Roast Turkey with Stuffing
Roast turkey usually forms the centerpiece of Thanksgiving in the United States. There are many recipes and methods for cooking whole turkeys. Below is one of the simplest and therefore one of the most traditional.
- Prep
- 48 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 51 min
- Total
- 2 hr 39 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Combine stuffing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Procedure
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the rack in the lowest position of the oven.
Procedure
Remove the neck and giblets.
Procedure
Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels.
Procedure
Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub the skin with softened butter, and season with salt and pepper.
Procedure
Fill the body cavity with stuffing.
Procedure
Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of one thigh.
Procedure
Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
Procedure
Place the turkey in the oven and pour 2 cups of stock into the bottom of the roasting pan.
Procedure
Roast the turkey for 2½ hours, basting the entire turkey every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Add stock to the drippings as they become dry, about 1–2 cups at a time.
Procedure
Remove aluminum foil tent.
Procedure
Roast until the meat reaches 185°F and the stuffing reaches 165°F. This should take about 4 hours. If the stuffing isn't done by the time the turkey is ready, scoop the stuffing out and bake it alone in the oven until it reaches the correct temperature.
Procedure
Serve immediately.
Notes, tips, and variations
If you can't find pre-made stock in a store then you'll have to make it. You should know, however, turkey stock requires four hours of simmering. So make your stock the day before you make the turkey and stuffing. If you don't have the time to make turkey stock then use pre-made chicken stock which all supermarkets carry. Here's a great recipe for turkey stock from the Food Network.
Notes, tips, and variations
Cooking turkey and stuffing involves the risk of salmonella poisoning. To prevent this, cook the turkey to 185 degrees Fahrenheit and the stuffing to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, avoid cross contamination by keeping raw turkey away from all foods and wash your hands thoroughly after handling it.[1][2]
Notes, tips, and variations
The most effective way to measure food temperatures is with a digital meat thermometer.
Photo: Photo by M. Rehemtulla · CC BY 2.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 16 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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