Healthy Thomas Keller Turkey Recipe - TheFoodXP (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest turkey to cook? ›

Let's talk turkey: An unbrined turkey roasted in its own juices (without butter added under the skin) is the most healthful option, especially if you take the skin off your portion to cut down on saturated fat.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Brining your turkey in saltwater adds extra moisture to the lean bird, helping it stay juicy as it roasts (even if you accidentally overcook it).

Ground turkey is one of the best choices for eating turkey to lose weight, simply because it's lean. If you're eating turkey for lunch, consider making turkey burgers or turkey chili with lots of vegetables.

Both chicken and turkey provide healthy protein. Generally, chicken tends to be higher in vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid, and turkey tends to be lower in calories, fat, and sodium while having more zinc, niacin, and vitamin B12.

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.

If you're determined to stuff the turkey, you'll want to leave it in the oven at 325°F for 20-25 minutes per pound. We'll also recommend covering the turkey (especially the wings and drumsticks) with a loose tent of aluminum foil about halfway through cooking, to keep them from drying out or burning.

How Long Do You Cook a 15-Pound Turkey at 325 Degrees? An unstuffed bird of 15 pounds will likely finish at around the 4-hour mark (or just before). A stuffed turkey will take at least 4 hours to cook, and typically takes an extra 15 minutes until you've hit that desired internal temperature.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

Brining a turkey is totally optional. If you're short on time or just want the most straight-forward method to roast a turkey, skip the brining step and just use the Simple Roasted Turkey method. Some people swear that brining yields the most tender, juicy meat, but it takes planning ahead.

How soon should I start brining my turkey? ›

The Day Before: Time to Brine

You'll want to submerge your turkey in brine a solid day before you roast it to allow the bird enough time to become thoroughly saturated. You can make the brine itself two or three days ahead and keep it in the fridge to chill. At its most basic, a brine consists purely of salt and water.

Roast 1 hour, then baste every 30 minutes with pan liquids, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125°F, about 3 hours. Remove foil; raise oven heat to 400°F. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until thigh reaches 180°F, 45 to 60 minutes more.

Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven and roast until lightly golden brown, about 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, 2 to 2 hours 15 minutes hours longer.

Roast the turkey in the hot oven for 10–15 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven, baste the bird with the pan juices and lay the bacon rashers over the breast to keep it moist. Baste again. Lower the setting to 180°C/Gas 4 and cook for about 2 1⁄2 hours (calculating at 30 minutes per kg), basting occasionally.

Cutlets are the boneless and skinless meat of the tenderloin that has been sliced across the grain. They typically weigh 3 to 6 ounces each and are up to 99 percent fat-free. (If you can't find the smaller, flatter cutlets, buy a tenderloin and cut it across the grain to create your own cutlets.)

The health benefits of choosing free range are clear: high protein, low in fat, and a champion of protein density. By incorporating free range turkey into your meals, you're selecting a meat that not only tastes great but also contributes to your overall well-being.

Both dark and white turkey meat are good sources of many vitamins and minerals, including niacin, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, and iron. White meat tends to be slightly higher in phosphorus, vitamin B6, and niacin, dark meat is richer in iron, zinc, and selenium.

"Ground turkey contains less saturated fat than ground beef, giving it a more beneficial fat profile," says Beaver. "In its place, ground turkey instead contains more polyunsaturated fat, which is a protective, healthier type of fat."