How Long to Cook a Turkey
Have you been thinking to cook a turkey for the thanksgiving dinner but you are doubtful about how to cook it perfectly. Do not think your worries are different from others. Many people find it difficult to guess, how long they should cook the turkey to get that perfect flavor. It is important to cook the turkey with caution to retain its juicy flavor than overcooking it or not cooking it long enough. Most experience cooks also refer to the meat thermometer to know if their turkey is cooked well. Depending on the method of cooking, the cooking time for turkey can vary. It is the temperature that matters than the time you put it in the oven.
The cooking time for the turkey would also vary with the size of turkey that you have picked. Whether you have taken a fresh turkey or a frozen one and the weight of the turkey as well as the moisture in the content, these all aspects must be counted when you cook a turkey. Not only this, you must calculate the time you keep the oven door open and the temperature of the bird before you start calculating a turkey. If you are cooking the turkey on a oven outside your house then, the outdoor temperature and wind etc. would matter and affect the cooking time. For calculating the time, be sure that the thermometer that you use is accurate. This is the reason, why there is no straight 
answer to the question on how long to cook a turkey.
Now coming to how you can calculate the timing to cook the bird, you must decide it on the way you are cooking it. usually the temperature of the bird keeps rising to about 5 to 10 degrees even after you remove it from the oven. So the temperature when you keep it out for 15 to 20 minutes should not be greater than 165 degrees F.
You can always use a cooking chart for the turkey if you are unsure about the time it would consume to cook perfectly. You can use a meat thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature of the turkey.
If you cook turkey on an oven with 325 degrees F. Here is a chart to help you.
| Weight in lbs. | 8 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 24 |
| Time in hours unstuffed | 2.75 | 3 | 3.75 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Time in hours if stuffed | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.25 | 4.75 | 5.25 |
For convection oven roasting at 325 degrees F.:
| Weight in lbs. | 8 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 24 |
| Time in hours unstuffed | 1.25 | 1.75 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4.25 |
For oven roasting at 425 degrees F.:
| Weight in lbs. | 8 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 24 |
| Time in hours unstuffed | 64 | 96 | 112 | 144 | 160 | 192 |
| Time in minutes if stuffed | 80 | 120 | 140 | 180 | 200 | 240 |
To grill at 350 to 400 degrees F.:
| Weight in lbs. | 8 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 24 |
| Time in hours unstuffed | 90 | 135 | 180 | 210 | 225 | 270 |
To deep fry:
If you cook with 350 F hot oil, for one pound it would take 3 to 5 minutes to cook.
Watch a video instruction on how long to cook a turkey
See also
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