Cooking A Solidly Frozen Turkey

A whole frozen turkey WITHOUT GIBLETS AND NECK OR STUFFING INSIDE can be roasted, braised or stewed without thawing. Turkey parts can also be cooked without thawing. The turkey should be cooked in a preheated 325-degree F. oven.*

Timetable for Roasting Solidly Frozen Turkey

12 to 16 pounds (7-1/2 to 8-1/2 hours)
16 to 20 pounds (8 to 9-1/3 hours)
20 to 24 pounds (9 to 10 hours)

Half, breast (4-1/4 to 6-1/4 hours)
Drumsticks, quarters,thighs (2 to 3-3/4 hours)

Use a meat thermometer to be sure whole turkey reaches a minimum of 180 degrees F. in the thigh (turkey breast must reach a minimum of 170 degrees F. in the thickest part) before removing from oven.

General roasting instructions:
Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Do not add water. Before placing the turkey in the oven, you may want to brush it with cooking oil, melted butter or margarine, although this is not necessary. Then cover the turkey with a loose tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil. To make a tent, tear off a sheet of foil 5 to 10 inches longer than the turkey. Crease foil crosswise through the center and place over the turkey, crimping loosely onto sides of pan to hold in place. This prevents over browning, allows for maximum heat circulation, keeps the turkey moist, and reduces oven splatter.

When using a meat thermometer, insert it through the foil into the thickest part of the thigh muscle without touching the bone. The inner thigh is the area that heats most slowly. For turkey parts, insert the thermometer in the thickest area.

Roast according to the chart. To brown the turkey, remove the foil tent 20 to 30 minutes before roasting is finished, and continue cooking until the thermometer registers 180 degrees F.

Basting is usually not necessary during roasting since it cannot penetrate the turkey. Also, opening the oven door frequently prolongs the cooking time.

Source: Clemson University Cooperating with USDA and South Carolina Counties

*re: Oven Temperature
Source: United States Department of Agriculture
Home and Garden Bulletin Number 243

It seems every holiday season brings publicity about a new way of cooking turkey, promising excellent results. One that has been publicized recently is long cooking at a very low temperature (250F). This method is not recommended. Because of the low temperature, the turkey (and stuffing) might take more than 4 hours to reach a high enough temperature to destroy bacteria, and could therefore be unsafe. The quality of the turkey might suffer, too. During prolonged cooking, some areas would tend to become very dry.