How Long to Cook a Turkey in Convection Oven

Introduction

Do you love turkey? I do! So do many other people around you. Maybe you do too! If that is the case and if by any chance you got your hands on a fine convection oven then you will definitely want to ask ‘how long to cook a turkey in a convection oven’. Don’t worry! In this article, you will get to know a lot of things in a very short time including a very tasty cooked turkey. We will walk you through our simple convection oven recipe. But first, let us get to know our device and how it works before we learn how to cook turkey.

Convection Oven

The first turbo convection ovens appeared in Japan during the ‘70s as a household device and now in the present days, they are even more popular. In simple terms, there is a fan inside the device that circulates the heat. The device can cook anything faster compared to other types of ovens. The main common parts of the oven are a glass bowl, a fan, the plate at the bottom, and a rack of wires. The main charm of this oven is that if an ingredient needs 30 minutes to be cooked normally, then in this oven it will take only 15 minutes.

Now enough of device introduction, let us get to the point – cooking a turkey in a convection oven.

Roasting A Turkey in A Convection Oven

In this recipe we wish to satisfy your inquiries about:

1. How long to cook a turkey in convection oven?

2. Cooking a turkey in a convection oven.

Temperature

We need our oven to be at 360 degrees.

Positioning

We need to carefully position our bird so that heat can properly reach all of its parts and cook it properly. Try using the lowest or the middle rack of the oven. If you have two birds to cook then you need to use both. In this case, position the roasting pans in the opposite corners. For example, if you place one pan on the right side of the oven then place the other on the left. The way, the pan in the middle rack will not block the heat from reaching the lowest pan.

Cooking Duration

This is a very important issue. The cooking duration will vary based on the size of the turkey. There are other things to note as well. For one, we need to check if the thickest parts of the bird reached the expected temperature – 165 degrees. The breasts and thighs are very thick, so use a meat thermometer to check the temperature at several places.

In a convection oven, the cooking time is significantly reduced- almost half the normal time. When the meat juices come out and it looks thin and clear and legs are no stiffer, you will be able to tell if it is cooked or not. But you can always use a knife to see if it can cut through the thickest part easily, such as the breast and the wing part. Usually, a turkey takes 2.5 to 3 hours if it weighs around 12-13 kilograms. A 10 kg bird will take 2.5 hours and a bird of 8 kg will take 2 hours to cook.

Preparing the Turkey

• To keep the turkey tender and juicy, first, thaw the meat properly in cold water.
• We do not have to sear or baste the bird as it is done well inside a convection oven.
• Quick searing inside the oven will stop all the juices from coming out.
• But we can baste the turkey in the later half of the cooking duration if we use some special kind of marinade.
• As we need our bird to be in a seared brown texture, we will not cover our bird with foil.

Ingredients

• 1 turkey. Size depends on your choice.
• 0.5 cup olive oil. You can use vegetable oil as well.
• Thyme.
• Rosemary.
• Ground pepper.

Process

• Put your rack at the bottom to give enough room for your bird during cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove all innards and the neck of the turkey for other use. We will only use the carcass.
• We shall use a deep roasting pan with a rack. This will allow air to flow freely even through the bottom.
• There is no need to tie the turkey. We need heat to reach every part of the bird.
• Wings go under the turkey – tucked away.
• Loosen up the skin of the bird.
• Smear oil all over the turkey with a brush. Or you can just use your hand. Also, rub oil under the skin.
• Sprinkle with ground pepper, thyme, and rosemary.
• After the preparation, properly clean, sanitize, and dry the preparation range.
• Wash your hands properly.
• Now put the roasting pan with the bird in the oven and roast according to the weight recommended duration till the meat thermometer reaches the target temperature at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Keep an eye open for the color of the bird. If the thin parts are getting darker then wrap with foil.
• To keep the legs in position skewer them together before you start cooking.
• After the oven finishes cooking, turn it off and keep the bird in a standing position for 20 minutes.
• Cut the meat into suitable pieces and serve with your favorite sauce and salad.

Conclusion

This is one of the easiest recipes for roasting turkey. If you want to surprise your family with an exquisitely roasted turkey, go ahead and try this one.