First
thing, important note:
It takes a full 24 hours to defrost every five pounds of frozen turkey in
the refrigerator (the only safe method).
A 20-pound turkey needs to
defrost for a full four days. Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity as
soon as they can be removed (which will be before the turkey is fully
defrosted).
We recommend you using A Cooking Bag:
"Oven roasted Turkey in a Oven Bag"
Oven roasted Turkey in a Oven Bag,
this is an easy way to cook your turkey. It keeps all the juices and flavors
in the bag and the turkey is automatically basted while it cooks. You end up
with more juices than cooking the conventional way because they do not
evaporate during roasting. The juices also do not burn and stick to the pan.
Oven roasted Thanksgiving Turkey in a Oven Bag:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Shake 1 tablespoon flour in turkey-size (19"
x 23-1/2") Oven Bag. Use large-size oven bag (14" x 20") for 8 to 12-pound
turkeys or for turkey breast. Use small size (10" x 16") for boneless turkey
breast. Leave flour in oven bag. This helps blend the fats and juices and
protects against bursting. Place bag in roasting pan at least 2 inches deep.
The pan should be large enough that the oven bag does not hang over sides
and does not touch oven walls or oven racks.
Remove neck and giblets from both cavities of defrosted
turkey. Rinse turkey, pat dry and brush with vegetable oil. Slice 1 onion
and 2 stalks celery; place in oven bag. Place turkey, breast side up, in
oven bag on top of vegetables. Close bag with nylon tie; cut six 1/2-inch
slits in top of oven bag. Insert meat thermometer through slit in oven bag
into inner thigh for whole turkey or into thickest part of breast for turkey
breast.
Roast until meat thermometer reads 180 degrees to 185
degrees F for whole turkey or 170 degrees to 175 degrees F for turkey
breast. For stuffed turkey, add 30 minutes to roasting time. The approximate
roasting times are: 1-1/2 to 2 hours for 8 to 12 lb. turkey; 2-1/2 to 3
hours for a 16 to 20 lb. turkey; 3 to 3-1/2 hours for a 20 to 24 lb. turkey.
For easy slicing, let stand in oven bag 15 minutes after
removing from oven. To open, carefully cut or slit top of oven bag. If
turkey sticks to oven bag, gently loosen oven bag from turkey before opening
oven bag.
Defrosting a Turkey
Recommended Methods
There are two methods for defrosting turkey: refrigerator
defrosting and cold water defrosting. Remember to keep your turkey cold
while defrosting and cook it as soon as possible after defrosting.
Refrigerator Method
Place turkey or turkey parts on a tray in the refrigerator
in their original packaging. Allow the following amount of defrosting time:
