Incredibly easy roast turkey
Some people complain that turkey is dry, flavorless, and difficult to prepare. A few simple tricks eliminate those problems. You can go from freezer to oven to table with very little effort and it's juicy and flavorful (not to mention gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free).
Here are the 3 easy tricks:
- Cooking straight from the freezer (no need to thaw),
- baking the turkey breast side down (this allows the juices to flow into the meat rather than having them drain out of the meat leaving it dry), and
- using bacon slices to "self baste" the turkey while baking.
You will need:
You can cook a turkey straight from the freezer, no need to spend days thawing it out. This makes it easy like a crock pot meal. Put it in the oven in the morning and it's ready for dinner.
- frozen turkey,
- bacon,
- olive oil,
- poultry seasoning and
- garlic.
You can cook a turkey straight from the freezer, no need to spend days thawing it out. This makes it easy like a crock pot meal. Put it in the oven in the morning and it's ready for dinner.
1. Assemble ingredients and preheat oven to 325
2. Remove plastic wrap from the frozen turkey. Baste all over with olive oil, poultry seasoning, and crushed garlic. Place it breast side down in a roasting pan.
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3. Place raw bacon slices across the top of the turkey.
4. Cover turkey with a foil 'tent'. Heat oven to 325. Cooking times vary with the size of the bird. 10 pounds - 6 hours and 30 minutes. 12 pounds - 7 hours, 30 minutes. 14 pounds - 8 hours. 16 pounds - 8 hours, 30 minutes. 18 pounds - 9 hours. Use tongs to remove the giblets and neck about halfway through the cooking time. Place a clove of peeled garlic and a raw bacon slice into turkey cavity. Return turkey to oven. During the last 15-30 minutes of cooking time you may remove the foil tent and turn the oven up to 400 degrees to brown the top of the turkey if desired. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the bird reaches 170 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh.
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5. Allow turkey to rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Save drippings for gravy. Save bones to make turkey broth.
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