By doing everything wrong over the years, I’ve found the best way to cook a turkey is to toss out everything you may have heard about the “right” things to do. High heat, upside down, no basting. These are the step by step secrets to the best turkey you’ll ever eat whether you like white or dark meat. Keep reading to learn more!
Cook the bird upside down, meaning the breast meat down, then flip it halfway through based on your estimation. If you are using a kettle and have all of your charcoal on one side of the grill, you will also want to rotate the turkey when you flip it so that it doesn’t overcook on one side.
Now that you’ve done that, here’s the best way to cook a turkey!
Remove all extra racks in the oven, leaving only one in the lowest position. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees a half hour before cooking time. Double and triple check that you have removed the turkey neck and bag of giblets, cut off any plastic ties that may be holding the legs together, and removed the pop up thermometer, if there is one.
Carefully, separate the skin from the turkey and spread melted butter inside the turkey under the skin. Then, brush the outside of the turkey with the remaining butter and season to taste with salt and black pepper. A silicone basting brush makes it easy to rub butter. If you don’t want to use butter, feel free to use oil. It’s your call.
You should also tie the legs together around the turkey with kitchen twine instead of inserting them in the skin as pictured above. That way all the skin comes out brown and lovely lovely. When you insert the legs into the skin as in the picture, the turkey skin portion that is covered turns out mushy and not that nice.
Place all vegetables and apple chunks in the cavity of the turkey.
What other Side Dishes to Serve for a Delicious Turkey Dinner?
In our opinion, turkey leftovers are one of the best parts of a holiday meal. Here are a few ways to make the most of your leftovers!
You’ve Been Cooking Turkey Wrong—Here’s How Chefs Do It
FAQ
Should you flip turkey while cooking?
How do you position a turkey when cooking?
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?
Can you flip a Turkey upside down?
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.
Can one have turkey and carrots?
Eating turkey and carrots is part of healthy habits. The turkey has meat like chicken and is another healthy poultry option. Carrots are rich in carotenoids, it is a source of vitamin A, fiber, potassium and vitamin B3.
How do you flip a turkey breast in a roasting pan?
Make sure you have the roasting pan on a sturdy heatsafe surface. To assist in flipping the bird, use a kitchen towel on the neck side and place a wooden spoon inside the cavity for leverage, the bird and pan will be hot. Carefully, flip the turkey so it is now breast-side up.
Should you cook a turkey breast upside down?
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?