Important Turkey Cooking Guidelines For A Great Thanksgiving In Wisconsin

Thanksgiving week has arrived, and while the weather may create issues for people in parts of Wisconsin looking to travel ahead of the holiday, here's to everyone arriving at their destinations safely to spend time with the people they love the most.

Of course, a huge part of Thanksgiving is people eating their weight in delicious food. However, if you're the one hosting people for the holiday, it can be stressful to cook all the food properly, especially the turkey.

If you get a bit nervous cooking turkey, especially when it will be eaten by so many people, you're not alone. The good news is that the USDA has simple and handy tips to make sure everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

First, make sure you have about a pound and a half of turkey per person. So, if you'll be cooking for 10, you'll want turkey that's around 15 pounds, but don't be afraid to go higher because you want those leftovers. Then, keep the following guidelines handy for defrosting and cooking your turkey.

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Allow Enough Time For The Turkey To Defrost

Now, assuming your turkey will be kept frozen until you're ready to cook, you'll want to make sure you give yourself a lot of time to thaw your turkey. The easiest way is to place the frozen turkey in your refrigerator, but you have to make sure to allow enough time.

Here are the suggested USDA thawing times for frozen turkeys in the fridge. Remember to keep it wrapped, but place it in a pan in case it leaks:

• 4 to 12 pounds, 1 to 3 days
• 12 to 16 pounds, 3 to 4 days
• 16 to 20 pounds, 4 to 5 days
• 20 to 24 pounds, 5 to 6 days

If you find yourself with a turkey to thaw, but you're short on time, you can also thaw a turkey by submerging it in cold water. Make sure it's securely wrapped before submerging.

Here is how long the cold water method will generally take, based on the size of the turkey:

• 4 to 12 pounds, 2 to 6 hours
• 12 to 16 pounds, 6 to 8 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds, 8 to 10 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds, 10 to 12 hours

Things To Consider Before Cooking Your Turkey

Once your turkey has been properly thawed, it's time to cook it. However, the USDA says there are several variables to consider and monitor when it comes to roasting the turkey, including:

• A partially frozen turkey requires longer cooking.
• A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook.
• The oven may heat food unevenly.
• The temperature of the oven may be inaccurate.
• Dark roasting pans cook faster than shiny metals.
• The depth and size of the pan can reduce heat circulation to all areas of the turkey.
• The use of a foil tent for the entire time can slow cooking.
• Use of the roasting pan's lid speeds cooking.
• An oven cooking bag can accelerate cooking time.
• The rack position can have an effect on even cooking and heat circulation.
• A turkey or its pan may be too large for the oven, thus blocking heat circulation

Basic Turkey Roasting Instructions

How long to roast your turkey can change based on the variables above, whether it's stuffed or not, and whether you're using a traditional oven versus a roaster. However, below are basic guidelines to follow. The key is making sure your turkey's internal temperature is where it needs to be.

1. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 °F. Preheating is not necessary.
2. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Times are based on fresh or thawed birds at a refrigerator temperature of 40°F or below.
3. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Optional steps: Tuck wing tips back under the shoulders of the bird (called "akimbo"). Add one-half cup of water to the bottom of the pan. In the beginning, a tent of aluminum foil may be loosely placed over the breast of the turkey for the first 1 to 1 1/2 hours, then removed for browning. Or, a tent of foil may be placed over the turkey after the turkey has reached the desired golden brown color.
4. For optimum safety, cook stuffing in a casserole pan. If you are stuffing your turkey, mix the ingredients just before stuffing it and stuff it loosely. Additional time is required for the turkey and stuffing to reach a safe minimum internal temperature.
5. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a food thermometer. The temperature of the turkey and the center of the stuffing must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
6. For quality, let the bird stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving the bird to allow juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily.

Approximate Cooking Times

The following estimated cooking times are based on cooking your turkey in an oven at 325°F.

UNSTUFFED (time in hours)

• 4 to 6 lb. breast: 1 1/2 to 2 1/4
• 6 to 8 lb. breast: 2 1/4 to 3 1/4
• 8 to 12 lbs.: 2 3/4 to 3
• 12 to 14 lbs.: 3 to 3 3/4
• 14 to 18 lbs.: 3 3/4 to 4 1/4
• 18 to 20 lbs.: 4 1/4 to 4 1/2
• 20 to 24 lbs.: 4 1/2 to 5

STUFFED (time in hours)

• 8 to 12 lbs.: 3 to 3 1/2
• 12 to 14 lbs.: 3 1/2 to 4
• 14 to 18 lbs.: 4 to 4 1/4
• 18 to 20 lbs.: 4 1/4 to 4 3/4
• 20 to 24 lbs.: 4 3/4 to 5 1/4

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Have a great Thanksgiving, and remember that when it comes to eating leftovers, I highly recommend combining everything into one amazing sandwich. I'm talking turkey, mashed or sweet potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, etc. Just make sure to take your first bite over a plate; it's going to get messy.