If you didn’t have the pleasure of cooking up a turkey for Thanksgiving and are planning to do this Christmas, you’re likely wondering how to pull off the main dish. For those who are struggling with the idea of creating their family’s holiday bird, following this easy, five-step recipe will make your time in the kitchen go a little bit smoother. Below is all the information you’ll need to a cook up a Christmas turkey, including cook times, temperature tips and more.

The following recipe is for roasting a fresh, whole turkey. The details are courtesy of Butterball and our own recipe collection.

Ingredients

You’ll need:

  • 1 fresh, frozen whole turkey (1 person per pound)
  • A large, shallow roasting pan
  • Tin foil
  • A baster
  • Meat thermometer
  • Vegetable oil

Steps

1. First things first, you need to prep your turkey. Take your thawed bird and remove any packaging and giblets. Pat the bird dry with a damp paper towel to remove any excess juices.

2. Next, place the bird breast side up in a shallow roasting pan. Using a brush, lightly coat the bird with vegetable oil. Then, place a half cup of water at the bottom of the pan. Your turkey is ready to start cooking once the oven is pre-heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tip: The turkey-cooking process can be long. To make your bird more juicy and flavorful, baste the bird with its own juices a few times during the cooking process. Don’t do it too many times, though. Opening the oven door repeatedly will cause the oven temperature to drop and will take your turkey longer to cook!

3. After two hours, remove your turkey from the oven. While smaller birds may be done cooking by this time, the more dense parts of bigger birds will likely need more oven time. To prevent smaller areas from drying out, such as the legs, cover them with tin foil. Then, place the bird back into the oven.

4. After 45 minutes, remove your turkey from the oven again. If your turkey’s inner thigh or thickest part of the breast reads at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s done cooking, according to USDA regulations. If not, place tin foil lightly on the breast and put the bird back into the oven for approximately another half an hour or until it reads the correct temperature. (Still not sure how long to cook your turkey? Check out this conversion chart.)

5. It may be temping to cut into your turkey right away after its done cooking, but letting it sit for 20 minutes will allow the bird to absorb the juices and make for a more flavorful meal. After carving, enjoy!

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