Years ago it was unheard of NOT to stuff your turkey. These days, things have changed because of growing awareness for food-borne illnesses and their risks. The good news is that there’s a way to safely stuff your turkey. Read on for our stuffing safety tips, step-by-step how to and stuffing tips.
Should I stuff my turkey?
Stuffing cooked inside the turkey cavities is delicious, but it does slow down the cooking time and could be a potential health hazard if done incorrectly. For perfect no-worry results, opt for "dressing" instead – stuffing cooked alongside the bird instead of inside. Why not give this cornbread version a go?
Tips for Safely Stuffing a Turkey, According to a Food Safety Expert
We consulted a registered dietitian and consultant who specialises in food safety and culinary nutrition. Here’s why stuffing a turkey can be dangerous. In the past, stuffing a large turkey has been linked to salmonella outbreaks. People weren’t cooking their turkeys at the right temperature for the proper amount of time until the turkey reached the correct internal temperature. Jam-packing the turkey's cavity with stuffing affected the cooking (it tougher to kill bacteria when a bird is overstuffed) and made for a disastrous combination. Worse still, when you remove stuffing from a bird that hasn’t been cooked properly, chances are the stuffing is not safe to eat either because it might be contaminated. Yikes!
How to Stuff a Turkey, Step-By-Step:
Step 1: Prepare the Stuffing Safely
If you’re using raw meat, poultry or shellfish to make your stuffing, cook those first, add them to your stuffing mix and then immediately stuff your turkey. If you’re preparing the stuffing ahead of time, cool it immediately and placed it in shallow containers in the refrigerator. Pre-cooked and cooled stuffing should not be used for the turkey- eat this separately.
Step 2: Stuff the Bird Loosely
Cook stuffing and immediately place it in your turkey's neck and body cavity. Stuff loosely- about 3/4 cup per 0.5kg of turkey. Don’t stuff turkeys that will be grilled, smoked, fried or microwaved.
Step 3: Cook the Turkey Immediately After Stuffing
Don’t let your turkey sit out at room temperature- that gives pesky bacteria a good opportunity to grow. Once you’ve stuffed your bird, immediately cook it in an oven that’s set no lower than 160 degrees C.
Step 4: Check the Turkey’s Internal Temperature
You want to make sure the internal temperature of the turkey reaches at least 70 degrees C. To check if your turkey is done, place a thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh, the wing and the thickest part of the breast. If you check and the turkey hasn’t reached the proper internal temperature, continue cooking it. Don’t remove the stuffing at this point because you think it might speed up cooking. It's already been contaminated with the turkey's bacteria and needs to keep cooking to kill it off.
Step 5: Let the Turkey Rest with the Stuffing Inside
Once cooked, take the turkey out of the oven and wait 20 minutes- you can now take the stuffing out and carve this bad boy.
Step 6: Hold Your Turkey and Stuffing for No More than 2 Hours at Room Temperature
Eat cooked turkey within two hours and promptly refrigerate any leftovers. Slice leftover turkey and store in shallow containers (don't just shove the whole bird, loosely wrapped, back in the fridge). Be sure to use up those leftovers within three to four days. (Turkey sandwich for dinner, anyone?)
How Can You Tell if the Stuffing is Done?
Give stuffing a head start by heating it up before placing inside the turkey. Like the turkey, stuffing needs to reach the 70 degree mark. If the bird is done before the stuffing, remove stuffing from the cavities and continue to cook in a baking dish.
Other Ways to Stuff Your Turkey
If you don’t want to stuff your turkey with, well, stuffing, there are a few other things you can put into the cavity to impart flavour and moisture.
Classic Aromatics
Add halved onions, carrot chunks, celery and fresh herbs to the cavity of your turkey, inserting them loosely. These flavour builders are the base of stock and most soups. As your turkey cooks, they’ll steam and infuse your bird with moisture and flavour.
Apples
Try this recipe, which stuffs the turkey with apple quarters to lace the meat with cidery-tart flavour and moisture.
Citrus
This turkey with herbs de provence and citrus is filled with orange and lemon wedges for flavour and moisture, but you can also use lime or grapefruit!
