Step 2: Cook the turkey

The temperature and cooking time will depend on the size of your turkey; regardless of size, however, the turkey needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. It's helpful to have a cooking thermometer to check this.

If your turkey is larger (12 to 20 pounds), you might want to start the oven at 250 degrees for the first two hours, then increase it to about 325 degrees. This method will help keep the skin from overbrowning.

Once the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees, it's time to baste the skin and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees for the remaining time. When the turkey reaches 160 degrees, pull it out. It will continue to cook while it's resting (see Step 3) and eventually reach 165 degrees.