How to Cook Popeyes Turkey? [Cooking Tips]
Even though Popeyes turkey comes to your home seasoned and pre-cooked, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do any work. There are things you need to do so that your Popeyes turkey gets the best possible shape and flavor. The cooking instructions are great, but sometimes you will need some extra tips. So how to cook Popeyes turkey?
Cooking Popeyes turkey includes thawing, wrapping, baking, unwrapping, baking, and resting. It is a relatively simple procedure, but it isn’t to be underestimated. Each step in the cooking process is equally important as the one before and after, so skipping steps is not an option.
Cooking Popeyes turkey is not rocket science, but many have deprived themselves of the pleasure of fully experiencing it because they were too hasty or they underestimated the importance of the process. So, to save you unnecessary trouble and make sure you enjoy the holiday season to the fullest, I will describe the Popeye turkey cooking process in the following paragraphs.
Popeyes Turkey Cooking Instructions
If you want your Popeyes turkey to be successfully done, you need to follow a series of steps in a precise order. Even though Popeyes does most of the work for you, there is still some left for you. The most important thing is to observe the included steps and be patient.
The first step is the thawing of the Popeyes turkey. You get the Popeye turkey pre-cooked but frozen, so popping it in the oven immediately is not an option, as it is the expressway toward disaster. Therefore you need to pop your Popeyes turkey in the fridge and let it thaw there for 72 hours.
Do not rush the process, and do not cut it short. Don’t leave your Popeyes turkey thaw at room temperature either, as this will result in gooey meat you won’t enjoy. Also, leaving your Popeyes turkey thaw at room temperature also means risking spoilage.
The second step is preheating the oven at 375 °F, i.e., 180 °C, for about 20 minutes. Smear the Popeyes turkey with cooking oil if you want it to be crispier or butter if you want it to be fattier. Cover the turkey with tin foil and make tight seals along the edges of the baking pan.
Pop the Popeyes turkey in the oven and leave it to cook for an hour at the same temperature. After the first hour passes, take the Popeyes turkey out of the oven, remove the tin foil cover, and return it back inside.
Bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, and before taking the Popeyes turkey out, make sure the turkey’s internal temperature is 175 °F or 70 °C. Leave it on the counter for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, and you are all set for your holiday feast.
How to Make Popeyes Turkey Gravy?
Popeyes turkey gravy is so delicious that you would think that it is complicated to make. Luckily, this could not be further from the truth. To make Popeyes turkey gravy, you need four ingredients: water, flour, black pepper, and turkey juice.
In a saucepan, add one cup of water, 1/8 of a tablespoon of black pepper, and two tablespoons of flour. Bring the stove top temperature to medium and start cooking the ingredients. Stir gently at all times.
Once the mixture starts thickening, slowly add the turkey juice, one cup is more than enough. Continue stirring and increase the stove top temperature to bring the mixture to a boil. Once the gravy boils, keep it boiling for four to five minutes.
Remove the gravy pan from the stove and let the gravy cool. Yes, it is that simple.
How to Make Popeyes Turkey Better?
Improving Popeyes turkey isn’t necessary, but it is desirable. The easiest thing you can do to upgrade its taste is to mix cayenne pepper, salt, paprika, dried garlic, and black pepper with oil and smear the mixture on it before initially popping it in the oven.
The seasoning blend will make the Popeye turkey and turkey juice more flavorful, making the gravy more delicious.
Another thing you can do to make Popeyes turkey better is to stuff it. Breadcrumbs and celery stuffing can do wonders in enhancing your Popeyes turkey. You can also stuff it with vegetables and cheese or with mushrooms and potatoes; the sky is the limit.
Baste it with white wine and turkey juice. While your Popeyes turkey cooks, in the last half an hour, baste the bird with the turkey juice that drips into the baking pan and add some white wine inside the turkey baster. The white wine will make your Popeyes turkey more aromatic, augmenting the flavors already existing.
Placing rosemary and bay leaves on the turkey and inside the baking pan before covering it with foil is yet another simple and genius idea. The rosemary will add aroma, and the bay leaf will influence the taste giving the entire dish an herbal dimension.
How to Fix Undercooked Popeyes Turkey?
Fixing undercooked Popeyes turkey is far simpler than fighting with windmills trying to fix a burnt one. Although you get it pre-cooked, you still need to cook it for an additional hour and a half or an hour and 45 minutes. However, some find the Popeyes turkey underdone even after they have cooked it according to the instructions.
If this is the case for you, too, you can always pop your undercooked Popeyes turkey back in the oven for a little more cooking time.
If you can’t or won’t use the oven, the microwave is always a good fall-back option. Microwave your Popeyes turkey until it is fully done in shot 30- second intervals. To prevent it from getting overly moist, place a cotton or paper towel on the microwave plate.
The air fryer is another solution for an underdone Popeyes turkey. However, you need to cut it into several pieces, as the air fryer tray will hardly fit an entire turkey inside. Set the timer to five minutes or more if you think the turkey needs more cooking.
The stovetop can work, too, though you will need to cut your Popeyes turkey for this method to be successful, as you probably won’t have a skillet or a pan to fit an entire turkey.
Preheat the plate and pan, and put the Popeyes turkey in the pan. Let it sizzle and monitor its condition. Turn the pieces over, and don’t let them sit on one side for too long.
Does the Popeyes Turkey Come With Sides?
Popeyes turkey doesn’t usually come with sides; however, sides are available on demand and in a limited time frame. Popeyes offers sides like mashed potatoes, biscuits, or some of the regular sides the restaurant normally offers.
How to Cook Popeyes Turkey?
Ingredients
- 1 Popeyes Turkey
- 2 tsp Dry rosemary
- 12 Potatoes
- Salt, pepper, Cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Olive or vegetable oil
Instructions
- First, we need to thaw the turkey. So, pop your Popeyes turkey in the fridge and let it thaw there for 72 hours.
- Don't leave your Popeyes turkey thaw at room temperature either, as this will result in gooey meat you won’t enjoy. Also, leaving your Popeyes turkey thaw at room temperature also means risking spoilage.
- The second step is preheating the oven at 375 °F, i.e., 180 °C, for about 20 minutes.
- Cut the potatoes in halves and then season them with oil, salt, pepper and Cayenne pepper. Put the potatoes in the baking pan where you will bake the turkey.
- Place the turkey on the potatoes. Smear the Popeyes turkey with cooking oil if you want it to be crispier or butter if you want it to be fattier. Now, season the turkey with dry rosemary.
- Cover the turkey with tin foil and make tight seals along the edges of the baking pan.
- Pop the Popeyes turkey in the oven and leave it to cook for an hour at the same temperature. After the first hour passes, take the Popeyes turkey out of the oven, remove the tin foil cover, and return it back inside.
- Bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, and before taking the Popeyes turkey out, make sure the turkey's internal temperature is 175 °F or 70 °C. Leave it on the counter for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, and you are all set for your holiday feast.
