should you cover your turkey when cooking

Should You Cover Your Turkey When Cooking?

Cooking the perfect turkey can seem like an intimidating task, especially if it’s your first time being in charge of the Thanksgiving bird. With all the different methods and suggestions out there, it can get confusing trying to figure out the best practices for roasting a turkey. One of the most common questions is whether you should cover your turkey or leave it uncovered in the oven. There are good arguments on both sides, so let’s break down the pros and cons of covering your turkey while it cooks.

Why Cover the Turkey?

The main reason to cover your turkey while it roasts is to prevent it from drying out Turkey meat can quickly become dry and overcooked since the lean breast meat in particular tends to dry out faster than the legs and thighs. Covering the turkey helps trap moisture and steam inside so that the meat stays tender and juicy

There are a few different ways you can cover the turkey in the oven:

• Roasting pan with aluminum foil: Covering tightly with foil is one of the most popular methods. It seals in moisture and prevents the skin from browning too fast.

• Roasting pan with a lid: Some roasting pans come with fitted lids to cover the turkey. This works the same way as foil.

• Turkey roasting bag: Cooking the turkey in an oven-safe plastic bag helps keep all the moisture in. The bag will puff up as the turkey cooks.

• Cheesecloth: Wrapping the turkey in a few layers of cheesecloth soaked in butter/herbs helps keep it moist.

Many recipes have you cover the turkey for most of the cooking time, then uncover it during the last 30 minutes or so to let the skin get crisp and golden brown. Removing the cover toward the end of cooking also helps make sure the breast meat doesn’t end up undercooked.

Why Leave It Uncovered?

On the flip side, there’s also a case for roasting your turkey uncovered the whole time. Leaving it uncovered for the entirety of cooking allows for crisper skin, since the surface isn’t steaming inside a tightly sealed environment. Uncovered turkeys tend to brown more evenly all over without the risk of soggy skin.

Cooking it uncovered may result in slightly drier breast meat, but you can take other measures to help keep it moist like rubbing butter/oil under the skin, basting periodically, or turning the bird over halfway through roasting. If overcooking is a concern, you can tent foil over just the breast to protect it while leaving the legs and thighs uncovered.

Ultimately, an uncovered turkey promotes that coveted crispy skin that everyone wants without turning the meat too dry. There’s also something to be said for the beautiful golden presentation of an uncovered roasted turkey coming out of the oven.

Tips for Perfectly Covered and Uncovered Turkeys

Whether you cover your turkey or not, here are some tips to ensure it turns out juicy and delicious:

• Cook to the proper internal temperature. Use a meat thermometer to gauge doneness, not color. Turkey should reach 165°F in the breast and 180°F in the thighs.

• Let it rest before carving. Give the turkey at least 20 minutes to rest after removing it from the oven so the juices can redistribute.

• Start with a thawed turkey. Don’t try cooking a frozen turkey unless you know it needs a much longer cook time.

• Season well with salt and pepper. Proper seasoning makes a big difference in flavor.

• Baste periodically for added moisture and color. Brush the turkey with melted butter or pan juices every 30 minutes.

• Add aromatics to the cavity. Stuffing the cavity with onions, herbs, lemons, etc imparts flavor.

• Use a rack in the roasting pan. This allows air flow all around to promote even cooking.

• Maintain oven temperature. Cook at 325°F throughout for optimal heat circulation.

The Best Approach

There’s no definitive right or wrong answer when it comes to covering or uncovering your turkey in the oven. Both methods can produce a perfectly cooked bird when done properly. For ideal results, do a combination of covered and uncovered roasting:

• Cover with foil for most of the cooking time, around 2/3 of the total time.

• Uncover for the remaining 1/3 of cooking to brown the skin.

This technique gives you the benefits of both methods – moist, tender meat and crisp, golden skin. Alternatively, only tent foil over the breast while leaving the legs/thighs uncovered if concerned about overcooking. In the end, have confidence in yourself and go with what works for your oven and preferences. With proper seasoning, temperature, and resting, your turkey will shine either way!