How To Make A Butterball Turkey

Your Butterball turkey has been purchased and yous're prepare to host Thanksgiving dinner. Now what? This guide will help you acquire how to cook a Butterball Turkey... Don't worry, information technology'southward easy!

Though this post is dedicated to cooking Butterball turkey, it tin be utilized to melt whole turkeys from whatever make or farm!

Closeup of a Butterball turkey in packaging

(this mail was terminal updated October 2019)

We've been working with Butterball Turkey for several years now and I recollect it's safe to say we've cooked a few Pudgy turkeys in our time (at Butterball University, we learned 11 different ways to melt a turkey!).

And since information technology seems similar lots of people take lots of questions nigh cooking Butterball turkeys, nosotros decided to write this postal service educational activity y'all how to cook a Butterball turkey.

One affair you should know is that cooking a turkey is easy. But it can be scary. By and large considering you're ofttimes cooking it for a crowd and considering turkey has a reputation for frequently being dry and not then groovy.

We know the feeling of being intimidated by cooking a turkey but after three fantastic years working with the people at Butterball, nosotros feel and so confident sharing this with y'all!

For this post, I decided to show y'all how to cook a very basic turkey. You can plainly go in a higher place and beyond with how you lot prepare your turkey, but I want to keep it simple hither just for the sake of showing you only how easy it really is!

How to Cook a Pudgy Turkey

I hope you're reading this post at least a few days ahead of when yous want to cook your turkey. But if not, hopefully a few of these turkey cooking tips will be helpful to you.

Stride 1: If your turkey is frozen, you lot need to take a defrosting plan! Use this guide to learn how to thaw your Butterball turkey properly. Also notation that thawing is the #i question the Pudgy ladies become on Thanksgiving from people who didn't programme in advance.

Remember you need days to fully thaw a frozen turkey! Specifically, an entire twenty-four hour period for every 4 pounds of turkey.

For instance, a xvi-pound turkey takes 4 days to thaw in the fridge. If you lot didn't plan enough thawing time for this, y'all can ever practise a cold water thaw.

A 16-pound turkey takes viii hours to thaw in cold water. Only y'all'll need to make sure the turkey is fully submerged in the water and replace the h2o every 30 minutes.

Step 2: To brine or not to brine? Ane of the awesome things about Butterball turkeys is that yous don't have to brine them. They're already pre-brined with a table salt solution! BUT that doesn't mean you can't brine them.

We frequently alkali our Butterball turkeys and my family swears past Alton Dark-brown'southward recipe. The brine or not brine debate is already then hot, so information technology's really just upwardly to personal preference and what yous feel like doing.

If yous do determine to brine, you'll besides want to determine whether to do a wet brine or dry out brine.

Footstep iii: Decide how yous want to melt your turkey. For the purposes of this post, we're going to get with a simple oven roasting method. But at Pudgy University, we learned to melt turkey xi different ways. Yes, 11!

That includes grilling, deep drying, tiresome cooking, and even cooking a turkey in the microwave (yes, it can be done... But I don't really recommend it).

Step 4: Decide if you want to stuff your turkey. We never stuff ours and merely serve the stuffing (dressing) on the side. But if you want to stuff it, practise so now. Merely be sure you read the notation beneath on taking the temperature of the stuffing!

Step 5: For the traditional roasting method, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Remove the giblets and turkey neck and pat your turkey dry with paper towels.

Yous may or may not be surprised to know another large problem the Pudgy ladies hear near is people who forget to take the giblets and cervix out of the turkey earlier putting it in the oven (very of import since they're in plastic packages!).

Step 6:Place turkey chest side upwards on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep.

Stride seven: Turn the wings dorsum to hold the neck skin in place, so your turkey will exist stabilized in the pan and for carving. Castor the peel with a little bit of olive oil or cooking oil. Rub turkey with table salt and pepper, too, if you didn't brine information technology.

If you want, y'all can likewise rub turkey with fresh or dried herbs, minced garlic, and lemon juice.

Stride 8: Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh without touching the os. The thigh is the thickest role of the turkey, so that's where y'all demand to brand sure the turkey is upwardly to temperature and safe to eat.

BUT! If you stuffed your turkey, y'all'll also demand to make sure the stuffing is up to temperature (165 degrees). Lots of people forget to exercise this and it's then, so of import as the stuffing is really what can make people ill.

Make sure to stuff turkey loosely (don't pack the stuffing in also much) and cook the turkey immediately after you stuff it.

If you lot don't accept an oven safe instant read thermometer, you can simply have the temperature yourself when the turkey is shut to being washed. I couldn't alive without my Thermapen for cooking meat!

Step 9: Melt turkey! See turkey cooking fourth dimension calculator below to determine how long your turkey should roast depending on how much information technology weighs. When it's near ⅔ of the manner washed, loosely comprehend the breast with foil and so information technology doesn't overcook (the breast will exist done first, but the rest of the turkey needs more time!).

You lot'll know your turkey is done when the thigh is 180 degrees, breast is 170 degrees and stuffing (if applicative) is 165 degrees.

Pace 10: Remove your turkey to a platter and permit stand for nigh 20 minutes before carving and serving! For aid carving, bank check out this guide.

Yep, information technology'southward that piece of cake to cook a Butterball Turkey!

Platter with carved turkey on it, including sliced turkey breast, drumsticks, legs, and thighs with parsley garnish

Useful Tools for Cooking a Turkey

Cooking a Butterball turkey is easy, but it tin exist made even easier (and more delicious!) when you have the correct tools at your disposal. Here are a few of the tools we like best (note some of the below are affiliate links):

Turkey Roasting Pan: A turkey roasting pan is cardinal for cooking the perfect turkey. Aye, you can purchase the disposable ones at the grocery store, but I often find them difficult to maneuver and lift. Purchasing a stainless turkey roasting pan is a corking investment as it should terminal forever and can be used to cooking chickens and roasts throughout the twelvemonth.

I linked to my favorite Le Creuset one in a higher place because I beloved it, but if you desire to spend less money, this Cuisinart ane is also a very practiced option. Whatever you purchase, make sure the pan comes with a rack and has handles.

Meat Thermometer: I highly recommend y'all accept a meat thermometer on mitt as temperature is the best fashion to determine when your turkey is washed. I admittedly love my ThermaPen (linked above), but if you're looking for a less expensive option, this meat thermometer has peachy reviews.

Turkey Lifters: There's zero worse than taking your turkey out of the oven and non knowing how you're going to go it from the roasting pan to the cutting lath so you tin can carve it. Turkey lifters are a great tool to have on hand so you can seamlessly move your turkey without burning your easily or making a huge mess.

Fat Separator: When information technology comes time to make the gravy, yous'll be happy to accept a fatty separator, and then you tin easily get to the fat without waiting for the liquid to cool. Even if you don't brand a lot of gravies, a fat separator tin can come up in handy for healthier soups and stews, also.

Large Carving Lath: Having a expert cutting/carving board is central for turkey time. Brand certain you lot have a cutting lath that's large enough to fit your turkey. I also highly recommend a cutting board that has a "juice groove" in in. Once y'all start etching, the turkey will release juices and the groove will really assist continue your counters clean.

Carving Pocketknife: You don't need a carving pocketknife to carve your turkey, only it will brand your life a piddling easier and make for the prettiest turkey slices. You tin also use it for carving pretty much any meat year-round. A carving fork volition also help you keep the turkey steady while yous carve.

Brining Numberless: If y'all are planning to brine your Butterball turkey (think, you don't have to!), a brining purse will come in handy. Likewise make sure you lot take a container large plenty to allow your turkey brine in.

Butterball Turkey Cooking Times

For your reference, hither are turkey cooking times determined by the weight of your Pudgy turkey when your oven is prepare to 325 degrees.

4.5 - vii lbs
Unstuffed: 2-2.5 hours
Stuffed: 2.25-2.75 hours

7-ix lbs:
Unstuffed: ii.5-3 hours
Blimp: 2.75-4.5 hours

ix-xviii lbs:
Unstuffed: 3-iii.v hours
Blimp: 3.75-iv.five hours

18-22 lbs:
Unstuffed: 3.5-four hours
Blimp: 4.five-5 hours

22-24 lbs:
Unstuffed: iv-4.5 hours
Stuffed: 5-v.5 hours

24-30 lbs:
Unstuffed: 4.v-5 hours
Stuffed: v.5-6.25 hours.

For more than information on how to melt a Butterball turkey, cheque out Butterball's handy guides on:

How to Select a Turkey

How to Carve

How to Know When Your Turkey is Done

How to Stuff Your Turkey

And many other useful tutorials!

If you have any questions at all about preparing your turkey this Thanksgiving (or any time of twelvemonth!) delight feel costless to ask me in the comments below! And more importantly, the Pudgy Turkey Talk-Line is officially taking calls for the season so call one-800-Butterball for whatsoever and all turkey-related questions you take.

These women are turkey geniuses, not to mention some of the sweetest people we've ever met, so don't ever feel nervous to give them a ring! They're hither to help 🙂

Accept you lot e'er cooked a Butterball Turkey earlier?

If yous're looking for some swell Thanksgiving side dishes to serve along with your Butterball turkey, bank check out the following WANM recipes:

Mojito Cranberry Sauce
The All-time Thanksgiving Stuffing
Skillet Green Bean Casserole
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta, Pomegranate, and Feta
Ginger Kokosnoot Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Loaded Mashed Potatoes in Jars

And to make your Turkey cooking experience a fleck more fun, enjoy my Pumpkin Pie Martinis or Cinnamon Pear Sangria!

Roasted and carved Thanksgiving turkey on platter

1 Butterball Turkey, iv ½-xxx lbs, fresh or fully thawed and unstuffed (see cooking times chart in the body of this postal service to determine how long yous'll need to cook turkey for dependent on weight)
Olive oil or other cooking oil
Table salt and pepper
Optional: fresh or dried thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley; minced garlic, lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove the giblets and turkey neck and pat turkey dry with paper towels.
Identify turkey chest side up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep.
Turn the wings back to hold the neck pare in place, and so your turkey will exist stabilized in the pan and for etching. Brush the skin with a little chip of olive oil or cooking oil and rub turkey with table salt and pepper. If you lot desire, you can likewise rub turkey with fresh or dried herbs, minced garlic, and lemon juice.
Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh without touching the bone. The thigh is the thickest part of the turkey, and then that'due south where yous need to brand sure the turkey is upwardly to temperature and prophylactic to eat.
Place turkey in oven and roast until the thigh is 180 degrees and the chest is at 170 degrees (see notes section for stuffed turkey temperature). When turkey is nigh ⅔ of the style done, loosely cover the chest with foil and then it doesn't overcook (the breast will exist done first, only the remainder of the turkey needs more time). Delight see the Butterball Turkey cooking times chart in the body of this mail service to determine how long information technology should take your turkey to cook.
Remove turkey to a platter and let stand for nearly 20 minutes before etching and serving.