Stuck in a turkey rut? Tired of cooking the same old turkey every Thanksgiving? Okay, not literally, but we all have our own traditions or have just become accustomed to following the first turkey recipe we learned. Why not try something new this year? The following list includes 10 ways you can cook a turkey.
# Roast Turkey
Roasting a turkey is the most traditional method of cooking a turkey. There are tons of basic instructions on how to roast a turkey that can be found online. Butterball.com provides instructions on how to roast a turkey and provides a chart that tells you how long it should be roasted per pound.
# Smoked Turkey
Smoked turkey is said to be very flavorful. To smoke a turkey, you’ll need a smoker (or a kettle type of grill) and aromatic hardwood chips. The smoker should be set at 240 degrees and slow cooked. Instructions on how to smoke a turkey can be found online.
# Steamed Turkey (Tin foil)
Using a large sheet of tin-foil, line the oven pan and place the turkey in the center skin side up. Take the sides of the excess tin foil and bring them together so the entire turkey is wrapped but leave it a bit loose so that the steam can escape.
#Deep Fried Turkey
Deep frying turkeys has become more popular in the last few years. People that have tried it say the meat is moist but not greasy. This method calls for a large pot with a basket (like a 40 or 60 quart pot) and a propane tank and burner. You must use an oil that has a high smoke point. Turkey’s made this way are sometimes marinated before frying. (Tip: research this method carefully and have a fire extinguisher handy). Associated Content producer Alex Parsons has great tips for how to fry a Turkey.
# Grilled Turkey or BBQ Turkey
A turkey can be grilled like any other meat. A turkey can either be grilled straight on the grates of a grill or in a roasting pan. This can be done on either a gas or charcoal grill. For a barbecued turkey, use any barbecue sauce. The Food Network has basic instructions on how to cook a turkey on a grill.
#Rotisserie Turkey or Spit Roasting a Turkey
If you have a rotisserie turkey holder (of a very strong rotisserie) you can give this a try. Rotisserie turkeys are said to be very juicy and moist. The website Cooking Louisiana has a full step-by-step guide to making a rotisserie turkey.
# Marinated Turkey
Turkeys are traditionally seasoned with a rub or paste. A marinated turkey helps distribute flavor, tenderize the meat and can help keep the turkey moist when cooking. Marinades for turkeys are based around an acidic base, like orange juice, vinegar, lemon juice or a cider with other seasonings added. More savory marinade recipes call for ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, honey, garlic and onions. To marinate a turkey, fill a large bowl with a few inches of the marinade and set the turkey inside. Wrapped the turkey with plastic wrap and refrigerate. A whole turkey can be marinated overnight, just make sure you keep turning the turkey so that all the parts are soaked with the flavoring.
# Oven-Bag Turkey
Reynolds makes turkey sized oven-bags. If you use an oven-bag, you won’t have to baste the turkey and it keeps the meat moist. I’ve used these for chickens and pork and they work well. The Reynolds Oven Bags website has several recipes for turkeys that can be used with their oven bags.
#Brining a Turkey
Brining a turkey will keep the meat from drying out in the oven. The method is similar to marinating a turkey but calls for a solution high in salt. Serious Eats has a good (and scientific) article about the process of brining turkeys.
# Microwave Turkey
Flashback to the 1980s. Turkeys can be cooked in a microwave. The USDA warns that microwave ovens can cook turkeys unevenly and recommends using an oven bag to help distribute the heat.
Do you have any other methods for cooking a turkey that I might have missed? If so, please comment below and share!
