Turkey takes center stage at the Thanksgiving table, and there are a number of ways to prepare it. A Baylor College of Medicine registered dietitian explains the various methods of turkey preparation while providing tips to make your meal healthy and flavorful.
Roasted
Roasting a turkey uses minimal fat and doing so at a moderate temperature preserves the essential nutrients of the turkey. You should achieve an oven temperature of about 325 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure the turkey is cooked well. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit at the thickest part of the thigh and breast for safe consumption.
“To verify the temperature, use a meat thermometer,” said Dr. Luis Rustveld, registered dietitian and assistant professor of family and community medicine at Baylor.
Grilled
Grilling turkey is another low-fat cooking method, as it allows some of the excess fat drippings to fall off the turkey, reducing its fat content. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you marinate the turkey, use a low-sugar, low-sodium marinade.
“Be mindful of using high-sodium and high-sugar marinades, as they make the dish less healthy,” Rustveld said.
Fried
When deep frying a turkey, you introduce a lot of oil in the preparation, so make sure to use oils with a high smoke point, such as peanut oil, canola oil or grapeseed oil. These oils are less likely to release harmful compounds if you overcook your meat. While you can use olive oil for roasting, avoid it when grilling or deep frying a turkey.
The turkey must be dry and thawed completely before inserting it in the oil to avoid splatter and potential fires. When deep-frying turkey, maintain the oil temperature at around 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. The turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the thigh and breast for safety.
Rustveld suggests air frying your turkey as a healthier alternative to deep frying. It takes less time at 400 degrees, and the end product contains less fat since you do not need to add oil.
“Deep frying is not as healthy as air frying, roasting or grilling,” he said.
Stuffing and flavor
Roasted or grilled turkey can be stuffed, but Rustveld recommends serving stuffing as a side dish if you deep fry your turkey. Deep frying makes it difficult for the stuffing to reach a safe internal temperature.
To create a healthy stuffing, use whole grains like brown rice or quinoa and chop up celery, carrots, mushrooms or other vegetables of your choice. Add herbs and spices instead of increasing the salt content.
Prepare your own healthier gravy by using drippings from the turkey and mixing them with a low-sodium broth. Some recipes call for cornstarch to thicken gravy, but Rustveld recommends using potatoes to thicken the gravy. You can also add spices for more flavor.
Keep your turkey moist by using a salt rub (without using too much salt) that includes spices. The salt will help draw out moisture, but it will also be reabsorbed, making the turkey juicy and flavorful. Injecting spices and herbs into the turkey with some butter or oil will also retain its moisture and enhance flavor, but it’s important not to overdo it as excessive injection can lead to greasy or overly fatty results.
“You can make a turkey that is healthy during preparation, but if you pour ingredients that are high in fat and salt over healthy food, then you’re undoing all the goodness of the product,” Rustveld said. “Go for more flavor rather than increasing the salt content.”
By Homa Warren
FAQs
We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).
What are ten tips to use when preparing a turkey? ›
Top 10 Tips: How to Cook a Turkey
- Choose the Right Bird. ...
- Buy the Right Amount. ...
- Add Vegetables. ...
- Brine, Brine, Brine. ...
- Cook Your Stuffing Out of the Bird. ...
- Truss Your Turkey. ...
- Rub Down Your Turkey Beforehand. ...
- You Don't Need to Baste!
What Temperature to Cook the Turkey? Cook your turkey at 325 degrees F for most of the cook time; in the final 45 minutes, remove the cover or foil tent from the turkey, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and baste the bird with butter. The initial lower oven temperature cooks the turkey through evenly.
How long should turkey sit out before cooking? ›
Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) Preheat your oven and take the turkey out of the fridge. Thirty minutes to an hour before the turkey needs to start roasting, turn on your oven and let the turkey sit out at room temperature while it's heating up.
How long does a 20lb turkey take at 350? ›
For an 18- to 20-pound turkey: 425°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours. 400°F for 3¾ to 4 hours. 350°F for 4 to 4¼ hours.
How long does it take to cook a 15 lb turkey at 325? ›
How Long Do You Cook a 15-Pound Turkey at 325 Degrees? An unstuffed bird of 15 pounds will likely finish at around the 4-hour mark (or just before). A stuffed turkey will take at least 4 hours to cook, and typically takes an extra 15 minutes until you've hit that desired internal temperature.
Why put onions in turkey cavities? ›
Classic Aromatics
Add halved onions, carrot chunks, celery and fresh herbs to the cavity of your turkey, inserting them loosely. These flavor builders are the base of stock and most soups. As your turkey cooks, they'll steam and infuse your bird with moisture and flavor.
Should I brush turkey with butter or oil? ›
Fat is going to help the skin get brown and crisp, and contrary to what most might think, butter isn't better. Butter does an okay job, but because it contains a lot of water, oil is a better fat to rub on the skin to ensure it gets extra crispy.
How to cook a turkey so it doesn't dry out? ›
The simple secret to a truly juicy roast turkey is to season the turkey with a rub a couple of days before roasting. This is called dry brining and it makes the flesh beautifully moist, and you can even do it while the turkey is still FROZEN!
Is it better to cook a roast at 325 or 350? ›
When roasting meat and poultry, set the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) or higher. Explore the charts below to learn how to get great results every time you cook.
To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.
Do you put water in the bottom of a roasting pan for turkey? ›
Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.
Is it necessary to rinse turkey before cooking? ›
According to a study by the food safety experts at the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. There's only one time you should wash a raw turkey, and that is after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking.
Should you take turkey out of fridge before roasting? ›
Before it goes in the oven, the turkey should be at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge (1 hr for a whole turkey, or 30 mins for a cut) before cooking. Keep it covered in a cool place.
What to do if the turkey is done 2 hours early? ›
If your turkey is done several hours before your meal, let it rest. Then carve off the breast meat, the legs and the thighs and arrange them on a serving platter and cover with foil. Just before you're ready to serve, reheat the platter in the oven (about 20 minutes at 350°F).
Do you cook a butterball turkey at 325 or 350? ›
Preheat oven to 325° F. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels. Place turkey breast-side-up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep. Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place.
What is the best setting for cooking a turkey? ›
Begin by roasting your turkey at 425°F for 40 to 45 minutes before lowering the temperature of the oven to 350°F for the rest of the cooking time. Like the other method, it's a good idea to brush the turkey every 15 to 20 minutes with butter or olive oil to help the surface brown and keep the meat moist.
How long to cook at 325 vs 350? ›
In general, you may need to increase the baking time by 10-25% to compensate for the lower temperature.
Roasted