Cooking Your Fresh and Smoked Turkeys
It's best to cook your turkey using the method that works best for you! These are just a few suggestions.
Do not overcook! - Fresh-killed turkeys are young, tender and juicy and they cook more quickly than a previously frozen one. Moreover, they are high in protein, low in calories and cholesterol.
Don’t forget to remove your giblets from the cavity prior to cooking.
To Cook your Fresh Sho Nuf Turkey:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Add approximately 2 cups of water in bottom of pan, 4 cups for larger birds.
- Salt and pepper the turkey, add a few pats of butter on skin and sprinkle with a little flour for a tasty skin.
- Cook at 450 degrees for the 1st hour.
- Lower temperature to 350 degrees for the remainder of time.
- Turkeys require approximately 10 minutes per pound and should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Stuffed turkeys take longer (at least 1/2 hour longer or more).
- Use a covered pan or make a tent with tinfoil.
- Remove lid the last 1/2 hour if not sufficiently browned.
To Heat your Precooked Smoked Turkey:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place the turkey breast side down in a roasting pan with a small amount of water on the bottom. This allows the fat from underneath the bird to drip down while it heats up, ensuring a moist, tender breast.
- Cover the turkey with foil and place in oven. Drop oven temperature to 275 degrees.
- To ensure the skin stays moist you can baste the outside of the turkey with the water from the bottom of the pan halfway through cooking.
- We suggest about 15 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Refrigerate any leftovers.
Thank you and enjoy your turkey!