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Turkey Cooking Times

MJT
MJT Posts: 1
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
We have a extra large Green Egg. We have been finding the cooking times to be much faster than a conventional oven. We are cooking with the plate setter installed, and a 19 lb. Turkey unstuffed cooking at 275 degrees is done in 4 to 4 1/2 hours. We are using the vertical roaster. Is this faster cooking typical?

Comments

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,597
    i cook 2 birds every year, one in the oven stuffed, one in the egg stuffed with some onions apples, and citrus. both same size, both same temps, one in the egg cooks a third quicker so i put it in about an hour after the oven bird
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • 15 minutes per pound sounds a bit fast at 275° but typical for an unstuffed bird at 325-350°
    while the egg does provide great even heat and is better than an oven i suspect your oven temp is off .. many home ovens are off by 25-50° and the cycling off and on of the element does not provide the same even heat for the duration of the cook as an egg does.
  • Sundown
    Sundown Posts: 2,980
    our family has gotten away from cooking by time. Now we cook by temperature with the time as a loose guideline.

    Using the time guideline of 15 minutes a pound at 350º dome.

    Then cook to 170º breast and 180º leg/thigh
  • In the few months I have had the BGE that is and was my biggest challenge. Getting used to cooking by temp.
  • I cooked a 18.5 poundr yesterday. I was 325 indirect. I was expectin 18-20 per pound, It was done at 15 minutes per pound. the problem was , not everyone was there yet. i left in on gril and reduced temp. Probably should have taken it off grill and let sit on counter.

    it was still good, but not as moist as I expected it.
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    The egg cooks more like a convection oven than like a conventional oven. The moving/circulating air flow will cook faster than the stagnant heat inside your home oven.

    If you want to equate times to oven based recipes lower your temp by 25* - that is the adjustment a convection oven makes.
  • AHA! Thank you fidel. It all makes sense now.
    XL   Walled Lake, MI