Thawing instructions
Do not thaw at room temperature. Leave turkey in
original bag. Place the turkey in a tray in the refrigerator
for 3-4 days allowing 24 hours for every 5 pounds OR cover with cold water and thaw allowing 30
minutes per pound, changing water frequently.
Preparing the Chef's Pride Turkey
When the turkey is thawed, remove the neck and giblet
bag from the turkey. Reserve neck and giblets for your
stuffing and gravy recipes. Rinse turkey inside and out.
If you are not going to be roasting the turkey at this time,
refrigerate promptly.
Stuffing the Chef's Pride Turkey
If desired, loosely place stuffing inside the turkey just
before roasting. Do not over pack the stuffing. Place extra stuffing in a baking dish and refrigerate
for baking later.
Cooking extra stuffing
Place baking dish of extra stuffing in the oven during the last 25-30 minutes while the
turkey is roasting or after removing the
turkey from the oven, increase temperature to 375
and bake for 20-25 minutes. Read the stuffing FAQ.
Roasting the Chef's Pride Turkey
Season turkey to your preference. Preheat oven to 325
to 350. Place turkey breast-side up in a shallow roasting
pan. Cover turkey with foil to prevent over browning.
Position turkey in the middle of the oven. To brown, roast the
turkey uncovered for the last 30 minutes. Roast until
Chef's Timer pops up or until meat thermometer placed in the thigh registers 160 F, the breast
registers 180 F or the stuffing registers 165 F. See cooking chart
for roasting estimates.
Roasting times vary depending on size of turkey, whether it is stuffed and oven temperature.
Roast until Chef's Timer pops up or until meat thermometer placed in the breast registers 180 F or the stuffing registers 165 F. If you do not have a meat thermometer,
check the turkey at the estimated time by piercing with a fork. The turkey is done when the juices
run clear. Refer to cooking chart below for roasting estimates.
| WEIGHT |
ROASTING TIME |
OVEN TEMPERATURE |
| 8-12 pounds |
3 to 3 1/2 hours |
325 to 350 F |
| 12-16 pounds |
3 1/2 to 4 hours |
325 to 350 F |
| 16-20 pounds |
4 to 4 1/2 hours |
325 to 350 F |
| 20-24 pounds |
4 1/2 to 5 hours |
325 to 350 F |
