Costco Smoked Turkey Cooking Instructions [Step-by-step Guide]
Costco smoked turkey is one of my favorites to work with, and cooking it is definitely a great idea. Costco smoked turkeys are fully cooked, so you don’t have to cook them. Still, just because you don’t have to cook them doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t because they offer so many quick and easy solutions. So, how to cook Costco smoked turkey?
The recommended cooking time for Costco smoked turkey is 12 minutes per pound at 360 °F or 180 °C. Baking is the best way to cook it. You can choose the setting and broil or bake it regularly. Cooking Costco smoked turkey isn’t necessary, but it does offer a juicy and delicious meal.
Costco smoked turkey offers an easy and quick way to make your favorite turkey dishes. The smoky flavor makes it irresistible, which is why it is often a part of my grocery list. I’ll tell you all about cooking Costco smoked turkey in this article.
How to Cook Costco Smoked Turkey?
Cooking your Costco smoked turkey isn’t a necessary step, but it is a wise one. The cooking procedure is very simple, much simpler than cooking a regular turkey, so it is definitely worth the try. Even if you are a total beginner, you can pull a kickass Thanksgiving dinner party with Costco smoked turkey.
The first thing to do is preheat the oven to 360 °F or 180 °C for about ten minutes. This gives you enough time to remove the packaging from your turkey and place it on a baking tray. You can add some veggies such as potatoes, carrots, or asparagus to make the turkey even more flavorful.
Brushing your turkey with melted butter or oil before baking is completely optional but highly preferred. This will give you crispy and glossy turkey skin, making it look and taste heavenly.
Next, check the weight of your turkey on the packaging and make a simple calculation of the cooking time. It takes 12 minutes per pound. Of course, since the turkey is fully cooked, you don’t have to cook it that long, and feel free to adjust the cooking time as you like.
You can also wrap the turkey with aluminum foil and pop it into the oven so that it is juicy and soft. You can unwrap the turkey mid-baking or not wrap it at all for a crispier sensation.
Once the turkey is done cooking, take it out of the oven, place it on the counter, and let it rest for about half an hour so that the juices and flavors settle.
If you are skeptical about Costco’s turkey, there are plenty of good reviews online like this one.
What to Serve with Costco Smoked Turkey?
This is where the endless fun begins. Costco smoked turkey does great with almost any side imaginable, so whatever you decide goes.
You can pick, mix and match as you like best. If you don’t feel like taking any risks, you can always serve it with the old classics. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and roasted vegetables are always great sides; you can’t fail with any of these!
Salads such as a green salad with cranberries, pecans, and a vinaigrette dressing are always the winner here. You can also serve your Costco smoked turkey with coleslaw, summer salad, or pasta salad.
Bread is your friend; the more, the better. You can serve your Costco smoked turkey with garlic bread, focaccia, cornbread, sourdough bread, or any other type you prefer. Pies are also welcome, of course.
How to Store Costco’s Smoked Turkey & How Long It Lasts?
The most common mistake people make when storing Costco smoked turkey is thinking that it won’t go bad anytime soon. Although this may be true about other smoked meats or sausages, turkey is a different thing.
To make your Costco smoked turkey last longer, you should refrigerate the leftovers once you’re done eating. Leaving it on the counter is never a good idea, especially if your kitchen is warm.
I usually wrap any leftover smoked turkey tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. You can also put the leftovers on a plate and wrap it tightly with plastic foil. Whatever you do, make sure that air can’t go inside.
Place it on the top shelf so as to prevent the fridge moisture from penetrating the meat. Properly refrigerated, your turkey will be safe to eat for up to five days.
For more extended storage, freezing is your only option. Whenever I want to freeze my turkey, I place the leftovers in airtight containers or perhaps freezer baggies, preferably divided by meals (so that I don’t have to defrost the whole thing when I only need a slice), and pop them in the freezer.
Just make sure that there is no air in the freezer baggies or containers before placing the meat in the freezer. Properly frozen, your Costco smoked turkey leftovers will be safe for up to three months.
What to Do with Leftovers?
The possibilities with Costco smoked turkey leftovers are endless. You can turn them into another rich dish, a snack, or a quick lunch or breakfast meal.
My instinct option when it comes to using up Costco smoked turkey leftovers is sandwiches. I slice some meat and add mayo, ketchup, pickles, and olives. You can go as simple or as fancy as you want, but the result will still be delicious.
Salads are another way to make your Costco smoked turkey leftovers shine. Mix them with lettuce, arugula, and cucumbers, add some juicy mayo dressing, and you’re done. You can also add your leftovers to a pasta salad; my favorite is macaroni and turkey salad.
Pasta sauce is another ingenious way to max out your Costco smoked turkey leftovers. I like to sautee them with cream and parmesan for an Alfredo version or add bacon bits for a Carbonara twist. It always turns out delicious!
When I feel particularly lazy but I still want to nibble on something delicious, I use my Costco smoked turkey leftovers as pizza toppings. Just add the turkey pieces on top and bake for a few minutes. You can use them on whatever pizza you like, even the store-bought kind.
What are you going to serve with your turkey? Let us know in the comments below. 🙂
Improved Costco Smoked Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 Kirkland Signature Smoked Turkey
- 4 tbsp Butter
Instructions
- The first thing to do is preheat the oven to 360 °F or 180 °C for about ten minutes. This gives you enough time to remove the packaging from your turkey and place it on a baking tray.
- Melt the butter.
- Brush your turkey with melted butter.
- Next, check the weight of your turkey on the packaging and make a simple calculation of the cooking time. It takes about 12 minutes per pound.
- Since my turkey had about 8 pounds, I baked it for about an hour and 40 minutes, but you can adjust the time according to your liking.
- Wrap the turkey with aluminum foil and pop it into the oven so that it is juicy and soft.
- Mid-baking, unwrap the turkey and put it back into the oven for a while more.
- Once the turkey is done cooking, take it out of the oven, place it on the counter, and let it rest for about half an hour so that the juices and flavors settle.
- Serve with the chosen sides, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
