Cooking a turkey is actually pretty easy once you know what you’re doing. These tips for cooking a turkey will make everything go smoothly.

Tip #1 for Cooking A Turkey – Plan Ahead.

The truth is, it can be difficult to cook a turkey on short notice. In the United States, anyway, you need to plan ahead if you want to cook a whole turkey. Frozen turkeys are available year-round, but frozen turkey take a couple days to thaw, depending on how much they weigh.

Fresh turkeys can be cooked the same day you buy them, but in the U.S. you can only get fresh turkeys the week before the Thanksgiving holiday – unless you ask your grocer or meat market to order a bird especially for you.

If all else fails and you must have a turkey right away, you are best advised to buy a smoked turkey. A smoked turkey is fully cooked when you buy it, and all you have to do is heat it up and serve it.

Tip #2 for Cooking a Turkey – Use a Meat Thermometer

Turkeys come in a variety of different sizes, and ovens work in varying levels of efficiency. Eating raw turkey can make you and your guests very, very sick, so use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the meat is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before you remove the bird from the oven. Insert the meat thermometer in the deepest part of the breast or thigh.

Tip #3 for Cooking a Turkey – Skip the Stuffing

Stuffing that’s cooked inside the bird is very tasty because it has been soaked in turkey fat; it is unhealthy for the same reason. Not to mention, there are issues with bacteria when you cook the stuffing inside the bird.

A turkey cooks faster without stuffing. It’s easier to maneuver because it’s lighter in weight when the stuffing goes in a separate casserole dish, not inside the bird. Stuff the turkey cavity with a bouquet garni or bundle of herbs to season the bird as it cooks, or stuff it with aromatic root vegetables like sweet onions and carrots. Discard the herbs and vegetables when you carve and eat the bird.

Tip #4 for Cooking a Turkey – Use a Cooking Bag

Sure, you can use a turkey baster to keep pouring hot juices all over the turkey, but a safer, more efficient way to guarantee that your turkey stays moist is to put the whole bird in a cooking bag. All the moisture will be trapped in the bag, making it next to impossible for your turkey to dry out.

Tip #5 for Cooking a Turkey – Let the Bird Sit

After you take the turkey out of the oven, the interior of the turkey will continue to cook for a short time after you remove it from the heat source. Don’t try to carve the turkey until all the juices have settled – usually about 20 to 30 m

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The most confusing thing about cooking prime rib, for most cooks, is that prime rib cooking times vary significantly depending on many factors.  Variables that can affect prime rib cooking times include the thickness of the meat, the amount of fat on the cut, the moisture content of the meat, and the temperature of the meat when it’s placed into the oven. 

How Long to Cook Prime Rib

There are many charts and resources that will give you approximate prime rib cooking times based on the weight of the cut, but these are educated guesses at best.  While you can take approximate prime rib cooking times and make them work for you, the best way to cook your prime rib is to use a sturdy, reliable, and high quality meat thermometer.

A meat thermometer with a heat-proof probe that stays in the meat the entire time it’s being cooked is the most accurate way to gauge when your prime rib is done.  Forget trying to calculate prime rib cooking times or attempting to tell by sight or smell when it is done.  The only way to be sure it’s done is to use a reliable meat thermometer.

Even when you’re using a meat thermometer, your prime rib cooking times will still vary significantly based on the factors mentioned above.  However, knowing what temperature your prime rib is at will tell you the exact moment to pull it out of the oven.  This will be anywhere from 110 to 120 degrees, depending on how well done you like your meat.  After pulling the pan out of the oven, let it sit for a good 10 to 15 minutes.  The temperature will continue to increase for a few minutes and will then stop rising.  Then, and only then, your prime rib is ready to be served.

The well-seasoned cooks in your family will no doubt have all sorts of tricks for calculating prime rib cooking times that they’ll happily share with you, but if you want your meat cooked perfectly every time, stick with the thermometer method.  You may even impress those experienced cooks and win them over to your method.

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