How long to rest a turkey before carving?

An hour before I want to eat, or when the turkey is clearly cooked if that happens sooner than I expected, I pull out the bird and get it out of the roasting pan and onto a tray to rest with foil over it. read more

Ideally, your turkey should rest 30 to 40 minutes to let the juices redistribute. (This gives you enough time to make gravy, too.) We usually recommend that the turkey get back into the refrigerator within 2 hours, so by the time you carve and serve, that timeframe works pretty well. read more

Resting a turkey (or a steak or a leg of lamb or even a large fish) is absolutely necessary — not optional — for maximum flavor and juiciness. Keep in mind that during the resting period, the turkey will keep cooking, and the internal temperature will rise by 5 to 10 degrees. read more