How to Cook a Turkey in a Convection Oven
We all have made a turkey in the oven, microwave, fryer or crock pot. But have you put your bird in the convection oven?
We bought a new stove last year and I have yet to use the convection oven. When I bake it isn’t recommended for what I am baking. But when I found this recipe I had to try it!
I prepared the turkey just as I normally do but I didn’t stuff it. I have found over the years I have a better outcome doing the stuffing on the stove top and keeping warm in the crock pot.
With the convection cooking I actually used a partially thawed smaller turkey just prior to cooking.
There is no need to baste either which leaves you plenty of time to get those sides prepared.
The legs and wings were covered in foil to keep them from drying out too fast. No lid was otherwise needed.
These are the INGREDIENTS you will need:
- 1 Lbs 8-12 cpound while turkey
- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- Rosemary to taste
- Thyme to taste
These are the INSTRUCTIONS for preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F on the convection setting.
- Wash the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place turkey on roasting pan and brush with olive oil.
- Cut and loosen the skin from the turkey breast and rub rosemary and thyme onto the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the lowest rack of the oven and cook for 2-2 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the turkey thigh reaches 180 degrees F.
NOTES to read:
Nutrition facts are with skin on.
Using Pure ConvectionTM.
You may use Pure ConvectionTM at 150° to defrost a partially frozen turkey for same- day cooking. Partially frozen means that the skin, legs and wings are defrosted and can move freely, but there’s still some ice crystals and it is still hard inside of the turkey’s cavity. Place turkey on an oven roasting pan with a v-shaped rack. It will take approximately 8-11 minutes per pound to defrost the turkey. This is not recommended with frozen solid turkeys as it will remain in the Temperature Danger Zone for too long.
Do I need to baste the turkey while cooking?
No, you do not need to baste. Convection ovens will sear the turkey very quickly, locking in the juices.
What is Carryover Cooking and do I need to do this?
Carryover Cooking is a term to describe the additional cooking a food goes through after it is pulled out of the oven. The turkey will continue to cook approximately 10° more after it is pulled out of the oven. It is best not to carve into the bird until the turkey is allowed to rest for 10-15 minutes, since this will result in a loss of juices.
Can I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?
When cooking in convection, it is best to leave the turkey uncovered so that it benefits from the convection sear. However, if the wings and legs begin to brown too much, you certainly can use foil to cover these areas.
What if my turkey seems to be cooking too quickly and we’re not eating for a few hours?
You can lower the oven temperature by about 50 degrees and cover the turkey with foil. This will slow down the cooking process.
What advantage does this all have? Less time baby sitting and more time for cooking. Also there are fewer dishes to clean up. This is a big WIN WIN for me!!
Cook a Turkey In a Convection Oven
Ingredients
- 1 Lbs 8-12 cpound while turkey
- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- Rosemary to taste
- Thyme to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F on the convection setting.
- Wash the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place turkey on roasting pan and brush with olive oil.
- Cut and loosen the skin from the turkey breast and rub rosemary and thyme onto the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the lowest rack of the oven and cook for 2-2 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the turkey thigh reaches 180 degrees F.
Notes
No, you do not need to baste. Convection ovens will sear the turkey very quickly, locking in the juices.What is Carryover Cooking and do I need to do this?
Carryover Cooking is a term to describe the additional cooking a food goes through after it is pulled out of the oven. The turkey will continue to cook approximately 10° more after it is pulled out of the oven. It is best not to carve into the bird until the turkey is allowed to rest for 10-15 minutes, since this will result in a loss of juices.Can I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?
When cooking in convection, it is best to leave the turkey uncovered so that it benefits from the convection sear. However, if the wings and legs begin to brown too much, you certainly can use foil to cover these areas.What if my turkey seems to be cooking too quickly and we’re not eating for a few hours?
You can lower the oven temperature by about 50 degrees and cover the turkey with foil. This will slow down the cooking process. ©MARILYN’S TREATS. All images are copyright protected.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Conversion Information We get a lot of requests to help with conversions especially between various countries like Canada, the U.K. and Australia. These tables should help you make those conversions. For your convenience we have included a Conversion Chart.
Disclaimer Unless indicated recipes influenced by cookbooks, magazines or family traditions.
Your recipe includes 1/2 cup vegetable oil, but nowhere says what to do with it!!!
Thank you for catching that. I missed the third step: Place turkey on roasting pan and brush with olive oil. The card has been fixed. I am sorry for the error! I hope you enjoy the turkey!
Today I cooked my turkey in the convection oven, following your instructions. The turkey was 13 lb and I convect it on 350 for 3 hours. The skin color turned golden. This is the best recipe ever! Thank you so much!
You are welcome Reneta! I am. So glad to hear. I have found it stays moister when the turkey is over 12-13 pounds. You are proving that for me! Enjoy your week and thanks for trying!
So far it has been convection baking fir 3 hrs aan there is not as much juice as normal… ugh gravy shortage!
Was it fresh or frozen and thawed? I found that a lot of the juices were drawn into the bird. You may want to add more fluid like broth to make the gravy. Fingers crossed!! Let me know!
I am DOING IT this year in Convection mode. I live in some fear of not baking the bird for hours on end, but this sounds so much better.
Now, stuffed or unstuffed is still a challenge…bit I will give the u stuffed a go too.
I am so glad you are trying the convection Christie! My grandmother always started the bird the night before and cooked it for about 12 hours at 250. Now we know better it just needs to get to a certain temp inside. And to help you decide, it has been found that cooking stuffing inside the bird actually isn’t a good idea. The stuffing sitting in the raw juices can hold on to bacteria which some people can’t tolerate. My stuffing was soggy at the deep end and burnt to a crisp on the outside. And no matter how big the bird I never had enough. Please come back and let me know how it turns out for you! I am so excited! Have a safe day.
We are in our RV this year for the first time. Going to do our turkey in the convection oven. Was going to try the CompuRoast setting until I found out that #1 my 9.65 lb bird is to heavy it stops the turn table and #2 I only have metal pans with me and I guess it also uses Microwaves sometimes so that will not work. So back to regular Convection Setting in a 9×13 on a bed of onions, carrots and celery uncovered for I guess about 2.5 hours or until I see the temp reach 165. Then let sit for 20 min. Fingers crossed 😊 Any other tips or suggestions for me?
Not that I can think of. You should be fine! Good Luck. let me know!
Can I quickly get you thought? Planning on 325 on regular convection for about 2-2.5 hours or until I see 165 for a 9.65 bird.
Cooking to the internal temperature is the way to go. Temp and time per pound are usually suggestions. And that popup timer? It is unreliable. Good luck!
Best turkey ever. Husband says most epic thanksgiving. Turkey came out great.
I am so pleased!!!! And if it passes muster for the husband it is a keeper!! Enjoy your week.
Thank you for your post!
Tomorrow I will try to cook my turkey in convection oven for the first time.
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
You are very welcome Reneta! I am glad you are willing to take the plunge. Please let me know how it turns out for you!! Have a sage and happy Thanksgiving!
Oh cool! My oven has a convection oven setting on it. I’m still unsure how I’ll try out my turkey this year, but this is a great idea!
Thanks for linking up with us on our Embracing Home and Family link up party!
-Cherelle
I am glad you find the convection oven interesting. I was scared the first time. But it turned out delicious!! If you give it a go, be sure to tell me how you liked it!
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,510 this week. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us soon!
Miz Helen
You are welcome Miz Helen. Please stay safe this week!
I like the idea of the rosemary. Something different from the old sage! Thanks for sharing at the what’s for dinner party. I hope you’re enjoying your weekend.
Thank you Helen. I love the added spices. Something new is always appreciated. Enjoy!
Great tips Marilyn. Convection ovens cook quickly. I don’t have one but if I did it would be nice. Thank you for sharing with #omhgww.
Thx Clearissa. Sad to say, most baking isn’t recommended for convection. But many dinner items are. That is hubby’s arena. He worked in a restaurant through both his college degrees. Hope your first day back to work wasn’t as bad as it looked. Stay safe!
Like some of your other readers, I haven’t used the convection oven setting on my oven. I like the idea of the oven searing the bird. For the past two oro three years we have splatchcocked the turkey. (well, my daughter in law has; but this year I’m on my own, thank you pandemic). Long way of asking, would convection be OK for splatchcocked bird? .
I have never tried. My understanding is the bird is cut to be flattened? I would think it would be the same. Just the time to cook would be different. But that is a great question. If you decide to try it, please come back and tell me how it all went. I will update the post for anyone else that asks! God luck.
Great tips, Marilyn! Thanks for sharing this on Farm Fresh Tuesdays! Hope to see you again this week!
Thank you Lisa! I haven’t come across many recipes for the convection oven and am looking forward to using this one. Happy Thanksgiving. Hugz from me and my family!
Marilyn,
I am going to try your tips for making my turkey. Congratulations, you are being featured on Thursday Favorite Things – Thanksgiving Roundup.
Hugs,
Bev
Thank you Beverly for considering my turkey tips! I also appreciate the feature. Thank you so much and Happy Holiday.
My husband always makes the turkey and we have a convection oven. I’ll be sure to pass this on to him. Thanks for sharing.
Let me know how it turns out if you do! You are welcome Chas. Have a great week!
I don’t have a convection oven but these were great tips for anyone who does. TFS
Thanks Clearissa. My convection oven came with the stove. I have only used it once since I bake more often and that doesn’t do well. Enjoy your week.
Great tips. I hadn’t thought about the difference.
Thank you Michele. It is worth giving this method a try! Enjoy your week,
Nice post. I have not cooked a turkey in my convection oven. Maybe I will give it a try!
This was truly easy and came out much like when I bake my turkey. Just less mess. Thank you for your kindness and thoughts. I am sorry it is taking me so long to answer comments. (And sorry some of these may be generic as I am tiring easily do to meds.) Enjoy your week and thanks for stopping by!