Roasting Turkey with Meat Thermometer

How to Use a Meat Thermometer For Roast Turkey

Here’s how to use a meat thermometer for roast turkey. If you are new to roasting or cooking a turkey, here’s some handy hints to help get you started.

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To avoid roasting your turkey too quickly, you’ll want to start it a little bit too cold. For example, if you plan to do a 10 hour roast, the first batch of birds should be taken at room temperature. Place the turkey in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Put the lid on the pan but leave enough space to allow the turkey to breathe and become warm.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. This is about one hour before you plan to start cooking. Turn on the oven light. Make sure that the turkey is plugged in to the control cord. Add the drippings and place it in the oven.

You will probably have to adjust the temperature slightly during the entire roast process. On the first tray, you may find that the heat is uneven. You can do this by turning the turkey twice during the roasting process. This will allow the turkey to cook evenly.

how to use a meat thermometer for roast turkey

The second tray, however, will have more of a dry heat to it. You will not need to turn the turkey twice to cook evenly, but you will need to cover it as soon as it is done roasting. Check the temperature every couple of minutes for the next half hour. By checking the temperature every five minutes, you will ensure that your turkey is finished roasting.

After half an hour, you will need to remove the turkey from the oven. Once it is removed, put it on a cutting board. It will still take quite a while to get all the moisture out.

You will need to use a knife to scrape off the drippings. You should only need to scrape the drippings from the top of the turkey.

After this, you will need to cut up the brown skin into even sections. It should be fairly easy to clean up after, especially if you remove the knife when the skin gets really gross.

You will need to put the bird back in the oven. It will take roughly twenty minutes. Take a look at the time after this point, and adjust the time accordingly.

At this point, you can get a quick look at the bird for any spots that are still pink. If they are still pink, you can put a bit of olive oil on them. This will make the skin look more natural.

Roast the turkey to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the most common way to do a roast.

It will take about twenty minutes after this to get the bird out of the oven. Transfer it to a platter. Put a little extra butter on the turkey and enjoy!

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