Roast Turkey with Lemon, Parsley & Garlic (2024)

FAQs

Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey? ›

The drippings will be less flavorful and not as concentrated as roast turkey drippings. As a result, your turkey gravy may taste lackluster. Adding water to the turkey roasting pan can lead to spattering or popping during the roasting process as the turkey fat begins to melt and drips into the water.

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.

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.

Hold the thermometer still until the numbers stop increasing. If it is not ready, return it to the oven. According to the Department of Agriculture, a turkey must reach 165 degrees F to be safe, but you can take it out of the oven as low as 160 degrees F because the temperature will rise at it rests.

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.

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.

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.

Only by using a food thermometer can one accurately determine that poultry has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the product. Turkey can remain pink even after cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink.

By the time the dark meat reaches that crucial 180˚F, you may have overcooked the breast meat.

What happens if you don't cook turkey to 165? ›

Note this screenshot from the USDA's own tables on turkey safety… This shows that a turkey held at 157°F (69°C) for 50.4 seconds will achieve the same lethality on Salmonella as a turkey cooked to 165°F (74°C) does instantaneously.

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.

You want to have about an inch of liquid in the bottom of your roasting pan when you start roasting the bird. I use a combination of butter, white wine, broth and aromatics like apple, onion, garlic. This will also give you a liquid to baste the bird, if you want.

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.

So, yes, you do want to cover the turkey with foil to give it a chance to roast without getting dry.