I vividly remember the first time I cooked a turkey. I was probably 24 years old and had invited a few friends over for a Thanks-mas dinner—a hybrid holiday gathering that falls somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Growing up, I’d seen many perfectly roasted, golden-brown turkeys come out of the oven with much celebratory fanfare. It looked easy enough, or so I thought.
Back then, I bought a turkey with a pop-up timer, calculated how long the bird would take, and placed it in the oven. As the finish line drew near, I opened the oven and the timer still hadn’t sprung. Every fifteen minutes or so, I’d check again and the timer still hadn’t popped. Of course, every time I opened the oven door, some hot air escaped which prolonged the cooking time. After six hours, I concluded the timer was broken and pulled out the bird. Carving it was like cutting up an old shoe. Eating it was about the same. It would be several decades before I had the courage to roast a turkey again.
I cooked my second turkey just a few years ago. But this time, I’d wised up. I bought an internal probe thermometer and when the turkey reached the right temperature, it beeped. The gadget eliminated all the guesswork and my anxiety vanished. The bird came out juicy and tender and I felt so accomplished. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to cook a turkey.
Along the way, I also learned that a turkey’s internal temperature can rise by five to ten degrees after it comes out of the oven. If you don’t know that, it’s easy to overcook it. The ideal internal temperature is 165⁰ which means you pull it out of the oven at around 155⁰-160⁰. Tent it with foil and let it rest for about half an hour.
So many recipes call for brining or fancy herb and spice rubs, but I keep it simple – I stuff the bird with Stovetop stuffing, rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast it. I use a foil pan too, because that eliminates a big pan to wash.
Technology has come a long way. These days, some probe thermometers are “smart” and use Bluetooth that pairs with an app; the alarm goes off on your phone when the target temperature is reached. I bought my probe thermometer on Amazon for only $14.00. It’s not smart, but it’s smart enough, and it’s accurate for a small home turkey.
Now that you know how to roast a turkey the no-stress way, you can relax and go about your day. There’s a first time for everything, even using a probe thermometer.