Making turkey takes some effort and time but you can rest assured that your effort will be worth it because it is a very delicious meal. Turkey is eaten by most of us for family gatherings like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or even at times dinners because you do not have to wait until you have a particular gathering or celebration before you eat turkey. It is a meal that can be eaten at any moment of the year.
It could be a bit challenging to prepare or cook turkey into perfection because you can never be sure if it is done from its color. You must be able to recognize an undercooked turkey and you must be able to recook it. You can recook your undercooked turkey by placing them whole inside your oven and covering it so that you can avoid it getting dry. You may also baste the undercooked turkey with butter so it can help maintain its moisture. It is best to slice your turkey and recook it if you want it done hurriedly probably because you are rushing.
What we will check out in this article is how you can cook your turkey and the things to look out for so you can determine if the turkey has been cooked thoroughly. You will also get to know how you can go about cooking your undercooked turkey for you to enjoy. You are recommended to continue reading to know all you need to learn concerning how you can recook your undercooked turkey.
A Guide to Managing Undercooked Turkey
It could be a big challenge to cook turkey because it usually takes a lot of hours and it is always hard to tell by mere looks if the turkey has finished cooking. The good thing is that a lot of turkeys that are purchased usually come with a tool called the internal thermometer that can be used to detect if the turkey is completely cooked but the only problem is that it is not always accurate. You must understand how you can get to know whether or not your turkey has been fully cooked. You must also know the options that you have and the things you should do whenever the turkey is found to be undercooked.
Cooking a Turkey – The Initial Process
Let’s start by discussing how you can traditionally cook your turkey and also give you the points you can use to help reduce any risk of undercooking your turkey. We will start by checking out how you can initially cook your turkey and later check out how you can calculate the cooking time as well as the signs that will help you know if your turkey has been fully cooked.
We have several ways that a turkey can be cooked. An air fryer and a pressure cooker are usually used by some people and people have also started using a turkey fryer. We will love to make everything as simple as possible by showing you how you can use your oven to cook your turkey. Check out the process below:
- In case you don’t know the quantity of turkey to get, try to get for one to two pounds per person you are anticipating for your gathering.
- Calculate the cooking time to be approximately 13 to 15 minutes a pound.
- Allow the oven to preheat to a temperature of 450°F.
- Allow the turkey to cook at the temperature for about 15 minutes.
- Lower the temperature to about 350°F.
- Allow the turkey to cook for the appropriate time. Let’s take, for example, it will take you 225 minutes (about 4 hours) to finish cooking your 15 pounds of turkey.
- After cooking, allow the turkey to rest after taking out of your oven for about 15 to 20 minutes before you carve out.
This method is just the basic steps to cook your turkey and it does not involve adding butter or brining the turkey, these are those things you may decide to do according to your preference. The instructions are basically to tell you the approximate time you should use to cook your turkey.
Signs that a Turkey has been Fully-Cooked
We have some signs that can tell you if the turkey has been fully cooked. Using a thermometer to check the turkey’s internal temperature is the most appropriate or accurate method to know if your turkey has been fully cooked. The turkey should be allowed to get cooked to the internal temperature of about 180°F. It is recommended that you should monitor the temperature before removing it from your oven if possible. You may also remove a turkey, check for the temperature before you then return it if you need to. We also have some thermometers that can be attached to your turkey throughout the process of cooking, you only have to ensure your thermometer is working to show the accurate temperature.
There are other ways you may use to discover if the turkey is fully done or not of you do not possess a thermometer. You can check the color of the turkey, but the best to check is the thigh. Try to pierce the turkey’s thigh and check out for the juices, when you notice pink or reddish juice, you will need to allow the turkey to use more time to cook, but if the juice is clear, then the turkey has been done to perfection.
If the turkey needs more time, you must not overcook it, try to periodically check it because it should not take time for it to be done if the calculated time is already close. This method is considered the second-best method you can use to know if your turkey has been fully cooked. You are not recommended to specifically judge by the color exhibited on the turkey although there will be some pink on the turkey when it is yet to be fully cooked.
Recooking an Undercooked Turkey
You can recook your turkey in case you mistakenly did not get the cooking done correctly. It’s more like finishing the cooking of your turkey. This is more like recooking the semi-cool or completely cool turkey inside the oven and allowing the turkey to cook longer and be safe to be edible. Follow the steps below to find out how you can recook your undercooked turkey:
- You should first carve or slice the turkey to quickly recook your turkey and also get it done before some other things become cold. Allow the breasts and the legs to be intact and slice the other parts. It is more like breaking it into some smaller pieces for everything to cook faster.
- Put the pieces on your baking sheet so that it can bake at a temperature of 375°F. Ensure you check it every 15 minutes till it is done. You make proceed to take the turkey out of your oven when the internal temperature is at 165°F. The temperature is then going to increase to about 180°F when it rests.
- Serve by slicing before you eat.
You cannot worry about the turkey getting undercooked if you properly follow the instruction concerning the cooking time that is related to how big the turkey is and also the instructions on how to cut the turkey and how to check for the clear juice. You must not rely too much on the cooking time spent on the turkey but instead, check for the temperature or try to check out the color of your juice.
Related Questions Asked
We are sure you have been able to learn how you can recook your undercooked turkey and everything concerning cooking time. You must endeavor to follow all the instructions to check the turkey so you can avoid the issues of undercooking. Please check below for some of the questions that may be lingering in your heart, we have provided some answers to them. You will surely find the information valuable.
What Happens if You Eat Pink Turkey?
The color of the turkey does not necessarily determine the accurate indicator that the turkey has been completely cooked. The turkey may be fully cooked, yet the turkey is slightly pink. Your best bet is to use an internal temperature instead of using appearance. Don’t eat undercooked turkey because you may face the risk of food poisoning. Symptoms such as abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea are very common.
Where Is the Best Place to Check the Temperature?
You should try to check the temperature around the thickest portion, i.e. the meatiest. If you really want to get yourself a very good read of the turkey’s internal temperature, check it on the thickest area of the turkey’s thigh meat so that it can be greatly accurately measured.
Can We Just Rely on the Pop-Up Timer?
The pop-up timer could be very useful, but they are not always accurate. The timers may sometimes take too long of a time to pop up and this may allow the turkey to dry too much. The timer may also pop up too early or at times malfunction.
