Turkey is often cooked for various holidays, family dinners and significant events. Especially delicious, it turns out in baked form. At the same time, it should be marinated in advance, so that the meat turns out to be juicy, fragrant, soft.
And if you add vegetables to it, it will make it even better and tastier. So how to cook a baked turkey? Consider several cooking options.
How to choose and how much to bake a turkey in the oven
Before you start roasting a turkey, you should choose it correctly. You can buy it either in the supermarket or in the meat market. The main thing - you need to take into account the important qualities that provide the perfect freshness of the bird, as well as suitability for baking:
- should be purchased by weight of 6 kilograms, ideally it should be about 8 kilograms. If a bird weighs less than 5 kilograms, then its meat will be dryish, it will not have fat, which gives juiciness, flavor and softness;
- Be sure to examine the skin. It should be clean, it should not be stained, various damage. Spotted skin with a gray tint will mean that the turkey is not young. And no matter how much you cook or fry this carcass, it will still remain hard and dry;
- the color of the meat may be different. Fresh may have a light pink or dark red color. In red, more protein, but less fat, and in light pink, on the contrary. For baking, it is better to purchase a carcass with a light pink color of muscle tissue;
- Be sure to smell the bird, from the carcass should not emanate suspicious smells;
- you need to touch the carcass, when pressing it with your fingers, it should restore shape.
A turkey carcass weighing about 6-8 kilograms is baked in the oven for 3 to 5 hours. The baking period depends on the size, usually 1 kilogram of carcass is baked from 30 to 50 minutes.
Recipes for various delicious muffins are in this article.
From here you can take recipes for cooking curd casseroles.
Whole turkey baked turkey
What components will prepare for cooking:
- turkey carcass - 7 pounds;
- 250 grams of butter.
Brine Ingredients:
- 5 liters of water;
- a glass of salt (about 250 grams);
- ½ cup brown or regular sugar;
- dried rosemary - 30 grams;
- 25 grams of allspice pepper in the form of peas;
- dried thyme ground - 30 grams;
- dried sage in the form of a hammer - 30 grams;
- 1 large spoon of paprika;
- 3-4 bay leaves.
The cooking process takes about 5 hours and 14 hours for pickling. Calories per 100 grams - 110 kcal.
Cooking process:
- If the turkey was previously stored in the freezer, then it should be removed from there and put on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator;
- Thawed it should be left on all night, it is better that it thawed 12-13 hours;
- After defrosting, lay the carcass out of the refrigerator and hold it at room temperature for several hours;
- After that, put the bird on a cutting board, cut the belly and remove all the insides;
- The neck of the bird should be cut;
- If there are various hairs and feathers on the surface of the skin, they should be removed;
- After that, wash the carcass under cool water, rinse thoroughly inside;
- We wipe the carcass from all sides with paper napkins, this will help get rid of excess moisture;
- Put the turkey in a deep cup;
- The brine can be done in advance for several hours or after preparation of the carcass;
- In a large pot, pour about 5 liters of water;
- Next, put water on the stove, kindle a strong fire and heat the liquid to a boil;
- After that, add salt to the water, mix everything;
- Fall asleep half a glass of sugar;
- We lay out all the spices and add a few leaves of bay leaf;
- Wash the brine again to a boil, boil it for 10 minutes. All grains of sugar and salt must be completely dissolved;
- Remove the brine from the stove, set aside to cool it;
after that we place the turkey in a special plastic bag with a zipper, fill it with brine, release the air and close it; - After this set the package in a large container and put it in the fridge. A carcass should be given at the rate of 1 hour per half a kilogram. A carcass weighing 7 kilograms will take about 14 hours;
- Remove the salted carcass, merge the entire brine;
wash the turkey thoroughly in cool water, wash off all the remains of the brine; - Wipe the bird with paper napkins from excess moisture;
- Next, you need to raise the skin with the back of the bird's area, with a knife make a small longitudinal incision, so that as a result a small pocket comes out;
- We lower the strip of skin between the legs of the turkey and put it on the legs. The result is a strong bond to the legs;
- Put the carcass on the foil, wrap it on all sides, put it on a baking sheet;
- Cook the oven to 220 degrees;
- We put a pan with a bird, it should prepare for 2.5 hours;
- Reduce the temperature to 180 degrees and continue to bake further;
- Meanwhile, put the butter in a cup, knead it with a fork;
- We take the turkey out of the oven, unfold the foil and use a special kitchen brush to lubricate it from all sides with butter;
- Put the turkey pan back in the oven, cook for 1.5 hours at 160 degrees;
- We bake it open, so that from above it becomes covered with a ruddy crust;
- After this time, leave her to stand for another 20 minutes;
- Then take out a little idea and serve.
How to bake a turkey in foil with apples in the oven
Products for cooking:
- turkey carcass at 6 pounds;
- apples - 1.5 kilograms;
- prunes without stones - 1 glass;
- 4 large spoons of table salt;
- 2 more spoons of seasoning;
- vegetable oil - 120 ml.
Cooking time will be about 4 hours and marinating - 8 hours. Calories - 132 kcal.
How are we going to do:
- First wash the thawed turkey carcass under cool water. Be sure to rinse it inside;
- Prepare a special mixture for pickling in the cup. Pour vegetable oil, add salt and seasonings. We mix everything;
- Rub the carcass from all sides with spicy mixture of oil, be sure to rub it inside;
- Put it in the fridge, leave it to marinate for 8 hours. During this period, the turkey is completely salted;
- We wash the apples, cut them into 4 pieces, remove all sockets with stones;
- Prune pour hot water for 10 minutes;
- After that, prune cut into 2 parts;
- Stuff the carcass to apples with prunes;
- Next, the hole in the abdomen should be stitched or stapled using toothpicks;
- We coat the top of the bird with vegetable oil;
- Put it in a sleeve for baking, lay out in this form on a baking sheet;
- Heat the oven to 220 degrees, put a pan with a bird in there;
- Cooking all about 2.5 hours;
- Then we reduce the temperature to 180 degrees and bake for 1 hour;
- Then open the sleeve and leave the turkey for 30 minutes to make it brown.
Turkey fillet baked with vegetables in the oven
Constituent products:
- 1 kilo turkey fillet;
- zucchini - 2 pieces;
- tomatoes - 4 pieces;
- onions - 1 large size or 2 medium heads;
- piece of cheese per 170 grams;
- 80 grams of olive oil;
- 7 stems of dill and parsley;
- some salt;
- some black pepper in a ground form;
- spices to your taste.
Ingredients of the sauce:
- 100 ml of cream;
- eggs - 2 pieces;
- 30 ml soy sauce.
Cooking time will take about 2 hours, calorie - 145 kcal.
How to do it:
- Turkey fillet must be well washed, cleaned from films, blood;
- Cut the fillet into small slices, put it in the cup;
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, spices and mix everything well;
- We wash squash, wipe with towels;
- Cut into small circles;
- Rinse the tomatoes, cut into thin slices;
- Remove the skin from the onion, cut into thin rings;
- Dill wash, shake and cut into small pieces;
- Put cream in a cup, break eggs and add soy sauce. All components are mixed;
- If necessary, add a little salt to the sauce;
- Sprinkle the baking dish with olive oil, lay the fillet slices on its surface;
- We spread on top of onion rings;
- Spread the zucchini circles, sprinkle with salt;
- From above zucchini we place tomato circles;
- Sprinkle with salt and spread chopped greens;
- Fill all the ingredients with sauce;
- Grind a slice of cheese with a grater with a fine grill and sprinkle with grated cheese all the products;
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees;
- Put the baking sheet with all the ingredients in the heated oven and leave to bake;
- You need to cook for about an hour and a half;
- From above, it is desirable to cover everything with foil;
- After the expiration of the required time, take out the baking sheet with all the products and lay everything on the plates. Serve on the table.
Turkey thigh baked with potatoes in the sleeve in the oven
The following components are required for cooking:
- one large thigh;
- potatoes - 5 tubers;
- 60 grams of sour cream;
- some Provencal herbs;
- 2 large spoons of peppers;
- some salt;
- a little ginger, rubbed into small chips - 10 grams.
It will take about 2.5 hours to cook, calorie - 120 kcal.
How to cook:
- Thigh should be washed under cool water, wiped with dry wipes;
- Put a sour cream in a small cup, add a mixture of peppers, Provencal herbs, a little salt and grated ginger. All thoroughly mixed;
- The skin on the top of the thigh should be slightly incised;
- Rub the thigh with sauce on all sides;
- We remove the turkey in the fridge and leave it for a day, the more meat will marinate, the more tender it will turn out;
- We scrape off potatoes, rinse and cut them into circles. Put the potatoes in a bowl, season with salt and spices;
- We spread the thigh in a sleeve for baking, put the potatoes there and tie them on all sides;
- We place on the surface of the pan all the components in the sleeve;
- The oven should be heated to 180 degrees, then put there baking sheet;
- We leave to prepare for 1.5 hours;
- After 45 minutes, turn the sleeve to the other side;
- After 45 minutes, cut the sleeve, set to bake on the grill for 20 minutes at a temperature of 190 degrees;
- As a result, a crisp crust should form on top;
- After that, remove the thigh with potatoes from the oven.
Stuffed turkey breast baked in the oven
What is required for cooking:
- 1 turkey breast weighing 1 kilogram;
- 300 grams of minced pork;
- 300 grams of ground beef;
- 2 clusters of blue grapes;
- 3 onions;
- 1 shallot;
- 300 grams of white bread;
- 3 large spoons of milk;
- 7-8 branches of parsley;
- chili peppers;
- 30 ml of wine vinegar;
- olive oil;
- 100 grams of butter;
- sugar - 30 grams;
- 30 grams of sugar;
- a pair of black pepper pinches in the form of a hammer;
- salt to your taste.
The cooking process will be about 3 hours, calorie - 175 kcal.
Cooking process:
- For a start, lay out the flesh of the bread in a cup, fill it with milk and leave to soak;
- Onions need to be cleaned from the skin, cut it into small pieces;
- Put the pan on the fire, pour 50 ml of olive oil on it and put 30 grams of butter. In the heated oil we pour onions and fry it to translucency;
- Put two kinds of minced meat into the cup, spread the soaked bread in the milk to it, add some salt, add spices;
- Rinse parsley, cut into small pieces and fall asleep to the onion. Warm up a little;
- Put onion with parsley to the mince, mix everything;
- Rinse the breast in cold water, wipe with a towel;
- We spread the breast on the table, in the middle we make an incision, we form a small pocket;
- Inside the pocket lay out the stuffing, all fasten toothpicks;
- Lubricate the breast with butter on all sides, sprinkle with salt, pepper;
- We spread the stuffed breast on a baking sheet;
- We heat the oven to 180 degrees and put there a pan with meat;
- Bake everything for 1 hour and 15 minutes;
- In the meantime, make sauce. Shallots are washed and cut into small circles;
- Peel chili peppers from seeds and cut them into small ringlets;
- Fry the peppers and shallots in olive oil;
- Next, lay out the washed blue grape berry to the pepper and onion, put the mustard, granulated sugar, wine vinegar;
- Cook over a slow fire for a quarter of an hour, all liquid should evaporate;
- Remove the finished breast from the oven and leave to stand for 15 minutes;
- Then take out the toothpicks, cut them into small pieces;
- We spread the turkey and pour the sauce. Serve on the table.
Marinated turkey drumstick baked in the oven
Products from which we will do:
- turkey drumstick - 800 grams;
- water - 170 ml;
- granulated sugar - 100 grams;
- cumin seeds - 1 large spoon;
- allspice peas - 3 large spoons;
- cinnamon - 1 stick;
- carnation - 20 seeds;
- onions - 2 heads;
- garlic - 4 slices;
- 6 cm piece of ginger;
- celery - 4 branches;
- orange - 1 piece;
- a little sage;
- rosemary to your taste;
- salt.
Cooking time will be - 3 hours, pickling - 2 days. Calorie - 135 kcal.
How to do it:
- First of all prepare the marinade. We clean the husks from the onions and chop them into half rings;
- Slices of garlic clean, chop thin slices;
- Ginger root wipe in small chips;
- Celery wash and chop into small pieces;
- Orange washed and cut in small pieces;
- Pour water into the container, put all the cut components there;
- Then pour the seeds of cumin, pepper, cinnamon sticks, cloves, add salt;
- Put the turkey in marinade and put it in the fridge;
- Marinate meat should be within 2 days;
- After the marinating period has expired, remove the turkey, rinse under cool water and wipe off with a towel;
- Spread shin with vegetable oil, sprinkle with sage, rosemary and spread on a baking sheet;
- Heat the oven to 180 degrees and place the meat there;
- Cooking it for about half an hour;
- After that, wrap the drumstick from the sides with foil and bake for about an hour and a half;
- After that, remove and serve the meat on the table.
Baked turkey leg with mushrooms
What will be needed for cooking:
- turkey leg per 500 grams;
- 3 large spoons of vegetable oil;
- fresh white mushrooms - 250 grams;
- onions - 4 pieces;
- slice of cheese per 150 grams;
- spices "Italian herbs" - 1 small spoon;
- some salt;
- 170 grams of sour cream.
Cooking time will be 1.5 hours, calorie - 157 kcal.
Start cooking:
- We wash the leg with water, wipe it off and sprinkle it with salt;
- Pour oil on the pan and warm it up;
- Put your foot in the pan and fry on all sides until a crust appears;
- In the meantime, wipe the cheese on a coarse grater;
- Wash mushrooms and cut into thin plates;
- Onions are peeled and cut into half rings;
- Put all the ingredients in a container, season with spices, add sour cream and salt, mix everything;
- Lay out the foil in the baking dish, put the turkey leg on top;
- We put mushrooms onions and cheese on all sides;
- Everything is well wrapped;
- We warm the oven to 180 degrees and put the pan there;
- Bake everything for 1 hour;
- 10 minutes before the end open the foil and leave to bake until golden brown crust is formed;
- We take out the ready leg with vegetables and serve on the table.
Culinary tips
- in order for the turkey to be juicy, the skin should be cut and fluffed with butter;
- To make turkey meat more tasty and flavorful, add some sugar or honey to the marinade;
- It is best to place the bird on the pan, breast down. In this form, it will turn out more gentle and soft.
Cooking baked turkey in the oven is a rather complicated process that requires a lot of patience and strength, but in the end it turns out a great festive treat. After baking, the bird is tender, fragrant and very juicy. Holidays are coming soon and this dish will be the most suitable!
And in addition - another recipe for roasting turkey in the oven.
