Achieving Crispy, Golden Turkey Skin: A Step-by-Step Guide

That beautifully bronzed, crisp turkey skin is often the most anticipated part of a holiday spread When done right, each bite crackles audibly and reveals tender, juicy meat underneath. However, flabby, rubbery skin is a common cooking misstep. Don’t let lackluster turkey skin ruin your next feast Follow these simple tricks to get it right every time.

Prep the Skin

Proper skin prep sets the stage for crispy success. First, remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavity Then use paper towels to thoroughly pat the skin dry, inside and out The drier the surface, the better it will brown. Don’t rinse the turkey, as excess moisture inhibits crisping.

Next, use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the breast meat, taking care not to tear it. Rub approximately 1/2 cup room temperature butter or oil under the skin, coating the meat. Mix in dried herbs or citrus zest if desired. The fat helps the heat transfer efficiently for even cooking and moisture.

Season the Skin

For flavor and crisping power, coat the outside of the skin liberally with dry seasoning. Try a simple mix of salt, pepper and poultry seasoning or get creative with garlic powder, onions and herbs. No need to oil the exterior skin before seasoning.

Roast Uncovered at High Heat

The key to crispy skin is starting the turkey at a high oven temperature Preheat your oven to 425°F and place the turkey directly on a rack inside a roasting pan Cook uncovered for the first 30 minutes before reducing the heat.

This high initial temp dehydrates the skin’s surface, allowing it to set and brown quickly. Basting or tenting with foil leads to soggy skin, so avoid both. Just let that turkey roast proudly out in the open.

Turn Down the Oven Temperature

After a half hour at 425°F, lower the oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting until the turkey is fully cooked. For ideal crispness, the skin needs to set right away under high heat before the meat finishes cooking at more moderate heat.

Rotate the pan front to back halfway through for even browning. If the skin appears to be getting too dark, loosely tent foil over just the breast and thighs.

Check Doneness

Be sure to roast the turkey fully so the collagen in the skin can completely render and get crispy. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the inner thighs and breasts. The thighs should reach 175°F and the breasts 165°F minimum.

If the skin isn’t quite browned enough when the turkey is done, briefly broil it for a couple minutes watching carefully to avoid burning.

Let It Rest

After pulling your masterpiece from the oven, let it rest at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving. This allows the skin to fully crisp up. If you slice into it too soon, moisture leaks out and leaves the skin soggy. Display it whole for an impressive presentation before cutting.

Crisping Leftovers

Refrigerating cooked turkey makes the skin rubbery again. To recrisp leftovers, place slices or pieces of turkey skin-side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 7 to 10 minutes until browned and sizzling.

Getting ultra crispy turkey skin just takes some simple preparation steps and roasting at the right oven temps. Follow this handy playbook for audibly crackling, golden perfection every time. Here are some extra turkey skin crisping tips:

Pat the skin very dry inside and out before seasoning it.
Rub butter or oil under the skin to help conduct heat.
Generously season the outside with flaky salt, pepper, and aromatics.
Roast uncovered at 425°F for the first 30 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 350°F to finish cooking without burning.
Check the internal temperature to ensure the turkey is fully cooked.
Let the turkey rest before slicing for crisper skin.
Recrisp leftovers in a hot oven for 7-10 minutes.

With the right prep and roasting technique, you can achieve the crispiest, most mouthwatering turkey skin possible. Crisp turkey skin makes for a dramatic, delicious holiday centerpiece. Impress your guests with your expertly executed turkey this year.

how do you get turkey skin crispy

How We Tested

I tested four different methods for achieving crispy, golden skin:

Dry the bird with paper towels, then roast
Rub with baking powder mixture
Air-dry for 24 hours
Air-dry and baste during roasting

To ensure accurate results, I applied a few standards to all the chickens. First, all the chickens were between 5 and 6 pounds. Two were from the supermarket, and two were from a farmer down the street from my house. All chickens were trussed and set on the counter to come up to room temp for 30 minutes before I popped them in the oven.

For this test, I was most concerned with the crispness and color of the skin, so I didn’t worry about the flavor of the chicken until the end, adding herbs, or stuffing the cavity. However, I still wanted the chicken to taste good, so except for Chicken No. 2 (see below), I seasoned each one with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme.

All the birds were roasted in on a sheet pan lined with parchment with a wire cooling rack placed on top. This allows air to circulate under and around the chicken, similar to roasting a turkey in a roasting pan with a roasting rack. I roasted the chickens on the second lowest rack in the oven and used Ina Garten’s recommendation for cooking time: 1hr and 30min at 425-degrees Fahrenheit for each bird.

Dry Skin = Crispy Skin

Ultimately, you want dry skin. The drier your skin to start, the crispier it will be after roasting.

Different cooks and chefs have varying techniques for doing this. Some leave the chicken uncovered in the refrigerator (a technique I support), others use salt and or baking powder to draw the moisture out of the skin, and some simply pat the bird dry with paper towels, pop it in the oven and hope for the best.

I tested four different techniques to evaluate their effectiveness at creating golden, crispy skin. I tested with chickens rather than turkeys to save time, money, and limit the amount of poultry my family had to eat in a single week. (As it is, they’ve made me promise not to serve chicken for a least a month.)

What works for one bird will likely work for another, so you can apply any of the techniques outlined below to any kind of poultry – including, yes, your Thanksgiving turkey.

how do you get turkey skin crispy

I Tested 4 Ways To Get Crispy Turkey Skin and One Was a Clear Winner

FAQ

What is the secret to crispy turkey skin?

That trick is a sprinkling of baking powder, and it’ll get you the crispiest, crackliest bites of fatty, salty skin imaginable, whether you’re cooking just one thigh, a plate of wings, or an entire bird.

Should you rub turkey skin with butter or oil?

Once you’ve carefully dried off the skin, the next step you can take to guarantee perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat, like butter or oil. Oil will yield a crispier skin than butter because butter is at least 20 percent water, while oil contains no water.

How do you crisp turkey skin after bag?

One of the downsides of the turkey bag method is that the skin doesn’t get crispy, because of all the moisture in the turkey bag. However, if you wanted to, once you opened the bag, you could put the turkey back into the oven, at 400 degrees for a little bit, in order to get the skin a little more brown.

What is the best oil for crispy turkey skin?

If crispy turkey skin is your goal, then using olive oil on your turkey instead of butter will yield a much crispier skin than butter. It’s simply the best oil for roasting turkey! Of course, we recommend our Castillo de Piñar Extra Virgin Olive Oil.