When you baste a turkey, you remove juices from the roasting pan and distribute them over the bird as a way to brown and crisp the skin. Basting may prolong the cooking process due to the heat lost when frequently opening the door. A self-basting turkey is a type of turkey that has been injected with a solution that allows you to forgo manual basting. The solution of salt, broth and seasonings injected into a self-basting turkey allows you to leave the turkey unattended for longer periods of time.
Step 1
Thaw the self-basting turkey in the refrigerator. For every 4 to 5 lbs. of turkey, you'll need approximately 24 hours of thawing time.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3
Remove the giblets and the neck from the inner cavity of the self-basting turkey. Clean the turkey with cold water inside and out and pat the bird dry with paper towels.
Step 4
Season the skin with fresh ground pepper. Since the self-basting turkey has been injected with salt, do not add extra salt before cooking.
Step 5
Set the turkey on a wire rack in a shallow roasting pan. Cover the turkey and place it inside the oven.
Step 6
Cook the turkey for approximately two to four hours. Keep the oven door closed until the last hour of cooking. Remove the cover from the roasting pan to allow for browning.
Step 7
Check the pop-up thermometer of the self-basting turkey. Self-basting turkeys include pop-up thermometers to let you know when the bird is ready to be removed from the oven. Check the internal temperature of the turkey breast and wing with a meat thermometer as well. Minimum safe temperature for poultry is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 8
Remove the turkey from the oven. Allow the bird to rest for approximately 20 minutes before serving.
Tips and Warnings
- A self-basting turkey takes less time to cook than a traditional turkey. According to Charles J. Wabeck of the Department of Poultry Science from the University of Maryland at College Park, self-basting turkeys take approximately five minutes less to roast per lb.
- Never brine a self-basting turkey. Since salt has already been injected into the meat, soaking the bird in a salt water solution adds too much sodium to the turkey.
Things You'll Need
- Pepper
- Roasting pan
- Roasting rack
- Cover
- Paper towels
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