Is It Better to Roast a Turkey Covered or Uncovered?

Roasting a juicy, golden turkey with crispy skin is the ultimate Thanksgiving goal. But should you roast your turkey covered or uncovered? The best technique is to roast it partially covered then uncovered. Here’s why.

Why Partial Covering Is Best

For the most flavorful and moist turkey you’ll want to roast it partially covered and partially uncovered

• Covering the turkey initially traps moisture and steam inside, preventing it from drying out as it cooks.

• Then uncovering it for the last 30 minutes allows the skin to crisp up nicely in the dry oven heat.

According to cooking experts, this dual method gives you the best of both worlds – a tender, juicy interior and crispy browned skin.

How to Partially Cover Your Turkey

Here are a few easy ways to partially cover your turkey while roasting:

• Use a roasting pan with a loose foil tent over the breast. Remove foil for the last half hour.

• Cover with foil, then uncover just the breast and drumsticks for crisping.

• Roast in a covered roaster, then remove lid for the end to crisp the skin.

• Drape cheesecloth soaked in butter/herbs over turkey, remove later.

• Start breast-side down, then flip and finish breast-side up uncovered.

No need to overcomplicate it. Partial covering works well with any standard roasting method.

Why You Should Avoid Full Coverage

Although covering a turkey completely can help retain moisture, it prevents the skin from crisping properly in the dry oven heat.

Covering the entire turkey the whole time often results in soft, rubbery skin. Not appetizing!

And if you use a tight foil seal, it can block airflow needed for even cooking and skin browning.

For food safety, you also want to avoid raising the temperature too high trying to crisp the skin on a fully covered bird. This leads to undercooking.

Don’t Roast Uncovered Completely Either

On the flip side, avoiding any coverage at all can seriously dry out your turkey as moisture rapidly evaporates.

Without a cover, the delicate breast meat is exposed to more direct heat than the legs and thighs. This often causes uneven cooking.

And radiant oven heat will rapidly crisp the skin before the interior finishes cooking.

While uncovered roasting produces a gorgeous brown exterior, it risks drying out the inside.

How Moisture Helps Roast a Turkey

Covering a turkey during the majority of roasting time helps:

• Retain natural moisture in the meat.

• Trap steam released from the turkey as it cooks.

• Prevent the exterior from crisping too quickly.

• Reflect heat for more even interior cooking.

This moisture under the cover gently braises the turkey, keeping it tender and juicy as the temperature rises.

Allow Time for Uncovered Crisping

Be sure to remove any cover in time for the skin to crisp up.

Calculate when to uncover based on your turkey’s total roasting time.

For a 15 lb turkey roasted at 325°F, uncover it for the last 30 minutes of the approximate 3 hour total cooking time.

If using a lower temperature like 250°F, give it a full 45-60 minutes uncovered for crisping.

Handling a Raw Turkey

When handling a raw turkey:

• Keep it chilled in the fridge until ready to roast.

• Don’t wash it – this can spread bacteria. Just pat dry.

• Be sure to keep raw meat away from foods that won’t be cooked.

• Sanitize any surfaces the raw turkey touches.

• Roast immediately after removing giblets and neck.

Add Flavor Under the Skin

For extra flavor and moisture, try this tip:

• Loosen skin from the breast meat gently.

• Rub butter or oil under the skin.

• Add sliced herbs, lemons, garlic, or seasoning blends.

• The steam will infuse the turkey with flavor.

Trussing for Even Cooking

Trussing (tying up) the legs and wings:

• Creates a more even shape for roasting.

• Allows the interior to cook evenly.

• Lets the skin crisp up more evenly.

So for the perfect turkey, remember to start covered, finish uncovered, and savor the juicy flavored meat and crispy skin!