Amazing 2-Hour Turkey or Turkey Breast
Cook a super easy and super fast turkey or turkey breast in just 2 hours. This turkey will be very moist and delicious. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Servings: 1 Pound Per Person
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- Turkey or Turkey Breast; 10 to 24 pounds
- Coarse Ground Black Pepper
- Coarse Kosher Salt
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
- Water or Broth
Tools needed:
- Roasting Pan
- V-shaped or other roasting racks
- Meat thermometer
Instructions
Directions:
- Start preheating your oven to 450 degrees. It is important to preheat a full 30 minutes since over thermometers are woefully inaccurate.
- Remove and discard truss, pull, trim, and discard excess lumps of fat. Remove giblets and neck.
- Rinse turkey inside and out with warm water. Pat dry with paper towel.
- Make a paste of olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Coconut oil can be substituted for olive oil. Generously rub over the top and bottom of your turkey or turkey breast/.
- Place a roasting rack in a large baking pan. A 13 x 16 x 2 inch pan is optimal but even a regular baking sheet will work. Place the turkey, breast up, on the rack. If cooking a whole turkey, fold wing tips under.
- Using aluminum foil, form caps over the tips of the end of each drumstick. Do not tie the legs together, add stuffing, or close the body cavity.
- Pour about 1 inch of water or broth into the bottom of the pad. If your pan is deep enough, pour up to 2 inches.
- Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer near center of the breast through the thickest part of the breast to the bone.
- Set pan on the lowest rack of a 450-degree oven. Cook according to the time chart below, checking as directed during cooking, until thermometer reaches 160 degrees.
- Remove pan from oven and set in a warm spot. Let turkey rest 30 to 45 minutes. Not to worry, the turkey meat will still be hot.
- Drain juices from the body cavity into roasting pan. If making gravy, spoon off and discard fat from drippings in pan. If drippings are dry, skim any fat from pan, then add 1 cup chicken broth; scrape drippings free.
- Cut off turkey legs at thigh joint. If joint is red or pink, return legs to oven for 3 to 5 minutes (at 300 or 475 degrees) or heat in a microwave oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carve the rest of the turkey. Carving juices may be clear to rosy; both are fine. Save juices to pour into gravy for a richer flavor, if desired.
Cooking Times:
- 10-13 pound. 50 minutes to 1 1/4 hours.
- 13-16 pound. 1 1/4 hours to 1 hour 50 min.
- 16-19 pound. 1 1/4 hours to 2 hours.
- 20-22 pound. 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.
- 22-24 pound. 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours
Notes
Notes:
Do NOT use a convection oven
The original recipe specified cooking at 475 degrees. I cook my turkey or turkey breast at 450 with better results. The time to cook is not affected but use your thermometer be sure. I use a probe thermometer so I do not have to open the oven door during cooking.
Be sure to preheat for the full 30 minutes since most oven thermostats are woefully inaccurate.
Allow at least 1 pound of turkey per person, more if you want leftovers.