My New Favorite Way to Cook Turkey

I found this awesome set of directions on how to cook a turkey on Simple Bites.  We are going to cook all our turkeys this way from now on.  Our turkey was nearly 18 lbs and it took less than 3 hours to cook!

Here are the directions in a nutshell (For a lengthier description, including the how and why, please visit Simple Bites.)

Step 1: If your using a frozen turkey, make sure it is completely thawed. I let mine sit in the fridge to defrost for 5 days.

Step 2: The Day before cooking, Remove the packaging and any junk inside the bird.

Step 3: Rinse Turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Step 4: Put the Turkey in your roaster pan on a rack, and salt liberally.

Step 5: Place the turkey back in the fridge uncovered.

Step 6: Two hours before cooking: Remove the bird from the fridge and let it sit on the counter.

Step 7: Rub a stick of softened butter all over the turkey.

Step 8: Roast the turkey for 20 min at 400F. (Note the bird is not trussed or stuffed.)

Step 9: Turn the heat down to 350F.

Approximate cooking times are:
5 lbs – 1 – 1/2 hrs
8 lbs – 1- 3/4 hrs
10 lbs – 2 hrs
12 lbs – 2 – 1/2 hrs
15 1bs – 2 – 3/4 hours
17 lbs – 3 hours
20 lbs – 3 – 1/2 hours

Step 10: Rotate the bird after an hour and tent with foil if the skin is getting too dark.

Step 11: Let the Turkey rest, tented with foil, for 30-60 minutes before carving.