What is the best way to cook a turkey?

1. 62

   bayareagreatthingposted 14 years ago

   What is the best way to cook a turkey?
   
   I have 25 people coming for the holidays and the last time I cooked  a turkey it came out really dry--any good turkey recipes out there?

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2. 93

   Glenn Stokposted 14 years ago

   Maybe you over-cooked it. One thing I do that works... every 15 minutes I poor the gravy run-off back over the top. That keeps it from drying out and also gives the skin a better taste. (Although the skin is the worst part for your health, but I love it).

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3. 72

   Jeffrey Nealposted 14 years ago

   Brining is a good technique to end up with moist poultry after cooking.  Another factor is that the breast of a bird and the dark meat get done at different temperatures, so by the time the leg and thighs get done, the breast is often dry.
   
   Search on google for Alton  Brown or Good Eats and turkey.  He has done more than one show on this.

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4. 79

   Galadriel Arwenposted 14 years ago

   Check out my blog http://hubpages.com/hub/Making-the-Holiday-Meal. Recipe for homemade Roast Turkey and Turkey Stuffing is provided. Making turkey is really not hard, and when you do it yourself you are sure that it is clean and safely handled!

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5. 57

   kevinandgeliposted 14 years ago

   Timing, time the complete meal from Prep to table.
   remember when you take the turkey out of the oven it needs to SIT for at least 10-15 minutes for the juices to remain in the turkey. keep the turkey covered for the sitting period and it will turn out to be moist and delicious

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6. 54

   brucey42085posted 14 years ago

   "Good Eats" is a good place to go if you want a very detailed and in depth lesson on cooking turkey. One simple thing that works very well is to cook the turkey breasts down so as the turkey cooks the natural juices are, obviously, going to run down. If the breasts are on the bottom, they collect a lot of those juices keeping them moist and delicious. Also you absolutely must rest your turkey. I prefer to do it wrapped fairly tight in foil for about a minute a pound, up to 15-20 minutes. Keep in mind the bird will continue to cook while it rests so you should take it out about 10 degrees before its actually done, so use a real thermometer not one of those pop out deals.

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7. 85

   Edweirdoposted 14 years ago

   Learn how to make the perfect juicy and tender Turkey for your next holiday meal! This recipe uses a brine solution to ensure juiciness and cooks the turkey hot and fast so there's no need for basting! A 14 to 16 pound turkey is ready in just 3 hours! read more

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