How long to roast a 13 lb turkey

Ingredients

1 onion, quartered
fresh bay leaves, to flavour and serve
4.5-5.6kg/10-12lb Bronze turkey, giblets removed
1 quantity of stuffing
85g butter, softened
1 whole nutmeg
10 rashers streaky bacon
glass red wine, such as Merlot

To serve

pigs-in-blankets

Method

STEP 1
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the onion and a large sprig of bay in the cavity between the legs. Now pack half the stuffing into the neck end, pushing it towards the breast. Secure the neck skin in position with skewers and tie the turkey legs together at the top of the drumsticks to give a neat shape.
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STEP 2
Weigh the turkey and calculate cooking time at 20 mins per kilo, plus 90 mins. (You may need to use your bathroom scales.)
STEP 3
Put a large sheet of extra-wide foil in a large roasting tin, then put the turkey on top. Smear the breast with the butter, grate over half the nutmeg and season well. Cover the breast with bacon, pour over the wine, then loosely bring up the foil and seal well to make a parcel.
STEP 4
Roast in the oven, then 90 mins before the end of cooking, open the foil, discard the bacon, and drain off excess fat from the tin. Leaving the foil open, return the turkey to the oven to brown, basting with the juices several times. Then 30 mins before the end of cooking, place pigs-in-blankets and stuffing of your choice around the turkey, or cook in a separate lightly oiled tin.
STEP 5
To test whether the turkey is cooked, push a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh – the juices should run clear. If they are pinkish, cook for 15 mins more, then test again.
STEP 6
Transfer the turkey, stuffings and pigs-in-blankets to a platter, cover with foil, then a couple of tea towels and allow to rest for up to 30 mins before carving. This gives the juices time to settle back into the meat, ensuring that the turkey will be juicy. Garnish with sprigs of bay.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2006

Ingredients

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Step 1
Remove and discard leg truss from turkey. Pull off and discard any lumps of fat. Remove giblets and neck (they're often packed in the neck or body cavity) and save for gravy. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Rub turkey all over with butter.

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Step 2
Place turkey, breast up, on a V-shaped rack in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan, or one that is at least 2 in. longer and wider than the bird. Insert a meat thermometer through thickest part of breast to the bone. (If using an instant-read thermometer, insert when checking temperature later.)
Step 3
Roast in a 325° or 350° (depending on size of bird; see below) oven until thermometer registers 160°.
Step 4
If turkey is unstuffed, tip slightly to drain juices from body cavity into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter. Let stand in a warm place, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes, then carve. If thigh joints are still pink (common in an oven-roasted bird), cut drumsticks from thighs, place thighs in a baking pan, and bake in a 450° oven until no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes; or put on a microwave-safe plate and cook in a microwave oven at full power (100%) for 1 to 3 minutes.
Step 5
Nutritional analysis per 1/4 pound boned cooked turkey with skin, based on percentages of white and dark meat in an average bird.
Step 6
Oven-roasted turkey: temperatures and times
Step 7
For a 10-13 lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 350° oven for 1 1/2-2 1/4 hr.
Step 8
For a 14-23 lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 2-3 hr.
Step 9
For a 24-27 lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 3-3 3/4 hr.
Step 10
For a 28-30 lb turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 3 1/2-4 1/2 hr.
Step 11
Times are for unstuffed birds. A stuffed bird may cook at the same rate as an unstuffed one; however, be prepared to allow 30 to 50 minutes longer. While turkeys take about the same time to roast in regular and convection heat, a convection oven does a better job of browning the bird all over.

Chef's Notes

If using a frozen turkey, start thawing it in a pan in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days before roasting, depending on its size. During roasting, if turkey overlaps the pan rim, tuck a strip of heavy-duty foil along the sides of the pan to keep fat from dripping over.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

229 calories; calories from fat 39%; protein 32g; fat 10g; saturated fat 3g; sodium 82mg; cholesterol 93mg.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Roast the turkey uncovered at a temperature ranging from 325°F to 350°F. Higher temperatures may cause the meat to dry out, but this is preferable to temperatures that are too low which may not allow the interior of the turkey to cook to a safe temperature.

How long do you cook a Butterball 13 pound turkey?

Roast 3 to 3½ hours or until meat thermometer reaches 180°F when inserted into deepest part of thigh not touching bone. Cover breast and top of drumsticks loosely with foil about two-thirds of the way through roasting to prevent overbrowning, if needed. Let stand 30 minutes before carving.

How long does it take to cook a 13 and a half pound turkey at 350?

For a 10–13-lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 350° oven for 1 1/2–2 1/4 hr. For a 14–23-lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 2–3 hr.