Oven baked turkey - basic cooking principles
The main thing in cooking turkey, baked in the oven, to achieve juiciness and tenderness of meat. For this, it is marinated, stuffed, stuffed.
One of the common mistakes of hostesses is lowering the temperature in the oven. As a result, poultry meat is dried, it becomes hard and dry.
Bake the turkey in the oven at a temperature not lower than 180 ° C. And also, this bird loves baking sleeves and foil. In them it turns out much juicier.
How a turkey is cooked:
• whole carcass:
• fillet;
• pieces on the bone.
Baked turkey will taste better if you use a fresh carcass of a young bird. Therefore, it is not recommended to purchase meat in advance and freeze it. The age of the bird when buying can be determined by the color of the skin. It should be light, thin. If not carcass is purchased, but lumpy semi-finished products, then at the cut the meat should be wet and shiny, without dried crusts. When pressed with a finger, the fossa is quickly restored.
If a frozen carcass is used, then to preserve the taste and nutrients, it is best to thaw slowly. To do this, put in a cup and put down the refrigerator, at least a day before cooking. You can not send the meat immediately in the oven. Obligatory processing, washing is necessary, feathers may remain on the skin. For the same reason, you should not buy ready-made semi-finished products, such as turkey rolls, meatballs, pickled meat. It is tastier and safer to cook dishes completely independently.
Whole carcass of turkey baked in the oven, often stuffed. As a filling you can use vegetables, fruits, cereals, mushrooms and other products. You can never stuff a carcass in advance, as the contact of meat and stuffing provokes the proliferation of bacteria. It is better to do this directly before sending it to baking.
Recipe 1: Turkey Roast “Christmas”
A simple recipe for cooking whole turkey carcass. The meat turns out juicy, the bird is covered with an appetizing crust. At the same time preparing the sauce. Despite the name, the dish is suitable not only for the Christmas table, but also for any other celebration. Ingredients Required
• Turkey carcass up to 4 kg;
• lemon;
• butter 100 gr. + 30 for lubrication;
• salt pepper;
• 50 ml of wine;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 celery.
Method of preparation
Salt the softened butter, grind well. Wash the carcass well. For this recipe, it is not recommended to use a large bird, as it is not provided for pre-soaking. Carefully push the skin away from the sternum, fill it with prepared butter. Residues lubricate the skin and cavity. Rub the carcass on top with salt and pepper and also process inside.
Wash lemon, cut into 2 parts and put both halves inside the carcass. Cross your legs, make cuts on opposite sides and fill. Send the turkey to the oven for half an hour, heated to 220 ° C. Then remove, reduce the temperature to 180 ° C and cook for about 2.5 -3 hours. Every 30 minutes you need to get the bird and water the released juice.
While the turkey is baked in the oven, you can prepare the base for the sauce. Cut slices of celery and carrots, pour 0.7 liters of water and boil until fully cooked, you can slightly boil them. Cool without draining water. After cooking the carcass, the form will be butter. It must be added to boiled vegetables in any proportion. The more, the fatter and more aromatic the sauce will be. All salt and pepper and scroll in a blender. To taste you can add greens and spices.
Recipe 2: A turkey in the oven “Juicy” with fruits
Turkey baked in the oven according to this recipe, requires pre-soaking in brine for a day. This gives the meat extra juiciness and shortens the cooking time. The size of the carcass can be any, but it is better not to use a large bird over 6 kg.
Ingredients Required
• turkey carcass;
• 150 gr. butter;
• greenery.
For brine to 1 liter of water:
• onion;
• 0.04 kg of salt;
• 0.03 kg of sugar;
• 10 peppercorns.
For the filling:
• apples;
• walnuts;
• dried apricots;
• prunes.
Method of preparation
The day before cooking turkey, baked in the oven with fruit, you need to marinate it. For medium-sized birds, you need to prepare about 4-6 liters of brine. To do this, pour water into a saucepan, add salt, spices, chopped onion. Bring to a boil, cool. Wash the carcass, remove any feathers from the skin. To place the bird in the pickle, it should completely cover the carcass. Clean in a cool place. After marinating, remove the carcass from the brine and allow the liquid to drain. At this time, make green oil. To do this, cut the greens, mix with softened butter. This mass lay under the skin of the carcass. Inside, put the stuffing from sliced apples, nuts and dried fruits. Legs tie together. Grease the carcass with butter or vegetable oil and bake in the oven at 180 ° C. Baking time depends on the size, but usually takes at least 3 hours.
To make the meat juicier, and the crust is more appetizing, you need to periodically get the carcass and smear it with the released juice.
Recipe 3: Fillet of turkey in the oven with sour cream sauce
Turkey fillet, baked in the oven with sour cream, is very tender and juicy. You can use both the pulp from the thighs and breast. But together it is better not to combine, since the cooking time they are different and the breast can get dry.
Ingredients Required
• fillet 1 kg;
• 200 gr. sour cream;
• 50 ml of soy sauce;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• salt;
• 3 tomatoes.
Method of preparation
Prepare a pot of sour cream, soy sauce and garlic. Meat cut. You can cook turkey fillets baked in the oven, either in small pieces or in portions. You can also bake large pieces under cutting. All a matter of taste. It will only be necessary to increase or decrease the cooking time. Fill the fillet in the form, pour the sauce, put the tomato rings on top and bake until done.
Recipe 4: Turkey fillet in the oven with adjika
For cooking turkey, baked in the oven for this recipe, you will need a sleeve. But if not, then you can use foil. Meat is cooked very simply and requires a minimum of ingredients, suitable for any garnish.
Ingredients Required
• fillet 0.8 kg;
• spicy adjika 2 spoons;
• salt;
• 4 cloves of garlic.
Method of preparation
Nashig sirloin fillet pieces of garlic cloves, salt and grease abundantly with adzhika from all sides. Place into the sleeve, close and make a puncture on top for air to escape. Put in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes at 190 ° C. Then the sleeve can be cut and the meat fried well until golden brown.
Recipe 5: Shred the turkey in the oven with bacon and fennel
The recipe is incredibly tasty and juicy turkey leg, baked in the oven with fragrant fennel. If someone does not like this spice, you can use any other taste. The dish is prepared immediately with a side dish of potatoes, carrots and tomatoes.
Ingredients Required
• Shin 5-6 pieces;
• bacon for wrapping;
• bunch of fennel;
• 0.8 kg of potatoes, better than small, the size of an egg;
• 2 carrots;
• 5-6 small tomatoes;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 0.5 lemon;
• 50 ml of oil;
• salt.
Method of preparation
First prepare the marinade. For him, chop the garlic, grind with lemon juice, salt. Grate marinated, washed and dried shin and leave for 2-3 hours. At this time prepare the vegetables. Peel carrots, cut each into several strips. Peel potatoes, use whole, like tomatoes. If the tubers are large, then it can be cut into 2-4 pieces.
Wrap each leg with 2-3 strips of bacon. Put in the center of the form, spread out the prepared vegetables around, salt and sprinkle with chopped fennel. Vegetables top with oil. Cover the form with foil and send to the oven for an hour at 190 ° C. Then remove the foil, add the temperature to 220 ° C and bake until golden brown.
Recipe 6: Shred the turkey in the oven with prunes and garlic
To prepare the leg of a turkey baked in the oven, not very large legs will be needed, which are preferably marinated in advance for several hours. The number of products is arbitrary. Preparing the dish immediately with a side dish of vegetables.
Ingredients Required
• shin;
• prunes;
• potatoes;
• bow;
• carrot;
• sour cream;
• garlic.
For marinade:
• Pineapple juice;
• soy sauce.
Method of preparation
Instead of pineapple juice, you can use orange. Add soy sauce to it, in a 1: 5 ratio. Cover legs and leave for at least 2 hours. Cut the garlic and prunes into small pieces. Vegetables can also be prepared in advance, peeled, cut. Remove shank from marinade, make small cuts and stuff them with prunes and garlic. Vegetables salted. Lay out the legs in the form, shifting vegetables among themselves. Now you need to mix the sour cream with the remaining marinade 1: 1 and pour the dish on top. Bake until done in the oven at 180-190 ° C.
Recipe 7: Turkey Breast in a Home-Made Baked Oven
Many buy a baked ham in the store, but in fact it is very easy to cook at home. Easy recipe for turkey breast baked in the oven. The amount of meat is arbitrary. You can simultaneously bake the entire breast or half.
Ingredients Required
• turkey breast;
• mayonnaise;
• garlic;
• seasoning for meat;
• salt.
Method of preparation
Garlic peel. Each tooth is cut into 2-3 pieces. Stuff the breast with pieces of garlic. Prepare marinade: mix mayonnaise with salt or seasoning. Liberally lubricate the prepared breast with the resulting sauce. Leave at least 4 hours, you can put in the fridge overnight. Then put the piece into a refractory mold and bake in the oven until cooked.
If you use a large piece of breast (1 kg), then you can use a sleeve for baking. But do not completely bring the meat to readiness in it. Still, boiled pork from turkey, baked in the oven, it turns out tastier in fried visible. Therefore, after 1-1.5 hours, the sleeve can be removed or simply cut and bent to the sides.
Recipe 8: A turkey breast in the oven with mushrooms
The recipe for stunning rolls with turkey mushrooms, baked in the oven. The dish turns out delicious, beautiful, ideal for festive tables. The recipe uses fried champignons, but you can make it with absolutely any mushrooms, even pickled ones.
Ingredients Required
• 5 pieces of breast, palm-sized, 1.5 cm thick;
• 300 gr. champignons;
• onion;
• salt;
• black pepper;
• oil for frying mushrooms;
• 100 gr. mayonnaise;
• 100 ml of broth;
• garlic clove.
Method of preparation
Fry the mushrooms in a pan with onions in a little oil, salt and pepper. Beat off the fillet with a hammer through the cellophane. Salt and pepper on both sides. Put mushrooms on a piece, roll up the roll, fasten the edge with a toothpick. Do this with all the pieces of meat. Put rolls in shape. Mayonnaise mixed with broth, add mashed garlic and pour rolls. Bake until done. Before serving, remove the toothpicks, cut the rolls into pieces.
Recipe 9: Thigh a turkey in the oven with pineapples “Accordion”
Pineapples perfectly complement any meat and turkey as well. The dish is juicy and unusually fragrant. To cook turkey baked in the oven with pineapples, you need a thigh. To taste this part of the carcass resembles beef, but much lighter and more tender.
Ingredients Required
• 2 turkey thighs;
• canned pineapple 6 rings;
• mayonnaise 100 gr .;
• salt;
• garlic.
Method of preparation
In a liter of water, dilute a full spoonful of salt with a mountain, lower the hips and let stand for a couple of hours. It is possible more. If desired, any spices can be added to the brine. But do not abuse it, as garlic with pineapple will add its own special flavor to the dish. No need to remove the skin from the thighs for this dish.
Mayonnaise mixed with chopped garlic and set aside. Remove thighs from brine, dry with a towel. Pineapple rings cut in half. Now you need to make 6 deep cuts to the bone in each thigh from the fleshy side. If the turkey was small, the hips are small, then it can be less.
Salt the meat, carefully lubricate with mayonnaise, well working on the resulting pockets. Then put in each slice of pineapple. It can not fit entirely, nothing terrible, it should be so. If mayonnaise sauce remains, then you can pour on top. Place the hips in shape, cover with top foil and bake at 180 ° C for 1.5 hours.
Recipe 10: Turkey Thigh in an Italian-Style Oven
Spicy turkey thigh, baked in the oven, is prepared using a mixture of Italian herbs. Ideal with pasta, vegetables, potatoes. But it can be used for cutting, as well as baked ham. But for this the thigh will need to cool and remove the bone.
Ingredients Required
• turkey thigh 1 pc .;
• spoon of Italian herbs;
• spoon of honey;
• 2 spoons of soy sauce;
• olive oil for lubrication;
• salt.
Method of preparation
The main thing in this dish is to use high-quality honey and let the meat marinate well. To do this, melt the honey, add soy sauce, a little salt. On the thigh on both sides, make cuts 2 cm deep at the same distance between each other. You can nashinkovat strips or crosswise, on the surface will get squares. Spread the cuts inside the sauce, spread the residues over the surface. Then pour Italian herbs in the slots. You do not need to sprinkle the outside, the spices will burn when cooking. Leave the meat to marinate for 3-4 hours. Then put in the form, grease the top with olive oil and bake in the oven until cooked.
Recipe 11: Turkey breast in the oven with buckwheat and vegetables
Mistresses rarely cook cereals in the oven, but in vain. It is in it that they turn out to be unusually tasty and immediately resolve the issue with a side dish. Turkey fillet, baked in the oven with buckwheat, is cooked very simply, but it has a decent taste. Similarly, you can cook with rice.
Ingredients Required
• 0.8 kg fillet;
• buckwheat 2 glasses;
• 5 tomatoes;
• 3 bell peppers;
• onion;
• salt pepper;
• 50 gr. vegetable oil.
Method of preparation
Rinse the buckwheat, drain the water and pour it into a deep baking dish, smooth it out. In grits add 400 gr. salted water. If there is meat broth, you can use it. Cut the turkey into small pieces, like goulash. Pepper cut into cubes, mix with meat. Salt, pepper, mix thoroughly. Put the meat mixture on top of buckwheat evenly. Cut tomatoes into thick rings of 0.5 cm, spread out over meat. Lightly salted on top, smeared with vegetable oil. Put in the oven for 30 minutes at 190 ° C, then reduce to 170 and cook another 15 minutes.
Oven baked turkey - tricks and tips
• To bake the turkey in the oven was juicy and tender, you need to grease not the skin with fat, but the meat under the skin. The skin on the sternum is easily removed and allows you to lay a sufficient amount of butter, sour cream or mayonnaise. The skin is oiled for an appetizing crust.
• When cooking turkey, a lot of juice and fat accumulates in the form. Of these, you can prepare sauces, add to the side dishes. And if at the moment it is impossible to use, then the mass should be placed in a container and sent to the freezer. It can be used in any dishes, up to fillings for feasts.
• Turkey meat will be much tastier if you add some sugar to the marinade. You can also use honey.
• Do not know how much time to cook the bird? Count! Each pound requires 18 minutes of cooking in an oven at an average temperature of 180-200. Stuffing also need to be considered when calculating.
• To make the bird tender and juicy, you can simply put it in the form of the breast down. Of course, the appearance of the carcass from this will suffer a little, but you can not worry that the meat will be dry. • To keep the tips of the feet from burning and to have an attractive appearance, they can be wrapped in pieces of foil. Wings better to hide in the slits of the carcass.
And the main secret of delicious turkey baked in the oven is still the quality of meat. If it is old or defrosted several times, then no recipe will help to cook the royal dish. A young and fresh bird will be delicious under any sauce and even without it.
