Do I Tent the Turkey with Foil? A Guide to Perfectly Roasted Birds

Whether youre a seasoned chef or a novice in the kitchen, these step-by-step instructions for how to roast a turkey will ensure that your turkey emerges golden brown, moist, and full of flavor.

Check out all the other Easy Recipes for Thanksgiving to create the perfect holiday meal for your family. Make sure you download and print out the FREE Turkey Cooking Charts at the bottom of the blog post!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There are no gifts to buy, no presents to wrap. Its all about FOOD. I love all the preparation that goes into the biggest meal of the year as well.

Its a lot of work, but so rewarding to sit down to a delicious meal with my family.

Check out the NEW Place Cards available to help you set a GREAT table for Thanksgiving! And if you want to cook a turkey breast, read my post on Crock Pot Turkey Breast.

Dont forget to print out the FREE Turkey Roasting Chart to refer to while the turkey is cooking. I keep mine on the windowsill above the kitchen sink and refer to it often while the turkey is cooking. [feast_advanced_jump_to]

Roasting a turkey can be an intimidating task. Many home cooks wonder – do I need to tent the turkey with foil while it’s in the oven? The answer is not straightforward. Tenting with foil can help prevent the turkey from drying out but it can also lead to soft, pale skin. Here’s a comprehensive guide to tenting turkey with foil for the juiciest, most flavorful holiday birds.

Why Tent Turkey with Foil?

Tenting the turkey with foil essentially creates a moist cooking environment The foil traps steam released by the turkey, allowing the meat to braise in its own juices while roasting. This keeps the breast and other parts exceptionally moist

Without foil, exposed areas like the breast and thighs can over-brown or even burn. Tenting prevents this by limiting airflow. It also reflects heat away from the top portions. The foil helps conduct heat evenly around the entire bird too.

So tenting with foil provides two key benefits – moisture retention and even cooking. It’s an easy way to get deliciously succulent turkey with minimal effort

Potential Drawbacks of Turkey Foil Tents

However, covering turkey completely with foil can backfire. It may steam the bird too much, resulting in pale, soft skin.

If the foil is sealed tightly over the roasting pan, moisture can pool at the bottom. This excess liquid prevents the underside of the turkey from browning properly.

Restricting airflow too severely can extend cooking time as well. The foil barrier makes it more difficult for hot oven air to penetrate and cook the turkey.

So utilizing foil tents requires finding the right balance. Some browning and crisping of the skin is desirable for flavor and texture.

How to Create a Turkey Foil Tent

Covering just the breast with foil is an excellent compromise. The foil still traps steam and moisture over the lean white meat, reducing drying. But the legs and wings remain uncovered for ideal browning.

To tent just the breast, drape a sheet of heavy-duty foil over the turkey, creasing it in the center. Allow air space between the foil and breast by propping up the foil 1-2 inches. Tuck the foil edges into the roasting pan to secure the tent.

For whole birds, tenting the entire turkey works well. Simply drape foil loosely over the roasting pan, again allowing a 1-2 inch air gap. Don’t crimp the foil tightly to the pan edges.

Poking a few small slits in the foil further enables airflow. Rotate the pan periodically too for even exposure to oven heat.

When to Apply and Remove Turkey Foil Tents

It’s best to tent poultry once initially browning has occurred, about 1 hour into roasting. If foil is applied too early, the skin may remain pale and soft.

Remove foil during the last 30-60 minutes of roasting. This final uncovered roasting crisps up and browns the skin beautifully.

Basting the turkey with oil or pan juices right before removing the tent further promotes crisping. Keeping the oven temperature moderately high (325°F – 375°F) also develops crispy skin.

Alternatives to Turkey Foil Tents

Although foil is the most convenient tenting material, cheesecloth and parchment work too. Lightly buttered cheesecloth helps retain moisture while allowing more browning. Parchment tents can enhance even cooking like foil.

Using a roasting bag is another option. These plastic bags are designed to roasted poultry right inside the sealed environment. Slits cut into the bag allow some moisture release.

And for easiest moist turkey without any special preparation, roasting in a covered pan with a rack does the trick!

Key Considerations for Juicy, Tented Turkey

Tent turkey with foil once initially browned, about 1 hour into roasting
Allow 1-2 inches between foil and breast when tenting just breast
Loosen and tent foil to cover whole turkey if desired
Avoid crimping foil tightly to pan, allow venting
Remove foil during last 30-60 minutes for crispy skin
Baste with oil/pan juices and roast at 325°-375°F before uncovering

With some trial and error, you’ll find the ideal tenting time for your oven and turkey size. This simple method reliably delivers tender, moist holiday birds worth celebrating!

do i tent the turkey with foil

Tips for Carving Roast Turkey

I like to roast my turkey early in the day and have it carved before my guests arrive; that way I can have a clean kitchen.
Always remove the turkey breast completely from the turkey body and then slice it on a cutting board. I know a lot of people like to slice the breast while its still attached to the turkey, but if you remove it completely, youll get beautiful slices of white meat.
After the breast is removed and sliced, you can proceed to carve the dark meat, thighs, wings and legs.
Keep the turkey in a large pan covered with aluminum foil until youre ready to serve.

How to Make Homemade Lump Free Gravy

Instructions on how to make lump-free gravy are in my post for Pot Roast. Its the SAME recipe, only youll be using the turkey drippings for turkey gravy instead of the beef broth from the pot roast.
Step-by-step photo instructions are included in that post as well.

do i tent the turkey with foil

Tent vs. Wrap: Turkey Tips with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil

FAQ

Should I tent the turkey with foil?

We’ve found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time. Some people swear that roasting a turkey breast-side down and flipping it halfway through achieves the same results as a foil covered breast.

Is it better to cook a turkey covered or uncovered?

So, yes, you do want to cover the turkey with foil to give it a chance to roast without getting dry. But then, towards the end of the cook time, remove the foil so the skin—the best part in this writer’s opinion—gets a chance to crisp up.

Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey?

“Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey.”

How long to let turkey rest in foil?

Leave your turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes after roasting to allow the juices to redistribute themselves and the meat fibres to relax, otherwise you will have a dry bird (you can extend this resting time for up to one and a half hours). Cover it with foil, then place a clean tea towel over this.