Here's Why You Shouldn't Add Water to Your Turkey Roasting Pan (2024)

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Here's Why You Shouldn't Add Water to Your Turkey Roasting Pan? ›

The meat will be less flavorful by cooking via steam instead of roasting. The drippings will be less flavorful and not as concentrated as roast turkey drippings. As a result, your turkey gravy may taste lackluster.

Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in a 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.

The roasting pan ends up shielding the bottom part of the turkey from the heat of the oven. The lower parts (thighs and wings) will cook more slowly, meaning the breast might get quite overdone by the time the thighs are ready, and that bottom part of the bird won't brown.

I also like to add 1 cup chicken broth/stock to the bottom of the turkey pan before beginning the cooking. This will create a steam room-type environment in the oven, which help keep the breast moist but will not prevent browning of the skin.

Because turkey breast is especially lean, I like to rub softened fat beneath the skin just before roasting. It melts and gives the meat extra flavor, richness, and moisture. Duck fat is wonderful for this, and it fortifies the poultry flavors, but unsalted butter works well, too.

Pour 1 inch water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Roast the turkey for 3 to 3 ½ hours, basting every hour with the butter and oil mixture. Add additional water to the pan as needed.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Place chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pick a few herbs off the stalks and add to the vegetables. Set aside. Pat dry the turkey with paper towels.

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

Covering a turkey with butter (under and over the skin) serves to flavor and moisten the meat, as well as help the skin get crispy and golden brown.

How many people will a 15 pound turkey feed? ›

You'll want to plan on about 1.25 pounds of turkey per person. That means if you're expecting 12 guests, plan for a 15-pound bird. To make things simple, we've created a guide to help you pick the perfect-sized turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner menu.

Foil wrapping is the answer! This technique helps speed the cooking process and locks in the turkey's natural juices. It helps prevent turkeys from drying out without basting, especially those over 24 pounds.

Meat drying out in the oven? Add one inch (2.5 centimetres) of water or broth to the bottom of the roasting pan and replenish every 30 minutes.

Brining is the method whereby meat (turkey, in this case) is soaked in a salty water mixed with aromatics like bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic for a couple of days. This has the effect of trapping moisture in the flesh while it roasts, yielding super juicy turkey.

A roasting rack will make your turkey more delicious

The main reason is that a rack literally lifts the turkey off the bottom of the pan. This ensures that hot air circulates around the bird as it's roasting, producing a more even cook by allowing heat to reach every surface of the skin.

The domed-lid pan does have one advantage: It cooks the turkey more quickly because it effectively steams and roasts the meat at the same time. While the turkey took less time to cook than the others, almost a quart of juices and butter pooled in the bottom instead of evaporating and concentrating.