You *Can* Cook a Turkey Upside Down, but Whether You Should Is the Next Question (2024)

Cooking a turkey upside down sounds like something from the flipped world in Stranger Things, but it’s actually a popular method for Thanksgiving dinner. The idea is that by roasting your bird breast side down, it’s further away from the heat source and the juices from the dark meat can trickle down to the white meat, resulting in juicier white meat that won’t dry out. Then you flip the turkey right side up so the skin on the breast can crisp up in the oven.

So should you cook a turkey upside down? While this hack seems like a miracle cure for a dry bird, our Test Kitchen experts say it's, in fact, too good to be true. It can be unsafe, ruin the look of your bird and is not the best way to roast a turkey. With everything you have to juggle on T-Day — from the classic side dishes to the Thanksgiving desserts to the Thanksgiving table setting, the last thing you want to worry about is botching the main event: your Thanksgiving turkey.

Read on to find out why cooking a turkey upside down is problematic, and to learn our tried-and-true tip for preparing the perfect turkey that’s the best of both worlds: crisp, golden skin and supremely juicy meat. With our experts to guide you through this holiday feast, you can say “bye-bye” to Turkey Day stress!

Why you should not cook your turkey upside down

When roasting a turkey, the oven is likely between 375℉ and 400℉. This means there's a hot roasting rack sitting inside a hot roasting pan holding a hot upside-down turkey, which is 12 to 14 lbs.

When you're ready to flip the bird, do you reach for a wooden spoon and a wad of paper towels? Do you wrap oven mitts in foil? Is there a safe, easy way to turn your turkey right side up? The answer, sadly, is no.

That's the major drawback of cooking a turkey upside down. It's a heavy bird and try to flip it upright, you risk splashing yourself with hot turkey fat or burning your hand on the roasting rack. Ouch!

Flipping your turkey can take away from your unveiling.

When cooking turkey upside down, we found that the roasting rack can leave unsightly marks and indents on the turkey's breast, which is the display side of the bird. Or worse, you could tear the skin during the flipping process.

For the most beautiful bird, stick to roasting right-side up. And if you're looking for some inspo, check out our ultimate Thanksgiving turkey recipes, for everything from a fried bird to a spice-roasted breast.

Brining is the real winning idea.

For a foolproof bird, learn how to season a turkey with a dry brine and how long to cook a turkey so you have perfectly moist slices. When it comes to brining, you have two options: Rub the bird all over with kosher salt a couple of days ahead (aka "dry brine"), or use a salt-concentrated liquid brine (aka "wet brine"). Our Test Kitchen prefers the less messy dry brine method. Not only does brining your turkey lock in the moisture of your bird, resulting in a show-stopping turkey with golden-brown (crisp!) skin, it also offers up a seriously well-seasoned Thanksgiving centerpiece (and some epic Thanksgiving leftovers, too!).