Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love getting together with family and anticipating the most delicious feast! However, a Thanksgiving feast requires a very important item in order to be a successful one. Turkey. Everyone knows that turkey is the most important ingredient to a good Thanksgiving meal. Usually, one person takes on the task of baking a large turkey for the family. Nothing is better than a big and juicy turkey right out of the oven on Thanksgiving day.
A few years ago, however, a story was going around on the internet encouraging you to text your mother and ask, “How long does it take to cook a 25 lb turkey in the microwave?” Moms across the world were going crazy, wondering how their children really thought this was possible. People have been baking turkeys for years, but is that the only way?
That led to people honestly asking a very important question. Can you microwave a 25lb turkey? Yes, it is possible!
How to Cook a Turkey in a Bag
Before we get into figuring out how it is possible to microwave a 25 lb turkey, let’s talk about how to normally cook one. There are many different ways, but this method is my favorite. It is cooking the turkey in a bag! Turkey oven bags are a great and easy way to cook a turkey. They are oven-safe bags that retain the turkey moisture while it cooks in order to end up with a moist and delicious turkey. The first step is to preheat your oven to 350°F.
Fill the turkey bag with any vegetables or seasoning of your choice that will add flavor to your turkey. Some people flour the bag in order for it to help brown the turkey skin real nicely; while some people add onions or other veggies in the bag to cook with the turkey. You choose what you prefer. After that, you clean the neck and giblets out of the turkey and rinse your turkey.
You can pat the turkey dry and season it to your liking. Place the turkey inside the oven bag, and then place it in a roasting pan. Make sure the opening of the turkey bag is on the side, not the top. Seal the bag with either the ties that usually come with oven bags or you can knot the end. Cut 6 slits about ½ inch wide on the top of the bag.
This ventilates the steam during the cooking process. Place the turkey in the oven and bake it for 3 to 3.5 hours for a 25lb turkey. The oven bags will tell you the cooking time depending on the turkey size. The turkey is fully cooked once the thickest part of the turkey reaches 165°F. Once it is cooked, let it rest for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the bag and carving it.
And that is how to cook a turkey in a bag using the oven. But, you’re probably still wondering how can you microwave a 25lb turkey? First, let’s address the turkey mama joke.
The 25 Pound Turkey Mama Joke
What made it so amusing to ask your mother if you could microwave a 25lb turkey? After all, we have been cooking food in microwaves for years. In fact, that is what makes the microwave so wonderful. You can steam veggies, cook bacon, potatoes, mac n cheese, quesadillas, eggs, and more!
You can heat anything up in no time, like frozen meals and snacks. You can even thaw many kinds of meats in the microwave! Knowing all this, it may not sound too absurd to microwave a turkey. What is so challenging about it? Well, the biggest problem is that a 25 pound turkey is 25 pounds! That is a very large turkey. Your average microwave interior is about 19’’ x 13’’ x 10’’. A 20 lb turkey has the average dimensions of 16’’ x 13’’ x 3’’.
This means that a 25 pound turkey has an even larger dimension! It would not fit in your microwave! The standard microwave only fits about an 8 – 10 lb turkey at best. Even though your average microwave is too small, it still doesn’t make it impossible to microwave a 25 lb turkey. I will explain how.
The Crazy but Possible Method to Mircowaving a 25 lb Turkey
Can a microwave oven cook a turkey in general? The answer is yes! You can successfully microwave a turkey as long as it is between 8-10 lbs so it fits in your average microwave. The first step is to completely thaw out the turkey. Then, gut the turkey, rinse it, and pat it dry. Season it to your liking! Place it in the turkey oven bag and sit it on top of a microwave-safe plate. Make sure the bag opening is on the side and tie it with a tie or make a knot.
I would cut one small hole on top about ½ inch wide for steam. Then microwave the turkey at 50% power for 10 minutes per pound. Do not microwave at full power or it won’t cook properly! Also, you will need to rotate the turkey on the plate every 15 minutes, if your microwave doesn’t automatically rotate it. Once the turkey has microwaved long enough to reach an internal temperature of 165°F, it is finished! After this, let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before removing it from the bag and carving it. Now you can enjoy a microwaved turkey!
But you’re probably wondering when I am going to tell you how it is possible to microwave a 25 lb turkey. Well, the only possible way to do it is if you somehow had a custom microwave manufactured, that could fit a 25 lb turkey in a bag. I never said it was easy or cheap. I said it was possible! I did mention it was crazy; because nobody would invest the time or money to get a custom microwave made just to microwave a 25 lb turkey. Would you? Either way, now you know that it can happen!
It’s no joke!
Can you microwave a 25 lb turkey or is that just a joke? It is no joke! Now you know that it is possible to microwave a 25 lb turkey! I mean, it is possible under special conditions of course. However, it is no hoax! It can actually happen if your little heart desires.
Also, you’ve learned how to microwave an 8-10 lb turkey at home! Microwaving a turkey is not as crazy as it sounds! You can just add that to a long list of foods that can be microwaved successfully and deliciously. If you choose to, you can microwave a small turkey for your next Thanksgiving feast. I am sure people would be surprised to know it was microwaved!
If you’re more traditional, then you will probably want to bake it in the oven like the majority of the world. Regardless of how you microwave or bake your turkey the next Thanksgiving meal, you will be full, sleepy, and happy after your feast.
