Everyone has their own unique approach to cooking the Thanksgiving turkey.

But with time short and oven space at a premium, experts have turned to an unlikely source to find a better way of roasting your bird.

In the comedy classic, Bean, Mr Bean crams an enormous turkey into a microwave – with hilariously disastrous results.

And as baffling as it may seem, Mr Bean may have been on to something.

Scientists say it is perfectly safe to cook your turkey in the microwave, and it certainly won’t explode as Mr Bean’s bird does.

Using the right techniques and proper seasoning, you can make a roast that tastes almost as good as one made in the oven in a fraction of the time.

Dr Primrose Freestone, a microbiologist at the University of Leicester, told Daily Mail: ‘Turkey can be cooked in a microwave, either whole or in parts.

‘But there are some safety points that need to be considered to avoid food poisoning from an undercooked turkey.’

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, busy cooks are looking for any way to save a few extra minutes. Now, scientists say that Mr Bean might have shown us a better way to cook our birds

how to cook a turkey in the microwave

In terms of safety, as long as you heat it all the way through, it doesn’t matter how you cook your turkey.

Dr Freestone says: ‘The turkey is cooked when the food thermometer reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165°F or 75°C in the thickest part of the turkey thigh or breast.

‘Reaching this temperature is essential as this heat will ensure the killing of food poisoning bacteria that may be present on and within the turkey.’

For a large bird like a turkey,it is especially important to ensure heat penetrates all the way through to the body cavity,which Dr Freestone calls a ‘jungle of food poisoning bacteria’.

So make sure you don’t stuff the bird, or try to cook a turkey that is too large for your microwave.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that a 5.4 to 6.4 kilogram (12-14 lbs) turkey is the maximum that should be cooked in a microwave.

Make sure there is about two to three inches of clearance around the bird at the top and sides.

In the comedy classic, Bean, Mr Bean crams an enormous turkey into a microwave – with hilariously disastrous results. but experts say this would really work

Can you Really Cook a Turkey in the Microwave?

According to the USDA, you shouldn’t microwave a turkey that is larger than 5.4 to 6.4 kilograms (12-14 lbs). That means Mr Bean’s enormous turkey

Is this safe?

Although cooking a turkey with a microwave might sound dangerous, there is no reason to be concerned.

Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light, but with a considerably larger wavelength.

This type of radiation is readily absorbed by the water molecules in our food,which causes them to vibrate.

As the molecules vibrate, they heat up and cook the food from the inside out.

Even though you are blasting your food with quite powerful radiation, this isn’t the same type of radiation that produces lingering harmful effects.

Unlike so-called ‘ionising’ radiation, microwaves don’t cause molecules to become radioactive.

That means eating turkey that has been cooked in the microwave is no more dangerous than one that was cooked in the oven.

Cooking a turkey in the microwave is perfectly safe so long as the meat reaches the right temperature. Remember, do not put anything metal in the microwave

Remember, do not put anything metal in the microwave since the electromagnetic radiation from the microwaves will produce powerful sparks.

That means you must not place you