How Long Does It Take To Cook A 22-Pound Turkey?

When you are preparing a Thanksgiving turkey, size is definitely an important matter. If a whole family is to be fed with the turkey, then the best way is to buy a bigger one and serve many in a row. A 20 to 24-pound would be perfect for serving many in one go.

We should also be familiar with how much time it will take to cook a 22-pound turkey completely. It would take about 5 hours total at 325 degrees F. The time also varies according to whether it is stuffed or not. 

You can cook a turkey at various temperatures to make different recipes that appeal to your taste buds. You first need to be really wary about how big the turkey is and what you will make with it. 

In this article, we will learn about the duration of the turkey to be cooked based on its weight. We shall evaluate the cooking time of a 22-pound turkey and a few tips that will be useful for you.

How Long Does It Take To Cook A Bigger Size Turkey?

Bigger turkeys, as mentioned before, are heavier and meatier in nature. There is a knack for handling them correctly, which depends mostly on their cooking duration.

It may take a little longer than the lighter ones and drag more time than predicted to get it perfectly roasted. It is quite tedious, given how you prepare and bake them. 

For example, a 20 to 24-pound turkey would take 5 hours to cook fully. This is the situation when the turkey is unstuffed. A bigger turkey is more conducive for stuffing, which would take about 5 hours and 15 minutes for the stuffing to get cooked.

4 hours 45 minutes is also ideal, depending on how roasted you want it. However, a lease time is given for carry-over cooking when it comes to bigger turkeys.

Carry-over cooking also refers to the time when it is taken out from the oven and gets baked in the residual heat. This can be done when you don’t want it too brown.

The total time would take about 6 hours as well since all the basting, carving, and resting of the meat would drag the process a little longer.

What Are Some Essential Tips Before Planning To Cook A Turkey?

1. Size Of The Turkey To Be Purchased

This depends on how many people will be fed from the turkey. 1 ½ pounds per person would be appropriate, and 10 to 15 pounds caters to 10 people. So it is 22 pounds, and a corresponding number of people eat it.

2. Duration To Cook A Turkey Per Pound

The USDA standards state that it takes about 13 minutes for a pound of turkey to be cooked. 15 minutes for a pound of stuffed turkey to be cooked. Roasting is the formal method that is commonly accepted as the norm.

3. Temperature To Be Maintained

Start cooking it at a high temperature which reaches up to 425 degrees F. This is more conducive for a 22-pound turkey than a smaller one. Then simmer it to 325 degrees F. preheating the oven to 325 degrees F would also be ideal.

4. Signs Of Its Completion

You will know that the turkey is cooked if the densest part of the meat reads 165 degrees F on the thermometer. You have to pierce the thermometer inside the skin layers and check the temperature to ensure it is done cooking.

5. Rest It Before Carving It

Rest the turkey once it is taken out of the oven. It has to rest for at least 15 minutes before it is ready to be served.

Should You Baste The Turkey?

Basting is definitely a healthy process to be followed. However, if you have a bigger turkey weighing around 22 pounds, the oven mustn’t be disturbed often when cooking it.

It takes about 5 hours to roast the turkey completely, and every minute of tampering you do with this process will increase the risk of uneven cooking. Hence basting is optional when it comes to a bigger turkey. 

Should You Stuff The Turkey?

This is completely your decision, and you are free to do whatever you want. However, you have to be aware that a stuffed turkey takes a little longer to be cooked completely.

The stuffing’s in the turkey also have to be cooked fully. Just check that the whole meat and the stuffing are baked properly. This can also be done with the help of a thermometer which points out how much it has been cooked.

You should also be careful about bigger stuffed turkeys. A bigger turkey is going to take a long time, and a stuffed one on top of that will take much longer to cook. 

What Is The Right Temperature To Cook A Bigger Turkey?

As you already know, the oven is preheated to 325 degrees F even before the turkey is placed. This applies to all turkeys, the heavier ones and the lighter ones.

Then roast it at 425 degrees F, after which you would simmer it to 325 degrees F. If you don’t want to meddle with the oven for some time, leave it at 325 degrees F constantly and look for another job that demands you.

How Long Would It Take To Cook A 22 lb. Frozen Turkey?

Frozen turkey is more conventional and takes even longer to cook fully. There are methods to be followed, which might involve readying the turkey to be cooked. Sometimes post-cooking procedures also drag a little longer.

Cooking a 22 lb. frozen turkey would take about 7 1⁄2 hours to 8 hours in total. Ever wondered why it takes so long? Here comes the list of what it entails.

1. The turkey has to be thawed first.
2. After cooking for around 2 hours, it has to be seasoned intermittently.
3. The giblets are removed, and sometimes the wrapping foil is removed in the middle to prepare the sealed parts.
4. The temperature has to be validated. The turkey has to be taken out from the oven, indicating that it has been roasted.
5. The turkey is allowed to rest for 30 minutes and more. It is carved carefully after that.
6. Served with appropriate tossing agents and side dishes.

Conclusion

A bigger turkey or the heavier one takes time to get cooked completely. There are faster ways to do it, but that would not fit the bill, and neither would be perfect for your taste buds. 

Cooking a turkey is an art for all we know, and the reward we get for that laborious process is the meal that entices us to the core. Just have a look at this article and be informed as to how you can better the cooking art when it comes to turkey.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)