Food - Drink
Why You Should Put Your Turkey In The Oven Legs First
By KATIE HORST
One of the main challenges in cooking a turkey is that it can turn out unevenly cooked; this usually happens because dark meat cooks slower than the white meat. Knowing which part of your oven has the most heat and how to place your turkey inside it helps solve this problem.
Typically, the top and the back of the oven are the hottest, so Taste of Home recommends sliding the turkey into the oven legs first, facing the back where all the heat is. This way, the breasts, oriented toward the cooler part of the oven in front, won't dry out while the thighs cook.
Before you start, remove the top rack of your oven to make plenty of room for the bird and to allow the air to circulate in the center. Once done, check that the turkey’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees by testing the innermost part of the wing, thigh, and thickest part of the breast.