How to cook a butterball turkey

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove turkey from bag. Drain juices wash and pat dry with clean paper towels.
2. Place turkey lifter across full length of flat rack in a shallow roasting pan, 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep.
3. Tuck wings back to hold the neck skin in place. Doing so will help stabilize the turkey in the pan and when carving. Place thawed or fresh turkey, breast up, on the turkey lifter. Raise one loop over wings and breast, and the other loop over drumsticks. Rest loops on turkey, not over edge of pan during roasting.
4. Brush skin lightly with vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray to prevent the skin from drying.
5. Insert oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh muscle but not touching the bone. When thigh is up to temperature and if turkey is stuffed, move thermometer to center of stuffing. Stuffing should be 165 degrees when done.
6. Place your turkey in the pre-heated oven at 325 degrees.
7. When the turkey is about 2/3 done, loosely cover the breast and top of drumsticks with a piece of lightweight foil to prevent overcooking.
8. Use this roasting schedule as a guide and start checking for doneness about 30 minutes before end of recommended cooking times.

1. Your turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
2. 180 degrees deep in the thigh. At this temperature juices should be clear, not reddish pink, when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.

• 165 degrees in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.

1. Lift roasted turkey onto platter with turkey lifter and discard lifter.
2. Before removing stuffing and carving, let your turkey stand 15 minutes to allow juices to set.

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Net Weight (lb.)	Unstuffed (hrs.)	Stuffed (hrs.)
4½ to 7	2 to 2½	2¼ to 2¾
7 to 9	2½ to 3	2¾ to 3½
9 to 18	3 to 3½	3¾ to 4½
18 to 22	3½ to 4	4½ to 5
22 to 24	4 to 4½	5 to 5½
24 to 30	4½ to 5	5½ to 6¼

Frozen Stuffed Whole Turkey

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. DO NOT THAW. Remove giblets, neck, and gravy packets by holding under running water.
2. Place turkey lifter across full length of flat rack in shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep.
3. Place frozen stuffed turkey, breast up, on turkey lifter. Raise one loop over wings and breast, and the other loop over drumsticks. Rest loops on turkey, not over edge of pan during roasting.
4. Brush skin with cooking oil or spray with cooking spray to prevent skin from drying.
5. Shield the neck and exposed stuffing with lightweight foil to prevent over-browning. Place your turkey in the preheated oven at 325 degrees.
6. When the turkey is about 3/4 done, loosely cover the breast and top of drumsticks with a piece of lightweight foil to prevent overcooking.
7. After about 3 hours, insert an oven-safe thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh muscle but not touching the bone.
8. Use the roasting schedule below as a guide and start checking for doneness about 30 minutes before end of recommended cooking times.
9. Your turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
   • 180 degrees deep in the thigh. At this temperature, juices should be clear, not reddish pink, when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
   • 165 degrees in the center of the stuffing.
10. Lift roasted turkey onto platter with turkey lifter and discard lifter.
11. Before removing stuffing and carving, let your turkey stand 15 minutes to allow juices to set.

Net Weight (lb.)	Stuffed (hrs.)
7 to 9	4 to 4½
9 to 12	4½ to 5
12 to 14	5 to 6

Fully Cooked Smoked and Baked Whole Turkeys

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove wrapper. DO NOT STUFF.
2. Place thawed turkey, breast side up, on flat rack in shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep.
3. Brush skin with cooking oil or spray with cooking spray to prevent the skin from drying.
4. Insert oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh muscle, but not touching the bone.
5. Place your turkey in the pre-heated oven at 325 degrees and heat until hot (140 degrees).
   • For Smoked Turkey: Cover pan completely with foil for the entire cooking time.
   • For Baked Turkey: Cover breast loosely with lightweight foil after 1 to 1 1/4 hours to prevent over-browning and drying of breast.
6. Use the roasting schedule below as a guide and start checking for doneness about 30 minutes before end of recommended cooking times.
7. Your turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches 140 degrees deep in the thigh.
8. Carve and serve immediately.

Net Weight (lb.)	Baked Thawed (hrs.)	Baked Frozen (hrs.)	Smoked Thawed (hrs.)
8 to 10	1¼ to 1¾	2¼ to 3¼	1¼ to 1½
10 to 16	1¾ to 2¼	2¾ to 3¾	1½ to 2
16 to 18	2¼ to 2½	3¼ to 4	2 to 2½

Whole Turkey Breast

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Remove whole breast from bag. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels.
3. Place prepared breast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in a 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Brush skin lightly with vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray to prevent any drying of skin.
4. Roast uncovered according to time guidelines below or until meat thermometer in thickest part of muscle reaches 170 degrees. If breast is stuffed, center of stuffing should be 165 degrees.
5. Roasting time will vary from guidelines above if turkey is covered or placed in an oven-cooking bag.

Size (lb.)	Unstuffed (hrs.)	Stuffed (hrs.)
3 to 5½	1½ to 2¼	2 to 2¾
5½ to 9	2¼ to 2¾	2¾ to 3¼

You may roast your whole turkey breast from a frozen state as well. In that case:

1. Roast skin side down, uncovered, on a flat rack in a 2-inch deep open roasting pan at 325 degrees for the first hour.
2. Carefully remove gravy packet and refrigerate packet for future use. Turn breast skin side up and brush skin lightly with a vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray to prevent any drying of skin.
3. Roast uncovered according to time guidelines below or until meat thermometer in thickest part of muscle reaches 170 degrees. If breast is stuffed, center of stuffing should be 165 degrees.
4. Let breast stand 10 minutes before carving.

Size (lb.)	Unstuffed (hrs.)
3 to 5½	3 to 3¾
5½ to 9	3¾ to 4½

Fully Cooked Baked and Smoked Whole Turkey Breast

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Remove whole breast from bag. DO NOT STUFF. Pat dry with clean paper towels.
3. Place breast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in a 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Brush skin lightly with vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray to prevent any drying of skin.
4. Baked Whole Turkey Breast: Place in oven and heat until hot (140 degrees) in the thickest part of the muscle. Cover breast loosely with foil after 1 hour to prevent over-browning and drying of breast.
5. Smoked Whole Turkey Breast: Cover pan with foil and place in oven. Heat until warm.
6. Carve and serve immediately.

Size (lb.)	Baked (hrs.)	Smoked (hrs.)
4 to 7	1½ to 1¾	1¼ to 1¾

Boneless Roasts

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Remove outer plastic netting and packaging. Leave inner string netting on the roast. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels. For easier net removal before serving, lift string netting and shift position on roast. Refrigerate gravy packet.
3. Place prepared roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan.
4. Roast uncovered according to time guidelines below or until meat thermometer in center of the breast roast (all white meat) reaches 170 degrees and the center of the turkey roast (white/dark meat) reaches 175 degrees.
5. Roasting time will vary from guidelines above if roast is covered or placed in an oven-cooking bag. For easier net removal after roasting, wrap roast in foil and let stand 10 minutes. Remove netting and slice roast.

Thawed (hrs.)	Frozen (hrs.)
1¾ to 2	2½ to 3

Roasts may be cooked from frozen:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Remove gravy packet with spatula and refrigerate. You cannot shift string netting, so it is important to wrap in foil after roasting.
3. Place prepared roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in a 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan.
4. Roast uncovered according to time guidelines below or until meat thermometer in center of the breast roast (all white meat) reaches 170 degrees and the center of the turkey roast (white/dark meat) reaches 175 degrees.
5. For easier net removal after roasting, wrap roast in foil and let stand 10 minutes. Remove netting and slice roast.

 

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