! I am a wife, mother, mother-in-law, Grammy, daughter, sister and retired homeschooler. I enjoy writing about things I have learned over the years, sharing recipes and tips with others and making free printables for parents and teachers.

Visit my other website for all kinds of recipes and tips at MyProductiveBackyard.com. Enjoy! 🙂