How Long To Cook A 20 Pound Turkey In A Roaster

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Save oven space by making your Roast Turkey in an electric roaster this yr instead of your oven! Juicy, tender turkey, perfectly cooked and oh and so tasty!

Roast Turkey is a beloved holiday tradition, and cypher quite says "togetherness" similar gathering around the table with your loved ones and feasting the holidays abroad.

This tasty, traditional roast turkey recipe is non only buttery, delicious, and tender, but by utilizing an electric roaster it is incredibly SIMPLE to make and will gratuitous up some valuable oven space and fourth dimension!

Oftentimes, the role of "turkey roaster" can seem daunting, especially if y'all haven't prepared a turkey before.

At that place are so many varying schools of idea and opinion regarding cooking methods, brining methods, seasoning methods … yous get it … that information technology'due south sometimes hard to know where to begin. Well, allow Num's the Word to assist you out!

In function one of this special four-part series of posts nosotros talked about how to brine a turkey. Now, we'll talk well-nigh how to roast a turkey!

And nosotros'll do our best to make sure we accost any possible questions you might have about the best manner to roast a turkey . So take hold of a cup of cider or a mug of cocoa and let'due south get to it!

How to gear up turkey for roasting?

At that place are a couple schools of thought equally far every bit preparing a turkey for roasting. In part one of this iv-part series, nosotros went over How to Alkali a Turkey .

For this recipe, nosotros recommend brining your turkey, only if you're not interested, that'south certainly non a deal breaker!

The virtually important way to prepare your turkey for roasting is to make sure information technology is THAWED .

Thawing a turkey can accept several days, depending on how much it weighs. For every 5 pounds of frozen turkey, you should programme on 24 hours of fridge thaw time. So a 20-pound turkey will accept about four days .

If you lot want to brine your turkey, you need to begin thawing a 20-pound turkey 5 days prior to roasting 24-hour interval, in club to allow for 12-24 hours of alkali time.

Brining your turkey will assist tenderize the meat and enhance the season. A brine is basically a saltwater bath for your turkey. Information technology also contains various seasonings.

Equally your turkey soaks in the brine, the salt helps to unravel some of the protein chains, creating space that is then filled with the water of the brine.

This helps tenderize and moisturize your meat. Since the brine is infused with seasonings, it will also raise the flavor. If you choose to brine your turkey, y'all will non demand to season it with salt before roasting

In fact, exist certain to rinse your turkey after y'all remove it from the alkali . Neglecting to practise so will leave you with drippings and possibly an entire bird that are much too salty.

We as well practice not recommend stuffing a brined turkey, equally the stuffing will be likewise salty equally well, non to mention stuffing makes information technology difficult to cook your turkey consistently to the proper temperature.

How to season a turkey for roasting?

For this scrumptious roast turkey recipe, you will only need a few ingredients! Don't allow the simplicity fool y'all — this roast turkey is PACKED with flavor and seasoned to perfection.

Thawed turkey – brined if desired. We recommend using THIS brine recipe and instructions from function ane of this four-part series of turkey-related posts!
Pro tip: Ensure turkey is 100% thawed. For a 20 pound turkey, this will crave four days. It's estimated that a turkey volition thaw 5 pounds per day. And so a 20 pound turkey will accept 4 days. If you intend to brine your turkey, be certain to add an boosted 12-24 hours of time so that your turkey volition be set up to roast!
Butter – is there anything butter doesn't make better? I submit in that location is not. By rubbing it under and on acme of the peel, the butter in this recipe will keep your turkey meat moist — peculiarly that roast turkey breast — and will add richness and flavour.
Table salt – salt is a flavor enhancer, and information technology is a necessary seasoning for roast turkey. Even so! If your turkey has been brined, do not add salt!
Pepper – seasoning your turkey with pepper will add a piddling boot and additional depth of flavor.
Onion, Celery, and Carrots – these poultry roasting staples are the "aromatics" of the recipe. You'll put these inside the turkey, and as it cooks they volition help season and flavor the bird.

How to roast a turkey:

There are a couple unlike ways to cook your Thanksgiving turkey, whether y'all choose to fume it, oven roast, deep fry, or another of the myriad options is upward to you!

For this recipe, we're going to focus on how to cook a turkey in an electrical roaster — i of the most simple and efficient methods for preparing the PERFECT roast turkey .

What temperature to roast a turkey?

For both oven and electrical roasting, you'll want to melt your turkey at 2 different temperatures.

How to cook turkey in an electric roaster: preheat roaster to 450 degrees. Roast prepared turkey for 30 minutes. Exercise Non OPEN LID ! Simply turn the roaster down to 325 degrees thereafter. Roast for an additional 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees . A twenty-pound turkey will demand nearly 4 ½ hours of roasting at the lower temperature.
How to oven roast turkey: preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roast the prepared turkey for 1 hr, so plough down the temperature to 325 degrees for the remaining time, approximately 20 minutes/pound.
How to brown a turkey in a roaster: that's the reason for the two unlike roasting temperatures! Cooking the turkey for a portion of time at a higher temperature allows the exterior peel to brown and crisp .

How long to roast a turkey?

This is where things get complicated. Length of fourth dimension is really an estimation game unless you take a grilling digital thermometer.

Though this device won't requite you an verbal estimate of how much cooking fourth dimension you lot'll need, it will tell you when your turkey has reached a safe internal temperature and is fully cooked, thus fugitive overcooking!

We highly recommend that y'all insert a grilling digital thermometer into the thickest part of your turkey with it preset to 165 degrees.

This is not a traditional thermometer, but ane with a long cord so that the temperature gage can stay in your turkey while the digital box remains exterior the oven/grill/roaster.

How long to cook turkey in electric roaster?

Turkey roasting time in an electric turkey roaster volition exist approximately 15 minutes per pound.

This is an guess, even so, and your best bet is to employ the same digital grilling thermometer to avoid over cooking and drying out your turkey.

Pro tip: you do not demand to baste a turkey cooked in an electrical roaster!

How many minutes per pound to roast a turkey in the oven?

Oven roasted turkey will take approximately xx minutes per pound. Again, nosotros highly recommend you lot use a digital grilling thermometer to ensure that your meat is cooked to a proper temperature while maintaining the tender juiciness nosotros all want from our turkey!

Pro tip: after yous remove your turkey, you should allow it rest for x minutes. During this time, the turkey will keep to "melt," and the temperature in larger birds may heighten as much every bit 10 degrees. In smaller birds (around 10 pounds) there will non exist much temperature change during the residual time.

How to roast a brined turkey?

You may be wondering if there is a difference in roasting times between a brined and not-brined turkey.

Short respond — aye. Only it's small. A brined turkey volition roast slightly faster than a turkey that has not been brined. This could be anywhere from xxx minutes to one hr faster than estimated.

This is why a digital GRILLING thermometer is so important because you'll know EXACTLY when your bird reaches it's full cooking temperature without having to open the lid, losing precious rut each time!

How long to roast a stuffed turkey?

Your turkey roasting time volition increase if you decide to roast a stuffed turkey. Program to add an additional xv-45 minutes of cook time for a stuffed turkey.

Disclaimer: it is harder to reach a safety internal temperature with a stuffed turkey, then exist sure your bird is at least 165 degrees in ALL parts!

How long to roast a 12, 13, 14, 15, xx, or 22 pound turkey?

Here's an easy-to-reference chart with recommended roasting times for varying sizes of turkeys. This information is from the Academy of Illinois Extension.

Unstuffed
8 – 12 pounds	2 ¾ – 3 hours
12 – 14 pounds	3 – 3 ¾ hours
14 – 18 pounds	3 ¾ – 4 ¼ hours
18 – twenty pounds	4 ¼ – 4 ½ hours
20 – 24 pounds	4 ½ – 5 hours
Stuffed
8 – 12 pounds	3 – three ½ hours
12 – 14 pounds	3 ½ – iv hours
14 – xviii pounds	4 – four ¼ hours
eighteen – xx pounds	iv ¼ – four ¾ hours
twenty – 24 pounds	iv ¾ – 5 ¼ hours

Succulent Thanksgiving Side Dishes:

Cranberry Fluff
Sweet Tater Goulash with Marshmallows
Cranberry Jello Salad
Creamed Corn Casserole
Cranberry Orange Savor
Broccoli Goulash
Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
Pistachio Fruit Salad
Squash Casserole
Grape Salad
Candied Carrots
Cranberry Raspberry Sauce
Green Edible bean Casserole with Bacon
Mac and Cheese with Ritz Crackers
Green Beans with Bacon and Brown Sugar

We know you'll enjoy this perfect roast turkey recipe! The combination of an electric roaster and digital grilling thermometer will get in the simplest, tastiest, tenderest, and all-around-best turkey y'all've ever had!

Using an electric roaster really is the best way to roast a turkey, not to mention it frees up valuable oven infinite for those tasty sides! Happy Turkey Twenty-four hour period and happy roasting!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Additional Fourth dimension 10 minutes

Total Time iv hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

Thawed turkey, brined if desired
one/4 cup butter
Salt
Pepper
1 yellow onion, quartered
2-three stalks of celery
2 - 3 large carrots

Instructions

Preheat Roaster at 450*F.
Ensure turkey is 100% thawed. For a 20 pound turkey, this will require four days. It'southward estimated that a turkey will thaw 5 pounds per mean solar day. So a 20 pound turkey will have four days.
Make clean out neck, gravy packet and gizzards from crenel of turkey.
Rinse Turkey and pat dry with newspaper towels.
Starting at the cavity opening, gently slide fingers under the skin to create a pocket. Working slowly, press your fingers equally far every bit they volition go all around the chest.
Scoop 1 Tablespoon of butter and rub it under the turkey's skin.
Spread the remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter over the outside of the turkey skin, getting legs and all. Do not worry about nether turkey.
Salt and Pepper Turkey.
If not stuffing turkey with traditional stuffing, add together quartered onion, carrots and celery to turkey cavity.
Insert a grilling digital thermometer into the thickest part of your turkey with it preset to 165*F. This is not a traditional thermometer, but one with a long cord so that the temperature gage can stay in your turkey while the digital box remains outside the oven/grill/roaster.
Identify turkey into preheated roaster, careful not to burn yourself.
DO Non Add together actress liquid. Roasting ovens do not require liquid and you do non demand to baste your turkey!
Cook at 450*F for 30 minutes.
Afterward 30 minutes, DO NOT OPEN Chapeau. Merely turn roaster rut down to 325*F and cook for an additional 4 1/2hours (approximate for 20 pound turkey). Rule of thumb is 15 minutes per pound of unstuffed turkey. So a 20 pound turkey would need to cook for an approximate total of v hours.
Annotation: If you lot brined your turkey it volition melt faster. This could be anywhere from 30 minutes - 1 60 minutes faster than estimated. So a brined 20 pound turkey would cook for 4 - 4 1/2 hours instead of 5. This is why a digital GRILLING thermometer is then important considering you'll know EXACTLY when your bird reaches information technology'due south full cooking temperature without having to open the lid, losing precious rut each time.