Roast turkey/Recipes

Roast turkey is the preparation of a fresh or frozen turkey by placing the turkey in a hot oven. Frozen turkeys are normally defrosted before roasting. Fresh turkeys are removed from the refrigerator and then roasted.

Defrosting
Defrost the turkey in the refrigerator. All about 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. Be sure to place a container underneath the turkey to prevent turkey juices dripping onto nearby foods.

Fresh Turkey
Purchase a fresh turkey two days before you plan to roast it. Store the fresh turkey in the refrigerator until you are ready to roast it.

Roasting
Heat the oven to 325 degrees F (162.77 C). Remove the turkey from the refrigerator. Insert a rack into the roasting pan. Add the turkey. Roast the turkey until an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82.22 C) is reached. Insert a meat thermometer into the turkey to ensure this temperature is reached.

Roasting chart
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends turkeys should not be stuffed during roasting for food safety reasons. Stuffing should be baked in a separate casserole dish. Some people refer to stuffing as dressing when it is backed separately in a casserole dish.

Unstuffed Turkey
 * 8 to 12 pounds, 2 3/4 to 3 hours
 * 12 to 14 pounds, 3 to 3 3/4 hours
 * 14 to 18 pounds, 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
 * 18 to 20 pounds, 4 1/4 to 41/2 hours
 * 20 to 24 pounds, 4 1/2 to 5 hours

Stuffed Turkey
 * 8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3 1/2 hours
 * 12 to 14 pounds, 3 1/2 to 4 hours
 * 14 to 18 pounds, 4 to 4 1/4 hours
 * 18 to 20 pounds, 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
 * 20 to 24 pounds, 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

Storage
Remove the cooked turkey meat from the carcass. Promptly refrigerate the cooked turkey meat within two hours of serving. Turkey leftovers should be eaten within 3 to 4 days of preparation. Turkey gravy should be eaten within 2 days of serving. Heat the leftover turkey gravy to 165 degrees F (73.88 C) for safe serving.