How long does a 21 lb turkey take to cook?

If your turkey weighs 21 to 22 pounds, roast it at: 425°F for 4 to 4¼ hours. 400°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours. 350°F for 4½ to 4¾ hours.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Roast the turkey uncovered at a temperature ranging from 325°F to 350°F. Higher temperatures may cause the meat to dry out, but this is preferable to temperatures that are too low which may not allow the interior of the turkey to cook to a safe temperature.

How long do you cook a 21 1/2 pound turkey?

We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We’ve done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).

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How long should a 20lb turkey cook?

If you’re baking it at 325°F (the lowest temperature the USDA recommends), you’ll need to bake a 20-lb turkey in the oven for 4 to 5 hours if it’s unstuffed, and 4 ¼ to 5 ¼ hours if it’s stuffed.

How long should a 20 pound turkey cook at 350 degrees?

If your turkey weighs 18 to 20 pounds, roast it at: 425°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours. 400°F for 3¾ to 4 hours. 350°F for 4 to 4¼ hours.

How long should you cook a turkey at 325?

325°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours.

Do you cook a turkey covered or uncovered?

To achieve that balance, the ideal is to let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered: We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out, then removing the cover for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the skin to crisp.

Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?

We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey.” … This will create spotty browning and may look underdone—even when the meat is fully cooked.

How long does it take to cook a 21 pound turkey at 375?

Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Rotate the pan, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (dont touch the bone) registers 155 degrees , 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

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Is it better to cook turkey in regular or convection oven?

Convection ovens use a fan to move the hot air around, so food cooks about 30 percent faster than it does in a conventional bake oven, which does not have a fan. … So, although a convection oven will cook faster, even a bake oven will work if the turkey is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees.

How long does it take to thaw a 21 pound turkey?

4 to 12 pounds: 1-3 days. 12 to 16 pounds: 3-4 days. 16 to 20 pounds: 4-5 days. 20 to 24 pounds: 5-6 days.

Can I cook turkey at 400 degrees?

400°F is the perfect temperature for cooking a whole bird. You’ll get crispy skin without compromising tenderness. Depending on the size of your bird, it should take anywhere from 3-6 hours to roast at 400°F. … It doesn’t matter what orientation you roast your turkey in.

Should I start my turkey at a higher temperature?

I find it is best to start the turkey at a fairly high temperature (400°F), roast for about twenty minutes and then lower the heat to 350°F for the remainder of the cooking time.

What is the fastest way to thaw a 20 pound turkey?

Here’s the plan: Submerge your bird breast-side down in cold water (a large pot or the sink should do the trick) and change the water every 30 minutes. Make sure the turkey is totally submerged (use a baking dish to weigh it down if you have to). It should take approximately 30 minutes per pound to completely thaw.

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How long will it take to thaw a 20 pound turkey?

Fridge-Thawing Your Bird

Here’s the calculation: plan on 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey (for example: budget 4 full days of thawing in the fridge for a 20-pound turkey). Keep the turkey wrapped, and occasionally check to see if the baking sheet or roasting pan needs to be drained.

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