Roast Stuffed Turkey

Roast Stuffed Turkey

It is pretty basic, but has had good results.

There is a school of thought that says stuffing a turkey is not a good thing.   The thermal mass of the stuffing can slow the cooking resulting in a crispier skin and lower internal temperature.

I can understand some of the reasons for not stuffing a Turkey. But for family tradition’s sake I stuff it anyway

Roast Stuffed Turkey

Ingredients

  • 1 Turkey
  • stuffing - see notes
  • 4 ounces butter - softened
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Be sure the turkey is thawed.  The safest way to thaw is in a refrigerator, but the bird will take several days to defrost.  I often end up trying to speed the thaw by defrosting in a sink of water.
  • Preheat the oven to 325 °F.
  • Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
  • Stuff the body as well as the neck cavities with stuffing.
  • Rub half of the butter all over the turkey and season with a little salt and pepper.
  • Place the turkey breast down on a rack in a roasting pan and put it in the oven.
  • Melt the rest of the butter and bast every 20 minutes until you have enough drippings to baste with.
  • After about 45 minutes to an hour, turn the turkey breast up and continue basting every 20 minutes.
  • Roast until a meat thermometer registers 170 °F, and the skin is a dark golden brown.  Then pull the turkey out of the oven, cover it with foil and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Carve and serve.

Notes

It is pretty basic, but has had good results.
There is a school of thought that says stuffing a turkey is not a good thing.   The thermal mass of the stuffing can slow the cooking resulting in a crispier skin and lower internal temperature.
I can understand some of the reasons for not stuffing a Turkey. But for family tradition's sake I stuff it anyway.
Roasting times can vary a lot depending on the bird and the oven.  I'd suggest planning on 20 minutes per pound.


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