Cooking Considerations

• Eat Turkey suggests using a newer model fan oven that includes an electronic thermometer probe. The probe measures the internal temperature of meats and other dishes and automatically tracks it. Insert the temperature probe into the upper part of the inner thigh of the turkey, which cooks the slowest. Set the temperature to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and place the bird in the oven. The oven will automatically alert you when the turkey hits the proper temperature, giving you time to remove it while the bird is still moist and tender.
  
  

Cooking Times

• For a turkey that's 18 lbs. or less, set the convection oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and cook it for up to three hours, checking it 2 1/2 hours into cooking. For a turkey that's up to 22 lbs., increase the cooking time to 3 1/2 hours. According to Gourmet Sleuth, you should cook the turkey 30 percent less than you would cook it in a traditional oven. If you usually cook the bird for six hours in the oven, cook it for around four hours in the convection oven.
  
  

Considerations

• Place the turkey inside your roasting pan or dish and place the dish on the lower rack. Adjust the location until the roasting pan sits in the center of the rack. Location is important because when you place it in the center, the air circulates evenly over the turkey and cooks all areas of the bird evenly. According to Eat Turkey, if you opt to baste the turkey, you should only baste the bird in the final hour. The site also suggests using aluminum foil on the drumsticks and wings to keep the areas from getting too dark.
  
  

Reduce Temperature

• Instead of roasting the turkey faster, try reducing the temperature of the convection oven and cooking the turkey longer. If you typically cook the turkey in a regular oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, adjust the temperature of your fan oven to 270 degrees Fahrenheit. Gourmet Sleuth suggests cutting the temperature down 25 degrees Fahrenheit from your recipe and cooking for the same amount of time you would in a regular oven.