First Time Cooking a Turkey - Help!

In terms of size, the butcher told me 1 pound per adult (2 kids = 1 adult)plus 4 lbs to account for bones.

I'm making for the first time, too. I got a lot of helpful tips on allrecipes.com.

Good luck!

Oh my gosh, just wanted to say there are some great recipes here, but the extras sound even better. I just started drooling...

I've never been much of a cook, so when I had to cook my first Thanksgiving dinner for a bunch of in-laws many years ago, I served them some tasty hot buttered rums ahead of time while everything was cooking. I figured if they were all a little tipsy, they wouldn't notice if the food didn't turn out so well.

Could you use a good hot buttered rum recipe?

ooh dear...eating at noon? A 22lb turkey should take about 5.5 hours to cook....that's a REALLY early morning/day!!! Temp is about 165 degrees.

22lb sounds about right - keep in mind, it's not just turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, et al! :)

There are several ways to cook it - you can go to http://www.butterball.com and they have recipes as well to help you decide how you want to cook it.

It will take about 2 days to defrost if purchased frozen. If your turkey isn't frozen, just keep it in the fridge for a day or two. You are in Chicago - heck you might be able to leave it outside!! LOL!!!

DO NOT FORGET TO REMOVE THE giblets bag that is INSIDE the turkey...it's the neck, liver, etc. and is a bag....that's the thing I forgot!! :)

GOOD LUCK!!

Turkey is one of the easiest things to cook. It just looks complicated.
Decide if you want to purchase a frozen one or a fresh one. Here in Austin, you have to place an order for the fresh ones.. so ask your grocer.
Depending on the weight, you will defrost it in your fridge. Maybe put it in the fridge on that Monday so that Wednesday night you can prep it to go into the oven Thursday morning. If it is fresh.. they will have you pick it up on Wed.

Make sure when you purchase the turkey you have a roasting pan that is big enough to roast it in. Sometimes, I purchase an aluminum pan or 2 if it is really heavy .

Since it is your first turkey, purchase a cooking bag. Reynolds Wrap makes them and can be found with the aluminum foil and ziploc bags in your grocery store..

Follow the directions that come with it.. But cook it upside down to have the juiciest Turkey.

Yes, it will probably take 5 hours to roast the turkey. My mom puts hers in the oven at about 6:00am, so it is ready by the time we all arrive.

We usually do a pot luck, My mom makes the Turkey and dressing and assigns us the other parts, Mashed potatoes, salad, pies, casseroles, dinner rolls. etc.. So if you do not feel you can do the whole meal yourself.. ASK for HELP.

YOU can do this! Go team!

Hi M.,

Go to the food network website and print out 'Alton Brown's good eats roast turkey'. or use the link below.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-...

It is a brined bird recipe and it is impossible to mess up. Cooks super fast ( about 3 hours for a 16-18 lb bird) and is the best tasting bird you'll ever eat. I've been doing this recipe for 6-7 years now and no one ever suggests doing thanksgiving at anyone elses house.

I usually get an 18lb fresh bird and we have 5 adults,2 kids and sometimes 2 more adults at the table and I usually have most of one breast and some other bits left at the end of dinner. I hope that helps for guessing how big to go.

Anyways, the recipe is foolproof, get a good digital thermometer to make sure the bird is cooked through and you'll be fine. Good luck and enjoy your day.

Keith

Updated

Hi M.,

Go to the food network website and print out 'Alton Brown's good eats roast turkey'. or use the link below.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-...

It is a brined bird recipe and it is impossible to mess up. Cooks super fast ( about 3 hours for a 16-18 lb bird) and is the best tasting bird you'll ever eat. I've been doing this recipe for 6-7 years now and no one ever suggests doing thanksgiving at anyone elses house.

I usually get an 18lb fresh bird and we have 5 adults,2 kids and sometimes 2 more adults at the table and I usually have most of one breast and some other bits left at the end of dinner. I hope that helps for guessing how big to go.

Anyways, the recipe is foolproof, get a good digital thermometer to make sure the bird is cooked through and you'll be fine. Good luck and enjoy your day.

Keith

I have cooked several turkeys and I think 22 pounds sounds huge. Usually I estimate 1/2 pound per person. I bet a 10-12 pound turkey will be plenty. If you have all the other fixin's, don't worry about the turkey being too small. Just have plenty of side dishes and yummy dessert!!! I always use the Reynolds oven bags and my turkeys have always turned out great. There are very good instructions included. But as Cheryl O. said, don't foret to get out the giblets. Just follow the instructions and you will be fine. Go to www.justapinch.com for some great recipes to go with it! Good luck.

Use a cooking bag. It cooks faster and is pretty much idot proof. Just follow the directions on the cooking bag package. (22 lbs sounds like too much to me, but will allow for leftovers which is the best part)

It will take 4+days for a turkey that big to defrost. (At least here in Colorado) I always get mine ready to cook the day before. If it is still somewhat frozen when you are preparing it to cook, use your cooler with cold water and change it often. (once an hour) Using the cooler also frees up your sink for other cooking and clean up duties. I always do as much cooking and prep the day before as I can.

Wash your bird inside and out thoroughly. Cut out any veins and large pieces of fat and remove any pin feathers.

Sprinkle the cavities as well as the outside of the bird with salt, pepper and any other seasonings. Wedge an onion and add a few ribs of celery to the cavity.

Roast your bird breast side down for the juciest breast meat. Use the juices that remain in the bag to make your gravy. I always use corn starch for the thickener. If the gravy is a little too pale for your liking, add a little Kitchen Bouquet to the broth and it will brown it up nicely without altering the flavor.

Use a roasting pan on a cookie sheet to make it more stable and easier and safer to remove from the oven.

Allow time for the turkey to rest before slicing. 30 minutes should be more than sufficient.

Save the carcass and place in a large stock pot covered with water. Cook and then remove any remaining meat from the bones. This stock makes excellent soup.

Here is a recipe for do-ahead mashed potatoes. They are so good you'll never want regular mashed potatoes again.
Do Ahead Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs. potatoes
1 cup sour cream
6 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup butter

Peel and boil potatoes: use 2 teaspoons onion salt when boiling. Mash and add remaining ingredients. Place in a greased baking dish or casserole. These mashed potatoes will keep 2-3 weeks without freezing. When ready to serve, dot with additional butter, sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until piping hot.
I've also put them in the crockpot, but be careful not to fill the crockpot too full, they tend to expand as they heat.

Buy a fresh turkey, order it at the butcher counter, and pick it up a day or 2 before thanksgiving. I don't know the math, but 22 pounds sounds fine and the site should hav ecooking directions in the form of minutes per pound.

You can do lots of fancy things with the turkey for flavor - look online. Personnally, I liked brining a turkey, but it was sort of messy. You can get a way with just simple butter salt and pepper.

Really, the turkey cooks itself!!! The difficulty with thanksgiving dinner is timing everything to get to the table on time. Make as much as you can ahead of time as casseroles. Make a list of all your dishes and their prep/cooking/warming times, so you have a plan of when everything needs to go in the oven. Buy a warming tray if you can, so you can keep things warm if you get off schedule. Do as much as you can ahead,so you don't need to be in the kitchen away from everyone all morning.

Gosh, noon seems early. We typically don't eat before 2! You will be up early getting that turnkey in the oven I think.

The BEST year we ever had was the year we FRIED the turkey. We bought a turkey frier at BedBathBeyond and enough oil to go wiht it. It took less than an hour to cook and my husband did the whole thing outside. So, I only did the sides. Best flavor ever!! Juicy, no greasy, yum. You just have to read the directions for measuring oil and thawing turkey because frying can be dangerous if you don't do it correctly. It is pretty easy though.

You can always buy 2 small turkeys, that means less time thawing, less time to cook them and twice the white and dark meat pieces for all!

I've cooked turkeys for years and 22lb is fine. Just thaw it for at least 5 days in the refrigerator. When Thanksgiving comes, get it out, take out the innards (from both ends. Then rinse it thoroughly and pat dry.
Use the cooking bags from Reynolds, read the directions and you'll be surprised at how easy it really is.

Hi M.!
It should have the thawing instructions right on the turkey. We just made a 13 # turkey and it needed to thaw for 2 days in the refrigerator. So based on that, I'm guessing a 22 #er would need 3-4 days.
My 13#er cooked for 2.5 hours in an oven bag (Reynold's brand turkey size) at 350 degrees. The turkey was super-moist and very delicious.
All I did was rub a little olive oil on the skin before putting it in the oven.

I'm sure others have mentioned this, but DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE BAG OF GIBLETS and the neck that will be inside of your turkey. :) I'm sure we've all done that before.

I just looked at my oven-bag box and it says for a 22 # turkey, it will take 3-3.5 hours to cook (for unstuffed) and 3.5-4 hrs for stuffed. They recommend NOT stuffing so the turkey cooks better & turns out less dry.

Also, when the turkey is done, I let mine sit for about 30 minutes before opening the bag. I get a pot and a strainer. Then I pick up the turkey bag and cut a corner off and pour the juice into the pot (straining the nasties). Then I add about 1/2 cup of flour to this juice, bring to a boil and you have instant delicious turkey gravy! :-)

Good luck...you'll do great!!!!

I would not cook a 22 lbs bird, I rather would make 2 birds @ 12 lbs. I found with bigger birds the taste somehow alters and not in a good way. Just a suggestion. For defrosting, yes they take like 4 days in the fridge. Cooking the turkey at 165 is unsafe. Follow the instructions from Butterball, they say roast at 350 , anything lower is just not safe. Good luck.

We eat in the early afternoon. I have my turkey ( usually Butterball) stuffed and in roasting with a foil tent by 8am. I roast it slow and low heat. Toward the end, I baste occasionally and the last 1:2 hour. I blast it to brown it.

I rub butter between the skin and meat for moisture.

You'll do fine! I have homemade cranberry sauce ( made 2-3 days in advance)

Typically cook a 22-25# turkey and it's just 3 of us!! We love leftovers too.

Enjoy....

I have done the turkey many times and my favorite is use the cooking BAG by Reynolds, it has directions, get the turkey size!

Defrost turkey in refrigerator, probably 3 days at least for 22#.
Take out giblets, clean well with cold water. be sure to get into all cavities, neck and inside. Allow at LEAST an hour to prep, I have done this the night before and let set in bag overnight ready to put in oven next morning. Sometimes, I cook giblets the night before, do as much prep as possible to save time on Thanksgiving Day! Allow about an hour once cooked.

Remove the wire or plastic frame holding the legs to be able to get cleaned well. The turkey will have a pop up thermometer in it, so don't remove, it will pop up when the turkey is cooked to let you know when it is done.
I use a whole stick of margerine, salt the inside of cavity well and inside the flap of neck and all over. Apply melted or very soft butter to cover the turkey, (will be very slick and hard to lift, have someone help you with that size of turkey) IT IS HEAVY!! Place celery, include leaves also, onion, black pepper and whatever your favorite herbs, inside the cavity with stick of butter. (after cooking, I remove the onion, celery inside cavity and discard it)
Use some type of string, unflavored dental floss works great, secure wings and legs tied together.
Place in turkey bag as directed on package insert then bake accordingly. Will take about 4 hours for very large turkey. Use heavy roasting pan to be able to lift without bending sides. Put oven rack on lowest level in oven.
There will be TONS of broth, yummy flavorful for gravy and leftovers.
Drain/strain broth from bag by holding towel across top of turkey so it doesn't slide while draining juices into pan. TWO people to do this safely without getting burned or spilling. Then cut open the bag to carve. Turkey will need to set for while anyway before carving. The fat will rise to top of broth, will make rich gravy and so flavorful! (no calorie counters allowed!)
While turkey cooks, cook giblets and neck in water seasoned with onion, celery, salt, pepper. These can be chopped after cooking, meat from neck is great in soup or dressing.
I personally don't like the liver, I cook it, but I don't use it, but cut/dice up the other giblets and use the neck meat in gravy or dressing.
After carving turkey........remove legs, wings, take apart the bones, SAVE THE CARCASS! Place in kettle or large dutch oven, add water 2/3 full, can add chicken boullion or more celery, bring to boil then simmer until the bones are loose and nearly falling apart, cool until you can handle without burning your fingers, then debone. You will be amazed how much meat you can retrieve. Use for soups or casseroles, can be frozen for later use.

Have a wonderful Day, beginners luck be with you!! It will turn out fine! I was probably 36 by time I did my first turkey too, done a ton since then! My personal opinion for what it is worth, and no doubt, not everyone will agree, I find the store brand on sale turkeys are just as good. Fresh are probably better than frozen, some prefer hens over Tom's. Choices/choices!

I second following alton brown as well. He has done videos and I believe his turkey one was at target last year he does it step by step. Also got to the butterball website and get the number and write down their number and then before you dial write up a list of questions and leave space foe answers and call. Thesed are a group of professional home ec teachers that are nice and willing to help customer service is their job. They are nothing like your high school home ec teacher having a nervous breakdown because you didn't fold but whipped. Have fun and relax. The best thanksgivings come with a story so if something isn't perfect don't get upset just go with it. One year I got caught up doing something else..okay I was shopping the black Friday ads anyway we ended up eating up a lot of desserts that day because I charred everything except the cranberry sauce.

Hi M.!

I just wanted to wish you good luck with your Thanksgiving dinner! This is my first year to host without my mom or grandmother to help me (actually, it's always been me helping them)! Even my grandma swears by the turkey bag. I will be using that for sure!!

You can do it!!! : )

Don't have a clue, but I can tell you that my first (and only so far) turkey did NOT cook all the way through... lol. So i will be keeping tabs on this post!

I suggest you buy a roaster and roast the thing! Pre heat it ... put turkey in @ 425 for an hour then 35 for 3hrs, yes 22lbs sounds right. I like to take lemon slices, rosemary, thyme and parsley all on the branches and lemon cut into slices (circles) and shove them under the skin with some butter and oil then... stuff the bird and put more lemon and herbs on the openings too! Good Luck the first bird is the hardest. I hope you have a good gravy you may need it b/c it takes a while and first hand practice to get it right.

I use a Spanek vertical roaster to do turkey and it comes out beautifully moist every year.
The biggest turkey you can roast on their vertical roaster is 18 lbs.
I find the bigger turkey, the tougher the meat.
The Spanek site recommends roasting two smaller birds (two at 11 lbs instead of one at 22 lbs) side by side.
You get twice the drumsticks and dark meat that way.
I like the fresh instead of frozen turkeys.
You don't have to worry about thaw times, they are ready to prep and cook.
If you cook 2 birds simultaneously, you time it pretty much like you are cooking one bird.
As long as there is water in the pan it sits in, you don't have to worry about overcooking it - the bird steams and doesn't dry out.
A turkey at 11 lbs would cook on a vertical roaster in about 3 hours.

http://spanek.com/roaster/basic-roaster-instructions.php#...

I think 22lb is fine, you will still have leftovers too. I love the alton brown idea, too. The easy is you are not buying fresh, which I heard, I don't know, that big fresh turkeys are going to be hard to come buy this year. If you buy frozen, put it in the fridge the Thursday before, put it in a garbage bag and put it in your fridge. The day before take it out and test to see if it is thawed out if not put the turkey, still wrapped how you bought it, not the garbage bag in the sink and fill it with cold water and every thirty minutes drain and refill. The roaster idea, you can usually find them around Thanksgiving time for around $30. I cook mine in a roaster and have for the last 10 years, frees up the oven for cooking/baking. If you want to stay simple rub butter on the turkey salt and pepper it too. Then cut up some apples, carrots and onions and either put them in the turkey if not stuffed or around the turkey if stuffed. I would set the roaster for the first hour at the highest setting, then bring it down to 350 for another 4 hours. You will need to check the temp to make sure the meat is hot enough. If the turkey is stuffed it could take up to seven hours to fully cook it. You should go to butter.com and read their tips here is the link to help you prepare for the week. http://www.butterball.com/pdf/EN_BB_Checklist.pdf

Remember to have the turkey done about an hour before you eat, you will need to let it sit for 20 minutes before you carve it and then you will need carving time.

Hi M., I just asked a similar question and got a lot of great responses. This is my first time cooking a turkey too and I want to make sure it doesn't get dried out. Check out my posts and read some of the responses too, I got about 30 I think. After all the help from everyone on here, I feel good about cooking now! Good luck!