Is it safe to fully cook a stuffed turkey the night before thanksgiving?
If I empty the cavity of stuffing after I cook it thoroughly, and reheat the turkey and stuffing separately the next day, will its consumption be hazardous?
Best Answer
If it was fully cooked properly the first time there shouldn't be any problems at all. You may have an issue with reheating the turkey - not that it would be hazardous to your health, just difficult to do without drying it out or burning it. It might be better to fully carve the turkey and then reheat the meat you want to eat instead of trying to reheat the entire thing.
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Can a turkey be stuffed the night before cooking it?
Can I stuff the turkey the night before roasting? No. Always stuff the turkey just before putting it in the oven. You can, however, make the stuffing the night before and refrigerate it until you're ready to roast the turkey.Can you cook a stuffed turkey the day before?
It's easy: Simply cook it a day or two in advance, let it cool completely, then carve the bird into large pieces\u2014breasts, wings, thighs and drumsticks. Store in a container in the refrigerator until the big day. This method actually result in juicier meat\u2014and an infinitely more relaxed host.Why should you not stuff your Thanksgiving turkey the night before you roast it?
It's not only how long you cook it, but at what temperature you set the oven. It's important that your bird reach the proper cooking temperature so you kill potentially harmful bacteria (e.g. salmonella) that lurk in the meat and its juices. In the past, stuffing a large turkey has been linked to salmonella outbreaks.How long can a stuffed turkey sit before cooking?
Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.Talking turkey: Why one expert says cook your turkey the day before Thanksgiving
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Answer 2
I wouldn't say 'hazardous', but there's additional risk.
You basically need to take the fully cooked bird, and cool it down quickly so it doesn't spend too long in the 'danger zone'. And the same for the stuffing.
Then you have to reheat them back up to a safe temperature ... the stuffing you can add extra liquid to, and make sure it gets up to the necessary temperature, but the turkey itelf is going to be difficult to reheat without drying out (maybe if it were brined it'd be better, but still less than ideal).
I'd say in all, you'd save some time the day of, but the total time spent is going to be much longer, there's an increased risk of food-related illness, and there's an overall lower quality.
If the main interest is in reducing cooking time, I'd start with not stuffing the bird. I'd also make sure that it's well thawed in advance (too many people leave it for the night before). If you really wanted to reduce time, you might be able to butterfly the bird, but it'd then be too wide for most ovens. (maybe do it on two trays?)
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