This turkey roasting guide from our Test Kitchen experts makes learning how to roast a turkey easy.
Our must-have tips and pro secrets about roasting turkey will make this year’sThanksgiving feasteasier and more delicious than ever.
Plus, get our best roast turkey recipes and ideas for completing your Thanksgiving dinner menu.
Credit: Brie Passano
The proper pan ensures that your turkey cooks up moist and golden brown.
Place a wire rack in the bottom of the broiler pan to keep the turkey out of the drippings.
It could spill or break, causing serious burns when you try toremove it from the oven.
Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
To enhance browning, brush with oil.
Then insert anoven-safe meat thermometerinto the center of an inside thigh muscle so the bulb doesn’t touch bone.
Cover the turkey loosely with foil, leaving space between the bird and the foil.
Press the foil over the drumsticks and neck.Roast turkeyusing the timings below as a guide.
Remove foil the last 30 to 45 minutes.
The temperature should register in about 15 seconds.
After removing the bird from the oven, the temperature of the meat will rise about 5 degrees.
The drumsticks should move very easily in their sockets, and their thickest parts should feel soft when pressed.
Release legs from leg clamp, if present.
To avoid burns or splatters, do not remove the clamp until the bird has cooled slightly.
Remove stuffing before carving.
Cover the bird with foil to keep it warm.
That way, all of the delicious juices won’t leak onto the cutting board.
You should roast an unstuffed turkey for 13-20 minutes per pound.
To prevent turkey from drying out, soak it in salt water overnight before cooking.
Most importantly, double-check to avoid overcooking.
