With every passing day we come to face a new recipe of how to cook a turkey. Every recipe includes different requirement and methods. No matter which recipe you are following, if you follow some basic tips for cooking turkey, it will let you follow turkey making recipes in an easier and convenient way.

• Go for a frozen turkey than a fresh one when buying from market.
• Remove neck and giblets from cavity before the turkey defrosts completely.
• Never use a deep roasting pan for turkey. A shallow roasting pan is more safe and convenient.
• If you want to enjoy the full flavour of a turkey along with all its juices, go for a cooking bag. It will prevent juices from evaporating or burning and sticking to the pan.
• Only stuff the turkey when you are going to cook it. Pre-stuffing and storing can produce harmful bacteria, so it is not hygienic and can spoil an uncooked bird.
• Small turkeys cook faster and are generally tender as compared to big ones.
• When cooking a turkey in the oven, an open pan is considered as the easiest method as it turns the turkey to golden brown and gives a great roasted flavour.
• If you cook a turkey in the oven with the pan covered, it will take less time.
• If you are thinking of cooking a turkey in the microwave, go for one which fits in your microwave.
• Use a microwave dish container while cooking the turkey, so that all its juices can catch in the dish.
• After thawing the turkey in microwave, never go for refreezing it again.
• If you roast the breast in down side until the last hour and then turn it up to make the breast brown, you will get moist white meat.
• From saving breast meat from drying in the oven, cover it with aluminum foil and grease breast with butter to prevent it from sticking. Remove foil after one hour for giving it a brown colour.
• A turkey weighing more then 16 pounds will take 15 minutes per pound and a turkey weighing less then 16 pounds will take 12 minutes per pound to cook properly.
• While using a thermometer for checking the temperature of a turkey, insert it in centre of thigh muscle and do not touch bones.
• Ingredients for stuffing the turkey should be made only before stuffing turkey.
• Keep wet and dry ingredients separate and mix together only at time of stuffing.
• Before serving, remove all stuffing from turkey cavities.
• After removing turkey from oven, let it stand for 20 minutes before you start carving so that all juices can settle. It will help to carve turkey more easily.
• You can freeze the leftover gravy and stuffing for future use.
• It is better not to reheat turkey again before serving as it will dry the meat.
• Always wash your hands, dishes as well as the sink and whatever comes in contact with raw turkey and its juices using soap and water.
• Never use a brown paper bag for storing or cooking the turkey as it is very unhygienic.