How to Cook a Juicy Turkey: The Certified Texas Method

Look, I am well aware that there's more than one way to cook a turkey. In fact, I'm pretty sure I saw that on a T-shirt one time.

This may be true, but there is only one way that is certified Texas style, and I'm about to share the secret with you.

How to Properly Cook a Turkey in Texas

Through extensive laboratory tests and high-end clinical research, the folks over at Texas A&M discovered the only way that Texans should be cooking their birds for the entire family to enjoy.

Picking Turkey Size

First, it all boils down to picking the correct size. You don't want a 30-pound turkey that barely fits in your oven and takes a day to cook.

A good rule of thumb is to aim for about a pound per person, so everyone has their share and you can even upscale it for leftovers.

Prep Time and Thawing

The next element for a rootin'-tootin' Texas turkey is the prep time. This can really drag on, as it generally takes about a full day for every five pounds of a frozen turkey to thaw in the fridge.

Speaking of thawing, once it's ready to go into the oven, you have a choice of whether you want to brine the turkey by filling it with delicious spice mixes inside and out. Just remember that brining in this way will give you juicier meat but drier skin.

Cook Times and Methods

Finally, the best part, cooking the turkey. Slap that fowl on a sheet tray or pan that's large enough and pop that bad boy into the oven.

A good tip for cooking turkeys: allow roughly 15 minutes at 325-350 degrees per pound of turkey. Also, it's best to have the bird wrapped in an aluminum foil "tent" on the lowest rack in your oven.

For a true Texan turkey, allow the bird to cook for at least an hour before attempting to baste. Once there's only 30 minutes left, remove the foil tent and increase the temp to about 450 degrees to really crisp up the skin.

Et voilà! You've just created a masterpiece that every Texan will love. Just remember all the fixin's like homemade cranberry sauce and dressing to make any Thanksgiving meal complete.