Here’s your cheat sheet. Preheat oven to 325°F. Put turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with butter. Salt, pepper, maybe some herbs. Slide it in.
At 2 hours, check temp. If the skin is browning too fast, foil it. At 2.5 hours, check again. You’re probably at 150°F in the thigh. Close the door. Be patient. At 3 hours, you should be hitting 160-165°F.
Pull it out. Rest it. Carve it. Eat it. High-five yourself.
One Last Thing
If you’re still nervous, buy a backup turkey breast. Or a pizza. Seriously, it’s okay. Cooking a turkey is a rite of passage, not a hostage situation.
You’ve got this. That 11-pound bird is going to be amazing. And when your guests ask, “How long did you cook it?”, you can just smile and say, “Just long enough.”
