How to Cook a Turkey with Stuffing: A Step-by-Step Guide

Cooking a turkey with stuffing can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. With some simple preparation and these easy-to-follow steps, you’ll have a juicy, flavorful turkey roasted to perfection in no time

Ingredients You’ll Need

Before getting started make sure you have the necessary ingredients on hand:

• Whole turkey (frozen or fresh)
• Stuffing mix (packaged or homemade)
• Vegetable oil
• Celery
• Onions
• Butter
• Fresh herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary
• Bread cubes or torn bread pieces
• Chicken or turkey broth
• Eggs
• Salt and pepper

I like to use a packaged stuffing mix as a shortcut but making homemade stuffing from scratch is rewarding too. The choice is yours!

Thawing the Turkey

If using a frozen turkey, you’ll need to thaw it first There are three safe ways to do this

• In the Refrigerator: Allow 24 hours for every 4-5 lbs. Place the turkey in a container to catch any juices as it thaws.
• In Cold Water: Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. Allow 30 minutes per pound.
• In the Microwave: Follow your microwave’s instructions for thawing. Cook the turkey immediately after thawing.

Ideally, thaw your turkey 1-2 days before you plan to cook it. This gives the bird time to thaw evenly throughout.

Preparing the Turkey

Once thawed, it’s time to prep the bird for seasoning and stuffing:

• Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity. Discard or save for gravy.
• Pat the turkey dry, inside and out, with paper towels.
• Liberally season the inside cavity with salt and pepper. I also like to add some fresh herbs.
• If desired, rub the skin with vegetable oil or butter. This helps the skin brown and makes for a prettier presentation.

Now the turkey is primed and ready for stuffing!

Making the Stuffing

There are a few techniques to keep in mind when making stuffing

• Always use cooked ingredients like sautéed vegetables, cooked meat/seafood, or pasteurized eggs. Raw ingredients can harbor bacteria.
• Allow cooked stuffing to cool completely before stuffing the turkey. Hot stuffing causes uneven cooking.
• Avoid tightly packing the stuffing, as this also leads to uneven cooking. Lightly fill the cavities.

Here are the basic steps for packaged stuffing mix:

• Cook celery and onions in butter until softened.
• Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions with broth and butter.
• Add cooked veggies, torn bread pieces, and seasonings like sage, salt, and pepper.

For homemade stuffing, sauté cubed bread and veggies like celery, onions, carrots, mushrooms. Add broth, eggs, and seasonings of choice.

Let the stuffing cool completely before stuffing the turkey. Stuff loosely into the neck and body cavities.

Roasting the Stuffed Turkey

Here are some key tips for safely and properly roasting a stuffed turkey:

• Roast at 325°F or 350°F. Use a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature.
• Loosely tent foil over the turkey for the first 2/3 of cooking time to prevent over-browning.
• Remove the foil for the last 1/3 of cooking so the skin can brown. Baste with pan juices.
• Cook until the thigh meat reaches 165°F and the stuffing reaches 165°F.
• Allow the turkey to rest 20-30 minutes before carving for juicy, tender meat.

For a 12-15 lb turkey, plan on about 3-4 hours of roasting time. The stuffing and size of your turkey will impact total cooking time.

Food Safety Tips

To keep your meal safe, be mindful of these food safety guidelines:

• Never stuff the turkey in advance. Stuff just before roasting.
• Use a food-safe meat thermometer to check doneness. Cook to 165°F.
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Reheat thoroughly to 165°F.
• Wash hands, utensils, sink, and anything else that touched raw turkey.

Follow these simple steps for a show-stopping turkey with savory, flavorful stuffing. Let the aromas of garlic, onion, and fresh herbs fill your kitchen. Your holiday table will be delighted!

FAQ

Do you fully cook stuffing before putting it in the turkey?

Fully cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood ingredients before adding to stuffing. Combine the ingredients and place them in your bird immediately before cooking. Don’t stuff whole poultry with cooked stuffing. In addition to the turkey, the stuffing’s center needs to reach 165 F.

How long does a stuffed turkey take to cook?

A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook than an unstuffed turkey. Roast a stuffed turkey for 15 minutes per pound at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). It is important to check the temperature of the stuffing; it should be 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) when you insert the thermometer into the center of the stuffing.

Can you put uncooked stuffing in turkey?

For optimal food safety, the stuffing must reach a minimum temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill any bacteria present. It is easy to overlook checking the temperature of the stuffing, but this is a crucial step in preventing foodborne illnesses.

What is the best way to cook a turkey covered or uncovered?

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

How to Make Turkey Stuffing

Sauté the veggies. When it comes time to make the stuffing, sauté the onions and celery in butter over medium heat until the veggies are tender. This is the best aroma ever. Of all the smells of Thanksgiving dinner cooking, this is the one that always starts it all off. There’s just nothing better.

Mix the stuffing. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Then add the butter mixture and the rest of the ingredients. You can also mix the stuffing right in the casserole dish.

Bake the stuffing. Spread the stuffing evenly in a 9×13′′ baking pan or a pretty 2 quart baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Best Bread for Stuffing

If you’ve never made Thanksgiving turkey stuffing before, you may think it is difficult. Our recipe is very simple, though and starts with the bread. I recommend a heavier white bread (such as French or Italian bread) for turkey stuffing. Even sourdough bread would be delicious! You can also use dried hot dog or hamburger buns that you may have sitting in your freezer. Sometimes I throw in whole wheat bread. This recipe is versatile!

You’ll want to start this recipe about two days beforehand. Cut fresh bread into 1′′ cubes and put them in a big bowl. Leave the bread cubes sitting out for about 48 hours so they dry out. Stir them once or twice a day so all of the bread dries out evenly. If you run out of time, dry the bread cubes in the oven preheated to a low heat.

How to Make Easy Beginner’s Turkey with Stuffing

Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, no Thanksgiving dinner is complete without this iconic side dish. Stuffing is a celebration of flavors and textures, a medley of bread bound together with fragrant herbs, aromatic vegetables and savory flavors. Actually stuffing it inside the turkey allows the porous stuffing cubes to soak in all those delicious roasted turkey juices. Not to mention that stuffed turkey kills two birds with one stone, so to speak, freeing up the oven for other Thanksgiving side dishes.

However, for years, I kept the stuffing separate from the turkey. I thought stuffed turkey wasn’t safe to make or the meat would turn out dry and overcooked. When I finally decided to cook a classic stuffed turkey recipe, I realized there was nothing to fear. The dish turned out just as good as a traditional roast turkey, so long as I paid attention to a few temperature-related details.

Is it safe to cook a stuffed turkey?

It’s perfectly safe to cook a stuffed turkey as long as the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. According to the USDA, poultry like chicken and turkey must reach this food-safe cooking temperature to destroy bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. Since the stuffing comes in contact with raw turkey, it must also reach this temperature.

How to Make Stuffed Turkey

Stuffed turkey is tackled in three easy steps: Prepare the stuffing, stuff the turkey and bake the turkey. Along the way, you’ll need to pay close attention to a