Recipes

[Roscoe the Rascal]

My daughter used the roaster oven to cook hers.  Honeysuckle brand and best she has ever done.  We did a breast as well in our oven and same brand and it was also very good.

We cover ours during the cooking process with foil and add chicken base and some butter as well.  Few spices as well.

Too bad it did not come out well.  I do not have any experience with a Butterball that I can remember.  I'm sure we have done that brand in the past at some time. Just don't recall..

[millieshops]

Only other reason I can think of for such a bad experience might be that the small bird was not handled well as it was transported from factory to warehouse to store counter.  If it had thawed even a bit it's my understanding that the resulting ice crystals can lead to tough, stringy poultry.

[ScrapHappy]

This is not the first I heard with Butterball.  But I can say I have had some of the same problems with just cooking a turkey breast over the years....especially when I first got married and started out cooking for a family.  What I've done over the years:

I always defrost turkey longer in the fridge than what the instructions say.

I was the turkey very well with cool water, pat dry and leave out for 10 minutes or so

I always cook on at least 350 degrees, not th 325 they instruct me to

I cook with foil on for as long as possible and use the last of the cooking time to brown the bird

Always use a roasting pan with a wire rack in it

Cook turkey at least 15 minutes longer than instructions

The turkeys I cook are usually 8 pounds or under.  Before I started doing what I mentioned, I'd always have raw parts.  I think that by defrosting the turkey longer, the deeper insides of the turkey were able to defrost.  

[colliegirls]

I had Butterball turkeys for ages but the last two were so bad that I now buy my store brand, which are moist and delicious.

[haddon9]

It's been years since I've made a brand like Butterball.  I always get my turkeys fresh now when I can from the local farmer's market.

However I always use a roaster with a tight fitting lid.  In the past I had one that my mother used in the oven.  In the last few years I've been using a counter top roaster....the tight lid keeps the turkey from drying out.  I also add a bit of water & wine at the bottom of the pan for extra moisture. 

This year it was only three of us so I made a turkey breast and it was delicious!  

[Flatbush]

---

@KatieB wrote:

I've never seen an entire turkey that small (8 lbs).  Are you sure it was a turkey?  The smallest I've seen has been 10 lbs.  I normally purchase an 8 lb Butterball turkey breast and they turn out fine.  

---

@KatieB 

The reason I bought it was we were only going to be 4 people at dinner. I had never seen an 8 lb turkey. It was only a little bigger than a large chicken. I would try other brands, but dh insists on a Butterball. Oh well, there were plenty of other dishes so no one went hungry.

[Flatbush]

---

@ValuSkr wrote:

I'm surprised Butterball let you down.  Next time, just get a breast vs. a whole turkey.

---

@ValuSkr 

I would have bought only a breast, but some people prefer the dark meat.

[Sooner]

---

@Meowingkitty wrote:

I've never had a Butterball that I've liked. They are to moist and wet. No taste either. I like Norbest. If I can't get a Norbest then I will not buy a Butterball ever again. 

---

@Meowingkitty I don't think they have been really good for some time and we tried 2 or 3 of those little ones and they were not good at all.  

[bmorechick]

Interesting thread here because I too usually buy and cook two 8 pound Butterball breasts and they were always good. This year...not so much. Totally lacked flavor, despite me slathering it with herbs and spices.  I have had Honeysuckle White breasts which were very good, but went with Butterball again this year.  We all honestly prefer chicken roasters over turkey, so next year I will do all the fixins (what they really want anyway) and have my son in law spit roast three chicken roasters on his pellet grill.  Not sure why the Butterballs were not up to par.

[eadu4]

@Flatbush Yeaahh I have to agree with you.  This year I got a 5lb Butterball, never again.  It was just my husband and me so I didn't want a huge one.  I used my rotissarie like I usually do and I have never had a bad turkey yet...until this year.  My first year with a "Butterball".  Never again.  YUCK.  We ate the stuffing (I did that separately) and cranberry sauce for leftovers-turkey got tossed.  It was dry, stringy.  I used a thermometer so I know I didnt over cook it.  Nope, worst turkey ever.  Oh well, saved us some calories the next day.