Cooking a Turkey

The best way to roast a whole turkey is low and slow in the oven. Most Tegel products will have cooking instructions on the back of pack, but follow the guide below for any extra information.

Tools:

Turkey
  • Before you get started, if you are using a frozen turkey, make sure it is properly defrosted.
  • Preheat the oven to 160°C and place the turkey breast-side up in an oven pan. Do not fan bake as this will unnecessarily dry out the skin and surface meat before the deeper meat is fully cooked.
  • Roast your turkey according to the time stated on the back of the pack or by using the following table as a guide.

     Turkey Size

     Cooking Time

     3.0

     2 hours 35 minutes

     3.5

     2 hours 40 minutes

     4.0

     2 hours 45 minutes

     4.5

     2 hours 50 minutes

     5.0

     2 hours 55 minutes

     5.5

     3 hours

     6.0

     3 hours 5 minutes

     6.5

     3 hours 10 minutes
  • Tegel Turkeys are tender basted so they don’t require continuous basting throughout the cooking process.
  • To check that the turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the meat (usually the thigh on a whole turkey). When the juices run clear, it means that the bird is cooked.
  • If you have a meat thermometer, the turkey is done when it registers a minimum of 76°C for boneless turkey or 82°C for bone in turkey in the thickest part of the meat.
  • Carefully transfer the turkey to a large chopping board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey.
  • While the turkey is resting, this is a perfect time to make a gravy.
  • If you are short on time, or don’t require a whole roast turkey, try Tegel’s Boneless Turkey Roasts or Tegel’s Turkey Breast Buffet.

Click here to find more tips and tricks for turkey.
Video Guide on how to Cook the Perfect Roast Turkey

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