How To Cook A Turkey: Easy 5-Step Thanksgiving 2018 Recipe For Beginners [Cook Times And Tips]

thanksgiving turkey recipe — A super simple Thanksgiving turkey recipe. Pictured: A Guatemalan immigrant carves the Thanksgiving turkey on Nov. 24, 2016 in Stamford, Connecticut. John Moore/Getty Images

For most who celebrate Thanksgiving, the turkey is the most essential part of the holiday dinner. Luckily for those who are tasked with cooking a bird this Nov. 22, know that it is not as difficult to cook a turkey as some may assume it to be. After years of cooking Thanksgiving dinners, here is the easiest roast turkey recipe perfect for beginners this Thanksgiving 2018.

It is important to note the following guideline and oven cook times are for an unstuffed turkey.

You will need the following items:

Ingredients:

A fresh or frozen whole turkey (Not sure how many pounds you’ll need? Follow this guide.)
Vegetable oil

Kitchen tools:

A shallow roasting pan (2.5 inches deep)
A meat-reading thermometer
A baster
Tin foil
Basting brush
A carving knife

Turkey Prep/How To Thaw:

Before you begin even thinking about putting your turkey into the oven, you need to make sure your bird is properly prepped. Your turkey needs to be thawed before you can begin cooking it. You can learn how to do that safely here. If you prefer not to thaw out your bird, consider buying a fresh, unfrozen turkey a couple of days before the event and keeping it cool in the refrigerator until you’re ready to begin cooking.

Step-By-Step Recipe:

1. Before preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, adjust your racks accordingly so your bird will be able to fit. The breast of the bird should not touch the top of the oven.

2. While waiting for the oven to heat up, further prep your bird by removing any packaging and innards. Continue by placing the bird breast up into your roasting rack.

3. Next, take a generous helping of vegetable oil and brush it onto all parts of the bird. If your oven is properly pre-heated after this is finished, you can place your turkey into the oven. Look at the bottom of this article for specific cook times.

(Tip: Throughout the cooking process, about once every hour, bast your turkey with its own grease and any access vegetable oil that comes off of the bird into the bottom of the roasting pan. This will help it tasting moist and delicious.)

4. When your turkey has about 20 percent more time left to cook, remove it from the oven. Taking tin foil, lightly cover the breast and drumsticks to keep those sections from drying out and place your turkey back into the oven at the same temperature.

5. You’ll know your turkey is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in its thickest region. Wait 15 minutes after cooking before carving and serving to preserve the natural turkey juices.

Oven Cook Times

The following cook times are provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. They are meant for unstuffed turkeys as noted above. For those cooking at altitudes of 5,000 feet and above, it is suggested that your roast your turkey an additional 5-10 minutes per pound.