My mom has always gone all-out to make a huge meal for Canadian Thanksgiving and Christmas. That means a roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and everything else you can think of. Sometimes she’ll even make a ham and a vegetarian loaf, just so everyone can have a choice about what they eat.
You’d think I’d have picked up a thing or two from my mom after watching her assemble these feasts for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, but you’d be wrong. Yes, I have a mean recipe for mashed potatoes, but my one attempt at roasting a turkey at home was an utter disaster.
How bad was it, you ask? I didn't thaw the turkey in time, I made a mess of the kitchen while trying to defrost it and I ended up with a ruined bird, a slapped-together backup plan involving fast-food chicken and a brutal case of salmonella poisoning the next day. I'm certain that poisoning came from working with a raw turkey all morning, because if I'm being honest, it was a bad scene.
Here’s what you need to know about roasting a turkey the right way, based on everything I learned from royally f*cking it up and then asking my mom about it afterward.
How do you thaw a turkey?
If you plan to buy a frozen turkey from the grocery store, do it a well before your meal. That way you can stick it in the fridge and let it thaw over time with zero stress or fuss.
No matter which recipe site you use, the general rule of thumb for a frozen turkey is that you should give it 24 hours in the fridge for every five pounds of weight. That means you should buy a medium-to-large turkey about five days before you plan to roast it, and then you'll want to leave it in the fridge until it's turkey time.
The biggest mistake I made with my turkey was not doing the above.
I was planning a dinner for about 8-10 people, and that meant buying a full-sized frozen bird from my local No Frills. I bought the bird the day before the dinner, and it was still rock-solid the next morning.
I tried everything I could find on the internet. I soaked it in cold water for a few hours. I let it sit in the oven for a bit. I even tried to cut it up into easier-to-thaw chunks by chiselling at it with a knife, in a move that made a mess and eventually gave me salmonella poisoning.
All this is to say that it's a major pain to thaw a turkey on the day of your meal. You should just plan ahead if you're buying a frozen turkey for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner.
How do you thaw a turkey fast?
If you really need to thaw a frozen turkey fast, you're looking at about six hours of committed effort. That's about as "fast" as you can do it, and it definitely takes more effort than planning ahead.
Martha Stewart Living recommends submerging your frozen bird in cold (or even ice) water for about six hours.
You'll need to change that water every 30 minutes to ensure it stays very cold, because that's how you thaw the bird without allowing bacteria to grow on it throughout the process. Warm water might sound like a good idea, but it'll actually ruin your turkey.
You'll want to use a thermometer to make sure the water never gets warmer than about 4.4 degrees Celsius (40 Fahrenheit), or about as cold as your fridge. Otherwise you'll get bacteria growth.
How do you season a turkey?
You can buy a simple poultry seasoning blend at the grocery store or mix together a few of your favourite savoury spices to get something tasty for your turkey skin.
My turkey failure aside, I've roasted many chickens and I like to use paprika with garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and maybe a bit of salt. You could also make a blend with sage, thyme and rosemary for something more Italian and herbaceous.
If you're looking for a straight-up turkey seasoning recipe, Ontario Turkey recommends mixing the following herbs in a bowl and then rubbing them all over the bird's skin:
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp dried sage leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
This will cover you for a small turkey, but you can double the recipe for a bigger bird.
If you want my mom's advice, she covers the bird with thyme and pepper, then she'll put pieces of butter all over the top and at the opening.
How do you stuff a turkey?
You've done it! Your turkey has officially been thawed, you've dusted it with spices and you're ready to stuff it before sticking it in the oven.
Or should you stuff it?
Health Canada says it's actually safest to cook stuffing separately from the bird, either on the stovetop or in its own oven-proof dish, because otherwise you can run the risk of food poisoning.
If you do choose to stuff seasoned bread into your turkey, do it just before cooking and make sure you're not packing it in there. You want it to be loose, with about 3/4 of a cup per pound of stuffing, according to the U.S. FDA.
Of course, you'll want to stick your hand inside the bird either way because the cavity usually has giblets and whatnot inside. You can grab these raw or put a towel over your hand if you like before scooping this stuff out.
How long do you cook a turkey?
An 11-14-pound turkey with stuffing inside takes about 3-4 hours to roast in the oven at 350 degrees, although cooking times may vary. Canadian Turkey has a nice guide that you can use for exact weight and length of time.
Regardless of size, you'll want to cook the turkey in an uncovered roasting pan. My mom recommends adding chicken stock to the pan so the turkey doesn't dry out, though that means you'll have to use a baster to moisten up the bird every now and then. Alternatively you could just use a cooking bag, which will seal in all of that moisture.
My mom also recommends turning the tray in the oven halfway through, just to make sure it's cooking evenly.
What temperate is a turkey done at?
Don't mess around with cooking poultry, whether it's turkey or chicken. Buy a meat thermometer and ensure that your bird's been cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, as recommended by the U.S. FDA.
The Canadian Turkey website actually recommends you get it even hotter: 170 degrees in the thigh for an unstuffed turkey, or 180 degrees for a stuffed one.
Once your meat thermometer gives you that reading, you can take the bird out and let it sit under foil for about 20 minutes before carving. You can also take out the stuffing at this point.
Follow this guide and you'll be able to roast your own turkey for Christmas, Thanksgiving of Friendsgiving this year. Just make sure you plan ahead!
This article's right-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
