Roasting a turkey in the oven is still the most popular way to cook a bird for Thanksgiving. Here are some do’s and don’ts to take the fear out of this intimidating process. 

DON’T roast turkey in an oven temperature lower than 325 F.

DON’T roast turkey in a brown paper grocery bag. Present-day grocery bags may be made of recycled materials and are not considered safe for food preparation.

DON’T use stuffing when roasting turkey with high-temperature foil-wrapped methods or on a charcoal grill. Stuffing is only suitable for open-pan or cooking bag conventional oven methods.

DO use a meat thermometer to determine the correct degree of doneness.

DO roast turkey until the breast meat registers an internal temperature of at least 170 F.

DO follow the package directions for any whole or cut turkey.

DO follow the National Turkey Federation’s turkey roasting time guidelines for your bird’s weight. 

Turkey roasting time guidelines