How to cook ground turkey in oven

In the brief guide, we will answer the question, ‘how to cook ground turkey in the oven?’. We consider two different ways to cook ground turkey in the oven and some compositional facts about turkey meat.

To cook ground turkey in the oven, start by sauteing the vegetables, and mix all the ingredients in the baking pan. Arrange the meatloaf and bake for 140 degrees Fahrenheit, for around 40 minutes.

How is turkey meat different from that of beef?

Ground turkey can be cooked just as simply as ground beef, with few exceptions. The primary difference between turkey and beef is the fat content. Beef is rich in fat, while in contrast turkey is mostly lean meat. Even though the generous quantity of lean meat is healthy for you, turkey can be a tricky meat to cook. A fine texture and a high-water content could make your ground turkey have a dry and bland taste and texture.

A few pieces of advice before you cook ground turkey:

If you intend to cook ground turkey in the oven, buy turkey which has 92 to 96 percent of lean meat. The adequate ratio of lean meat to fat ensures that the turkey does not come out to be dry or too greasy.

TO roast any meat, try to use cookware made of aluminum, stainless steel, or cast iron. The reason is that these materials are excellent conductors of heat and distribute heat evenly to the roast.

To cook the meat evenly, use a pan that holds the beef well but is not bigger than the size of the dish.  If you use a large pan with empty spaces, the water which comes out from the turkey will evaporate sooner than it should and cause the meat to scorch.

IF you use a smaller pot, the air circulation is compromised and the roasting and browning of the meat do not happen efficiently. 

After you take the baked turkey out from the oven, let it sit for at least 3 minutes. Doing so, not only brings the beef to a safe temperature but also redistributes the meat juices throughout the turkey.

To ensure even cooking, you could stir the ground turkey around every 15 minutes. 

Let us look at a detailed guide to cooking ground turkey meat into a meatloaf in the oven:

1. Heat oil in a pan or skillet. Add onions, carrots, and garlic and sauté until most of the vegetables become tender.
2. Add the sauteed vegetables, ground turkey meat, parsley, bread crumbs, eggs, pepper. Use a spatula to thoroughly mix the ingredients. 
3. Take a pan; preferably a loaf pan, grease and transfer the turkey mixture. Use your hands or a flat spoon to make the meatloaf tight and intact. You could also use a baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
4. Use a spoon to loosen the contact of the meatloaf with the pan and create some space.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and put your meatloaf in.
6. Bake for 40 minutes and check using a thermometer, if the temperature has reached 140 Fahrenheits.
7. IF the meat is cooked all the way through, take it out of the oven carefully. Cooked turkey meat appears to be whitish instead of pink.
8. Let the turkey meatloaf sit for at least 5 minutes.

Other FAQs about Turkey which you may be interested in.

Can you cook frozen ground turkey?

Let us look at a detailed guide to cooking ground turkey meat into burger patties in the oven:

1. Mix the seasoning together with salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, cilantro, and sauté them in a pan. Blend all the ingredients together with eggs, ground turkey, and lemon juice.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheits.
3. Mold the minced turkey meat into rounded patties.
4. Place the burger patties on the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the patties or check if the color becomes pale and the pink disappears.
6. After you take them out, rest them for a few minutes.
7. Put into the buns and layer some ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, and barbeque sauce and your burgers are ready to be served.

Why is sufficient cook time important when you cook meat?

Meat requires thorough cooking because it is home to microorganisms that can cause food poisoning. It is advised to store meat at low temperatures as room temperature can cause your meat to spoil prematurely. Therefore, it has been deemed necessary to care for meat-based products including turkey, chicken, beef.

Also, cooking meat to doneness is necessary to prevent food-borne diseases. Pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria are inherently present in meat, which could cause food poisoning if consumed raw.

In the brief guide, we answered the question, ‘how to cook ground turkey in the oven?’. We considered two different ways to cook ground turkey in the oven and some compositional facts about turkey meat.

Citations

https://www.thespruceeats.com/juicy-baked-turkey-burgers-with-garlic-3057268

https://www.livestrong.com/article/448284-how-to-cook-ground-turkey-in-the-oven/