For many home cooks, roasting a turkey so it's juicy and not dry can be a struggle every year—especially since many of us only do it once a year! So we tapped an expert, Shawn Matijevich, lead chef of online culinary arts & food operations at the Institute of Culinary Education, for some tips and tricks. Here, the chef-instructor answers basic questions definitively, dispels myths and offers up his own surefire method for a juicy turkey every time. Take it away, Shawn!
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Is there a brand of turkey that will come out less dry?
No, here's why: All major brands purchase their turkeys from farmers who are contracted to raise birds to a certain standard for them. They are pretty much the same breed of turkey (broad-breasted white turkey) and are fed the same and slaughtered when they reach the desired weight range. This means that they are all pretty much the same.
Before I roast my turkey, is there anything I can do for juicier results?
It's more about your oven temperature and not overcooking your bird. If you are buying a standard grocery store turkey, it has often been brined as part of the slaughter process. I see a lot of people advocating for brines, but unless you are getting an air-chilled or heritage bird, the brining may have already been done. Check your turkey labels for additives like salt or words like "enhanced" or "self-basting," which often indicates that the bird has already been brined.
Does it matter whether my turkey is fresh or frozen?
Only a little bit. If the turkey was properly frozen and held at the proper temperature, then you probably won't notice the difference. Freezing them also kills parasites, so that is one thing on the side of freezing that might bring people comfort (although parasites aren't that common in turkeys these days). If you are trying to cook your bird and it is just even a little bit still frozen, that will impact the dryness, simply because it will take longer to cook.
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What can I do to the turkey while it's cooking to make sure it stays moist?
Basting is a waste of time. When the juices get squeezed out through the cooking process, they can't be added back. The main factor that will contribute to a juicy bird is cooking it for the right amount time for the oven temperature you're using (see my method below). You also can't sear in the juices; that is a myth.
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How long should a roasted turkey rest before carving?
At least 30 minutes—this is not a myth. If you let the turkey rest a bit, the juices reabsorb into the meat rather than running out of the bird and landing on the cutting board. Carve it to order. The longer you let it sit after you slice it, the drier it will be. If you need to slice it, cover it with foil or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
Are there any sides you should serve to make a turkey taste less dry?
Nothing can make an improperly cooked turkey less dry. If you overcooked the turkey, the gravy may also not turn out correctly. For example, there may not be enough liquid to make the gravy solely from the drippings, or the salt may have become to concentrated, or the bottom of the roasting pan may have burned. However, stuffing, candied yams, mashed potatoes or anything creamy may help a turkey taste less dry.
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My method for a juicy turkey
Season your turkey to your heart's desire. You can even place aromatics like herbs in the cavity. You might even rub softened butter between the skin and the meat, which works really well to get crisp skin while the fat protects the meat. But, although my favorite method may seem a bit unorthodox, I find that it makes for a very juicy turkey.
Preheat your oven to 500°F and roast the turkey until the skin begins to brown. Remove the bird and let the oven cool to 325°F. Put the turkey back in the oven and cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F (the temperature will rise to 165°F due to carryover cooking, trust me). Simple, delicious, juicy. It is not meant to be complicated. Then pair your turkey with an outstanding gravy and you have a home run. For a 15-pound turkey, this will take about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish, but rely on your thermometer to tell you when the turkey is done.
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FAQs
If you let the turkey rest a bit, the juices reabsorb into the meat rather than running out of the bird and landing on the cutting board. Carve it to order. The longer you let it sit after you slice it, the drier it will be. If you need to slice it, cover it with foil or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
What is the secret to a moist turkey? ›
Brine your turkey for the best juicy bird.
In recent years, brining has become more popular and can be done with either a wet or dry brine. A wet brine involves immersing the turkey in a salt-water solution for 12-24 hours. Dry-brining is where salt is rubbed over the turkey skin for 24-48 hours before cooking.
How to cook a turkey so it doesn't dry out? ›
Here is a fantastic tip: to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry.
What causes a turkey to be dry? ›
Turkey is a lean meat, and Healthline reports that turkey has slightly less fat in its dark meat than chicken. Another reason why turkey may be dry is due to its poor breast-to-leg ratio. By the time one gets the leg meat to cook to temperature so it's safe for consumption, the breast meat often has dried out.
Can you rescue a dry turkey? ›
Place your carved meat in a shallow baking dish and cover it with stock. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in low oven, somewhere around 250 degrees, for 5-10 minutes. The dryness won't be entirely gone after this short broth bath, but the turkey will definitely be more moist than before.
Does salt help keep a turkey moist? ›
Since there's no water, salting doesn't increase the amount of water in the turkey to start, but the salt diffuses into the muscle tissue and breaks down some of its proteins, which helps it retain more water during cooking and seasons this seasonal treat.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350? ›
We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).
Should you bake a turkey covered or uncovered? ›
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.
How to stop turkey from being dry? ›
If you let the turkey rest a bit, the juices reabsorb into the meat rather than running out of the bird and landing on the cutting board. Carve it to order. The longer you let it sit after you slice it, the drier it will be. If you need to slice it, cover it with foil or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
How do you keep cooked turkey moist? ›
Simply heat your oven to 300 degrees, put the carved meat in a baking dish, and add some chicken broth or turkey stock to the pan. The meat will absorb some of the liquid as it heats, making it nice and juicy. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in the oven until the meat is hot, 20 to 30 minutes.
In general, you should plan to cook a turkey for around 15-20 minutes per pound of turkey at 325ºF to get to that temp.
- 10-12 pounds: cook 2 3/4 to 3 hours.
- 15-16 pounds: cook 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
- 18-20 pounds: cook 4 to 4 1/2 hours.
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.
Do you put water in bottom of turkey pan? ›
Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 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.
How do you make turkey meat not dry? ›
Ok, here's a game changing tip for you – add mushrooms when cooking ground turkey! This may sound odd, but it's a really nice addition, especially if you have lean ground turkey breast. The mushrooms add moisture and umami flavor to the ground turkey, which can otherwise end up on the dry side.
How do you add moisture to leftover turkey? ›
Add moisture
Splash the turkey with a bit of leftover broth or stock and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. The aluminum foil will prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly and the low temperature will help prevent the turkey from losing flavor.
How do you rehydrate a dehydrated turkey? ›
Rehydrating and Using Dehydrated Turkey
To rehydrate dehydrated turkey, simply soak it in hot water or broth for about 20-30 minutes until it becomes tender and plump. Once rehydrated, you can use the turkey in various recipes, including: Soups and stews.
How to reheat dry turkey? ›
To reheat, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Keeping the turkey in the roasting pan, pour a bit of stock (chicken, turkey, or veggie stock or broth will work) over the meat to moisten it. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the turkey is warmed through.
How do you moisten dry ground turkey? ›
Mushrooms add moisture, mouthfeel, and umami (beefy) flavor to the otherwise dry ground turkey. When mushrooms are chopped up into little bits, they easily and evenly mix with ground turkey making the protein so tender and flavorful while also giving the dish a veggie boost.
