Home » CourseConvection Oven Turkey Pin RecipeRate RecipeSeptember 20, 2022 This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. Convection oven roasted turkey comes out crispy and golden brown with incredibly tender and juicy meat. You can cook multiple dishes in the convection oven at the same time. Jump to Recipe This perfectly cooked convection oven turkey comes out with slightly crispy skin as well as moist and tender meat. Not only does the turkey cook in less time than in the convection oven compared to a regular oven, there is also no need to baste the bird over and over again. The hot dry air of the convection oven sears the turkey on the outside and therefore locks in all the juices. You will be surprised how easy it is to make the perfect turkey. Trust us, this is the best convection oven turkey recipe! Table of Contents How To Defrost A Turkey Ingredients Recommended ToolsInstructionsCooking Turkey in the Convection Oven vs. Regular OvenCooking Turkey in a Crockpot Recipe Tips Thanksgiving Menu Suggestions:How To StoreCommon QuestionsConvection Oven Turkey Recipe How To Defrost A Turkey There are three safe ways to defrost a frozen turkey. The amount of time it takes will vary depending on the size of the bird. How to defrost a turkey in the refrigerator. Keep the turkey in its original packaging. Place the turkey breast side up in a container or pan to catch any drips. It will take a full 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 20 pound turkey will take 4 days to thaw. Once it is defrosted you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 more days. How to defrost a turkey in cold water. Keep the turkey in it’s original packaging. Place it in a larger plastic bag that is leak proof. Try to get all the air out of the bag and seal. Place the bag breast side down in a sink or container large enough for the turkey to be completely under water. Fill your container with cold water. Change the cold water every 30 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes for every pound of turkey. A 20 pound turkey will take 10 hours this way. You might need to place something heavy on the turkey to keep it under water. Cook immediately after thawing. How to defrost a turkey in the microwave. Firstly, remove the plastic packaging from the turkey. Additionally, remove any metal tags or clips. Place the turkey breast side up in a microwave safe container to catch drips. Every microwave is different so read the manual for your microwave. It should take an hour to an hour and a half to defrost in a microwave but it depends on the microwave. Clean your microwave well when it is thawed. Cook immediately after thawing. Notable: Perfectly cooked turkey with crispy skin as well as moist and tender meat. Cook multiple dishes in the convection oven at the same time as the turkey.Main Ingredients: whole turkey, butter, salt and pepperCooking Method: oven baked, convection cookingNutrients: excellent source of protein, 70g per servingCooking Time: depends on the size of the turkey and its temperature when entering the oven: 12-14 lbs turkey – 2-2.5 hours, 15-19 lbs turkey – 2.5-3 hours, 20-25 lbs turkey 3 – 3.5 hoursPairs well with: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes, cornDiets: keto friendly, gluten freeSpecial Equipment Needed: instant-read thermometer, high heat thermometer, sheet pan, baking rack, shallow roasting pan Ingredients You may have all of these convection oven Thanksgiving turkey ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe. Refrigerated/Frozen Ingredients: butterMeat Ingredients: whole turkey Spices: salt and pepper WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you want your turkey bursting with flavor, you have to try our Turkey Injection Recipe. It creates the juiciest meat and adds immense flavor to your bird. Recommended Tools Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale. Sheet pan or roasting pan with a baking rack – We recommend using a baking rack rather than setting the turkey right on the pan as it allows the heat to circulate under the turkey ensuring even cooking. Additionally, it helps crisp up the skin all around the turkey. Instructions This section shows how to cook a whole turkey in the convection oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos. PREPARE: Firstly, preheat the oven to 325°F on convection bake setting. Then rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Next, place the bird in a deep roasting pan or a baking rack on a baking sheet or shallow roasting pan. Tie its legs together with kitchen twine. Tie its legs together with kitchen twine. It is best to lift the bird up out of the bottom of the pan. The juices will drip down into the pan, but the turkey skin will stay dry, allowing the entire turkey to crisp up nicely. You can then use those pan juices to make gravy to serve with your favorite side dishes. SEASON AND ROAST: Rub the turkey with butter and season with salt and pepper. (You can substitute olive oil for the butter.) Be sure to rub the seasoning inside the body cavity as well. Then adjust the oven rack so the turkey will sit in the middle of the oven. Cook turkey until the thickest parts of the breast are 165°F and the thighs are at least 170°F. REST AND SERVE: Finally, allow the turkey to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Serve. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: Follow our amazing Dry Brine Turkey Recipe for an easy way to add more flavor to your turkey. This delicious blend of salt, pepper and herbs enhances flavor and creates the most juicy meat. Cooking Turkey in the Convection Oven vs. Regular Oven A convection oven works very similar to an air fryer. A fan circulates dry, hot air around the food and therefore cooks more evenly and quicker (25-30% faster) than a conventional oven. Additionally, a convection oven cooks the turkey at a lower temperature (325ºF) than a regular oven (350ºF). By circulating hot air around a whole turkey, it “sears” the outside shut and therefore locks in all the juices. For that reason, there is no need to keep basting a convection oven turkey. Besides circulating hot air, a convection oven also has an exhaust vent to eliminate moisture from the oven. This keeps the skin crisp. While a regular oven often creates hot spots (areas that are hotter than others within the oven) a convection oven circulates heat evenly – how wonderful to have your dark meat and white meat cook to moist perfection.. This makes it also possible to cook more than one dish at the same time. Cooking Turkey in a Crockpot It is also possible to cook a turkey in the slow cooker. Simply rinse, dry and season the fresh turkey. Then cook for 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high until the internal temperature is at least 165ºF in the breast and 170ºF in the thigh. Broil for 10 minutes to crisp up the skin and serve. For detailed instructions take a look at our Crockpot Thanksgiving Turkey recipe. Recipe Tips Follow these tips to make the best convection oven turkey. Tip: Make sure your turkey is completely defrosted. This ensures even cooking. We added tips on how to safely defrost a turkey above. Tip: Truss the turkey. Tying the drum sticks together with some kitchen twine ensures even cooking and a well shaped cooked turkey.Tip: Make sure the skin of the turkey doesn’t burn. Loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil if it browns too quickly.Tip: Don’t skip the resting time. A 5-10 minute rest will seal in the juices and make the turkey extra juicy. Thanksgiving Menu Suggestions: If you are still working on your Thanksgiving menu for this year, take a look at all these yummy recipes from our website. They are all tried and tested as well as easy to make and absolutely delicious! TURKEY: Convection Oven TurkeyCrockpot Thanksgiving TurkeyDry Brine Turkey RecipeTurkey Injection Recipe If you are hosting only a few people this holiday, try our Convection Oven Roast Chicken, instead of a turkey. It is juicy, tender, and delicious. SIDES: Creamy Mashed PotatoesAir Fryer Baked Sweet PotatoesAir Fryer Carrots with Balsamic GlazeAir Fryer Green BeansRoasted Brussels Sprouts with PecansThanksgiving Fruit SaladCornbread Muffins DRINKS: Spiked Apple CiderThanksgiving SangriaCandy Corn Jello Shots DESSERTS: Pumpkin Bar RecipePumpkin Pie CupcakesGranny Smith Apple PieApple Crisp Without OatsApple Pie BarsCandy Corn Sugar Cookies Convection Oven Roast Chicken Dry Brine Turkey Recipe Turkey Injection Recipe Crockpot Thanksgiving Turkey Stef says…. No Thanksgiving menu is complete without at least one scrumptious stuffing or dressing. I love my Thanksgiving Stovetop Stuffing, because it’s a delicious medley of sauteed vegetables, giblets, and sweet cranberries with pre-made Stovetop stuffing mix. Besides being quick and easy to make, it’s also absolutely delicious! How To Store Refrigerate: To begin with, it is important to make sure your cooked turkey is completely cold before putting in the refrigerator. Transfer any leftover meat to an airtight container or ziploc bag and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Turkey leftovers are great eaten cold or cooked into a new recipe. Freeze: Leftover turkey meat can be frozen in a freezer safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrosting: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat: Reheat leftovers in the microwave, air fryer, oven or stovetop. Common Questions Do I need to baste the turkey while cooking? No, generally there is no need to baste a turkey cooking in the convection oven. The circulating hot air sears the outside of the turkey and therefore locks in all its juices. However, if you are using a special marinade or sauce, baste the turkey during the last hour of roasting. How can I use up leftover turkey meat? You can use turkey meat to make delicious turkey sandwiches, for example. Top meat with leftover potatoes, cranberry sauce and veggies. Add some mustard or mayonnaise and enjoy! Furthermore, you can also turn turkey leftovers into turkey chili, enchiladas, turkey noodle soup or top your favorite pizza with it. 5 from 8 votes Convection Oven Turkey Recipe Course Main Dish Cuisine American Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes Print Pin Rate 8 servings Convection oven roasted turkey comes out crispy and golden brown with incredibly tender and juicy meat. You can cook multiple dishes in the convection oven at the same time. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Equipmentbaking sheetbaking rackinstant read thermometer Ingredients 1x2x3x▢ 1 whole turkey about 10 lbs, thawed▢ 2 tbsp butter softened▢ 1 tsp salt▢ 1 tsp pepper▢ or Dry Brine Recipe optional▢ or Turkey Injection Recipe optional InstructionsPreheat convection oven to 325°F on convection bake settings.Rinse turkey inside and outside and pat dry with paper towels.Place turkey on a roasting pan or a baking rack on a baking sheet. To ensure even cooking tie the drumsticks together with some kitchen twine. Rub turkey first with butter then season with salt and pepper. Adjust oven racks so turkey will sit in the middle of the oven.Cook turkey checking it about every 30 minutes to make sure it is not getting too brown. If the turkey is getting too dark, tent with aluminum foil. Using an instant read thermometer, test the turkey breast and drumstick for doneness 30 minutes before the end of the roasting time. The turkey is done when the breast is 165°F down in the center and the legs are at least 170°F. Allow turkey to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Serve. NotesCooking Time depends on the size of the turkey and the temperature it has when going into the oven: 12-14 pound turkey – 2-2.5 hours 15-19 pound turkey – 2.5-3 hours 20-25 pound turkey – 3-3.5 hours NutritionCalories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.2g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 239mg | Sodium: 674mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe PinShareTweet