How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey Testimonials Page 11

  • I just had to write and say thank you. I have always used cooking bags in the past and thought the turkey was fine. But this year, my daughter who never eats much turkey said it was too dry for her. I jumped on the Internet looking for hints and found your website. A little skeptical but willing to try something new I followed your directions. We had the BEST turkey ever! Not only was it brown, crispy and beautiful, it tasted fantastic. And won over my kids who don't like turkey. Thank you for sharing! Sincerely, Michelle M., 12/9/11
  • John's Turkey
  • Hi I have used this recipe twice now and both times have turned out awesome. Thanks for the recipe. I am sending you a pic (on right) of the second turkey. John K., 12/10/11
  • My 5 year old son decided he wanted a turkey this evening, and with the wife away, I decided to give it a try. Thanks to your instructions all went GREAT, so thank you very much. I wrapped the Turkey in Aluminum foil assuming it would stay juicier, but my wife didn't like the fact that the skin was not as crispy as she is used to, despite me using the salt and pepper recommendation. Is the only way to get the "brown" and "crispy" skin to leave it uncovered? Either way, the turkey was super moist, which is what matters to me. :-) Again, thank you. Don G., 12/11/11

  • I somehow volunteered to cook the turkey at Thanksgiving this year. So a day or two before the big day, I searched the internet and found this method. On my very first turkey, I hit the jackpot. It was so good, my wife has me doing another one just like it for Christmas. Thanks so much, Chris R., 12/18/11
  • Thank you for sharing your turkey recipe with the world. I made Thanksgiving dinner for my husband and two little girls and it was the best Turkey we ever had. We had a 12 lb turkey and my husband ate it everyday for 7 days after Thanksgiving and I finally said I have to throw the rest away because it was too old. I am not usually a turkey fan but this recipe turned me into one. I have recommended this recipe to all my friends. I looked up the recipe tonight because I want to try the method on a whole chicken. I read the turkey disasters and I think the reviews were harsh and people take life too seriously and should be thankful for what they have. So their turkey was a disaster, not the end of the world. Thank you for sharing your years of experience and making my Thanksgiving dinner a hit! Sincerely, Misty K., 12/19/11
  • I tried your method today. I found my oven was about 5 degrees off and adjusted accordingly. I think my problem was that the turkey wasn't totally defrosted. I noticed ice around the neck area and between the wings and the breast. Although I removed that before cooking, those areas were especially cold. That could have been a problem in the cooking time.

    I had about a 15 pound turkey and used your time estimate. When I got to an hour out from the time it was supposed to be done, the internal temp was only around 130 degrees. I could tell I wasn't going to make it, so I turned up the oven for the last hour to 350 degrees. Then in the last 20 minutes or so I took off the cover. I still missed the time by about 20 minutes or so, but I was really close.

    Other than a few spots, the meat was still juicy and the flavor was excellent. I was really impressed. I'll have to give it another go but make sure I give more time to thaw so I don't miss the timing and have to improvise to avoid hungry guests, but I really like your method.

    Everyone was really impressed. My first time cooking a turkey. Thanks!
    James K., 12/24/11
  • I have never cooked a whole turkey before. My family has cooked turkey for Christmas every year for over 50 years with varied success. We moved to Turkey Buffet a few years ago because of the issues we had with whole turkeys.

    I tried your recipe on a 11 lb free range turkey using foil to cover it as I don't have a covered roasting dish.

    I removed the fresh turkey from the fridge 45 mins before cook time. I removed the giblets and neck then rinsed it with water and patted it dry. I placed butter pats under the skin but also coated the skin with melted butter and salt and pepper. I cooked the first 20 mins at 250 celsius (480F) and the remaining time - 3 hours - at 140 celsius (284F). I checked at 3 hours as it was a free range as you said it might take less time. It was cooked perfectly.

    It was a total triumph! None of us, ranging in age from 18 to 82, had ever had such moist and delicious turkey. I was so nervous about cooking it, but was very proud of the results.

    Thank you so much.

    Felicity W., Melbourne, Australia 12/25/11
  • I decided that I had to write about your cooking instructions after reading the negative comments! My husband and I have always fried our turkeys but now live overseas and that was not an option for us this year. We were clueless about how to make this turkey! We followed your instructions and our turkey came out perfect and so delicious! Thank you for the wonderful instructions. Now it's time for me to make our Christmas turkey! Erika S., 12/25/11
  • I stumbled across your recipe and made the first turkey I have ever made. I was a little hesitant to make Thanksgiving dinner this year, but, since I cook other meats really well, my fiancae and her family wanted me to give cooking the turkey a try this yr. Well, after about a month of compliments every time I see her family, I would say that this is truly a great way to cook a turkey. "This is the juiciest turkey ever" and "Man, can I take some home with me" were two common compliments. My parents couldnt attend my thanksgiving so they bought a turkey, dropped it off at my place, and NOW I have to cook Christmas turkey. Thanks a lot. Dlerina I., 12/25/11
  • Just wanted to drop you a line and say THANK YOU for this wonderful way to cook a turkey. I've used this way for the last few years now for every special occasion and it has rave reviews! It started when I had my first turkey to cook in my new home across the country from my family. I had to feed a group of 15 and I was so worried about how it was going to turn out! Your website popped up first and since then I've never used a different way. why bother when you find the best one! Well, thank you again and I look forward to more recipes! Megan M., 12/25/11
  • This was a huge hit! We cooked a 20 lb turkey. We did add onions oranges and garlic inside the turkey. Everything else was done to your directions. Thanks!
    Jerry C., 12/25/11
  • I just made my first turkey and it turned out PERFECTLY. Thank you so much for the recipe, I'm definitely keeping it for next year! Kelsea B., 12/25/11