Logout Cooking Pitfalls to Avoid Remember to leave plenty of time for your turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. It will take one day for every five pounds. A stuffed bird or one that's not completely thawed takes longer to cook. Use a dark roasting pan.
Shiny pans cause birds to take longer to cook because they absorb less heat.
A foil tent slows cooking. The thermometer must be pushed deep into the thigh, not touching bone. The bird is ready when it reaches 180 degrees F in the thigh. Don't try to carve your turkey until it has been out of the oven at least 20 minutes. The safest and most elegant way to slice a turkey is to do it in the kitchen.