Roasting The Perfect Turducken: How Long Should You Cook It?

A turducken is a true show-stopping main course for Thanksgiving dinner. It is a chicken stuffed inside a duck that's then stuffed inside a turkey. The term turducken is a combination of the words turkey, duck, and chicken. The cooking time for a turducken depends on the weight of the roast and the temperature of the oven. For example, a 5kg turducken will take approximately 3 hours to roast at 170°C. However, it is recommended to bake a turducken for 3 to 4 hours at 300°F or 3 to 4 hours at 375°F.

Cooking time and temperature

The cooking time and temperature for a turducken depend on the weight of the roast and the temperature you are cooking at. As a general rule, you should cook your turducken for approximately 40 minutes per kilo. For example, a 5kg turducken will take approximately 3 hours to roast.

It is recommended that you preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Some sources suggest cooking at a higher temperature of 375°F (190°C).

You should cook your turducken for 3 to 4 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the centre of the chicken stuffing reaches 165°F (74°C). One source recommends cooking at 225°F for 8 hours.

You should baste your turducken every 30 minutes or so, and every 20-40 minutes according to another source. You should also check the temperature of your turducken every few hours.

After 2 hours, start to probe your turducken with a meat thermometer to test for "doneness". You can also use a skewer to test for doneness—your turducken is cooked when the juices run clear after piercing the breast with a skewer.

Remove the foil from your turducken for the final 40 minutes of cooking to brown the breast.

Preparing the ingredients

Step 1: Get the Right Proportions

When buying your birds, it's important to pay attention to their proportions. A good combination is a 3-pound chicken, a 4- to 6-pound duck, and a 10- to 18-pound turkey. These sizes work well when rolled together, ensuring that the turkey doesn't stretch or burst due to being stuffed with too much meat.

Step 2: Prepare the Dressing

You will need a generous amount of dressing to slather between the layers of meat. You can make one type of dressing or, if you're feeling adventurous, try making three different dressings to complement each layer, as Chef Paul Prudhomme does. It's recommended to make the dressing a day before you plan to roast your turducken.

Step 3: Debone the Birds

The deboning process is not easy and should also be done the day before roasting. The goal is to get the flesh off the bones in one piece. Here's a general guide:

• Slice down the backbone of the turkey, through the skin and flesh.
• Using a very sharp 5-inch knife, carefully remove the flesh by working close to the bone and using the tip of the knife.
• Dislocate and cut through the shoulder and thigh joints to remove those bones.
• Be careful not to make additional cuts in the skin, as these holes will expand during cooking and release moisture.
• Repeat the deboning process for the duck and chicken.

Step 4: Season and Stuff the Birds

On the day of roasting, lay the deboned turkey skin-side down on a flat surface. Season it with salt and pepper, and then spread a layer of dressing, pushing it into the leg and wing cavities to create the appearance of bones still being present.

Next, lay the deboned duck skin-side down on top of the turkey and season it in the same way. Cover it with another layer of dressing. Repeat this process with the chicken, placing it skin-side down on top of the duck and covering it with the remaining dressing.

Step 5: Reassemble the Birds

This step is tricky and requires an extra pair of hands. Roll the chicken around the stuffing, bringing the sides together and using a skewer to hold them in place. Then, roll the dressed duck around the chicken ball and secure it with another skewer. Remove the first skewer from the chicken. Do the same for the turkey layer, but leave the skewer in place. You can also use butcher's twine to sew the halves together, starting at the tail end and pulling the sides together.

Step 6: Final Preparations

Before placing your assembled turducken in the oven, let the meat reach room temperature. This step ensures that the meat cooks more evenly. You can also layer bacon or prosciutto on top of the turducken to keep the breast moist. Additionally, prepare a basting marinade by mixing olive oil, melted butter, garlic, thyme, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.

Assembling the turducken

Firstly, ensure your turkey, duck, and chicken are deboned. You can do this yourself or ask your butcher to do it for you. The turkey wings and legs should be left intact. If you are deboning the poultry yourself, the bones must be removed in the following order: backbone, thigh bones, and rib cage. Be careful not to pierce the skin of the turkey, especially where the breasts meet at the top and centre, as this will ruin the presentation.

Once your poultry is deboned, lay the turkey out on a flat surface, skin-side down. Season the meat with salt and pepper, and then spread a layer of your chosen stuffing over it. You can use a bread stuffing, cornbread stuffing, or a combination of both.

Next, place the duck on top of the stuffing, skin-side down. Spread another layer of stuffing on the duck, and then add the chicken, again skin-side down. You can add more variety to your turducken by using different types of stuffing between each layer of poultry. For example, you could use a cranberry nut stuffing with the duck.

Now it's time to bring the edges of the turkey together, encasing the duck and chicken inside. This step is easier with a helper. Use toothpicks and kitchen twine to hold the edges together, but be careful not to sew the turducken too tightly, or it will split open during cooking. Turn the turducken over so that it is breast-side up, and use more twine to truss the legs and wings, just as you would with a regular chicken.

Finally, place your turducken in a roasting pan, breast-side up, and season it. You can also add the chicken and duck wings to the pan, along with some halved onions or carrots. Your turducken is now ready to be roasted!

Cooking the turducken

The cooking time for your turducken will depend on the weight of your bird and the temperature at which you are cooking it. As a general rule, you should expect to bake your turducken for approximately 40 minutes per kilo. For example, a 5kg turducken will take approximately 3 hours to roast.

Some recipes recommend cooking at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time. For example, one recipe suggests cooking your turducken at 375°F for 4 hours covered, then for a further hour uncovered. Another recommends cooking at 300°F for 3 to 4 hours.

However, one source suggests that cooking at a lower temperature for longer will yield better results. Meat fabrication instructor Mark Elia cooks his turduckens at 225°F for 8 hours.

Regardless of the temperature and cooking time, you should ensure that the centre of your turducken reaches 165°F. You can check this by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the bird.

You should baste your turducken regularly during cooking. One source recommends basting every 30 minutes or so, while another suggests basting every hour.

When your turducken is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to settle, making the meat very succulent.

Serving the turducken

Firstly, let the turducken rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to settle and make the meat more succulent. While the turducken is resting, you can make a rich gravy using the juices from the baking tray. You can also serve it with a side of Christmas Pear & Cranberry Relish.

When you are ready to carve the turducken, use a bread knife or carving knife to slice it like a loaf of bread. Each slice should contain a bit of everything: white meat from the breast, dark meat from the legs, duck, carrots, bits of sausage, bread, herbs, juices, and chicken. Present the slices to your guests so they can admire the beautiful layers of meat and stuffing.

Finally, don't forget to enjoy the fruits of your labour! Dig into the juicy, flavourful meat and savour the combination of poultry and stuffing in every bite. The hard work will have been worth it!

Frequently asked questions