Flipping the Bird: Should You Roast Your Turkey Upside Down?

Cooking a turkey upside down sounds like something from the flipped world in Stranger Things, but it’s actually a popular method for Thanksgiving dinner. 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? While this hack seems like a miracle cure for a dry bird, our Test Kitchen experts say its, in fact, too good to be true. It can be unsafe, ruin the look of your bird and is not the best way to roast a turkey. With everything you have to juggle on T-Day — from the classic side dishes to the Thanksgiving desserts to the Thanksgiving table setting, the last thing you want to worry about is botching the main event: your Thanksgiving turkey.

Read on to find out why cooking a turkey upside down is problematic, and to learn our tried-and-true tip for preparing the perfect turkey that’s the best of both worlds: crisp, golden skin and supremely juicy meat. With our experts to guide you through this holiday feast, you can say “bye-bye” to Turkey Day stress!

As Thanksgiving approaches, home cooks everywhere are gearing up to roast the star of the meal – the turkey. Preparing the perfect roasted turkey can feel like a daunting task. Many methods exist for getting a tender, juicy and flavorful end result. Recently, an unconventional approach has been gaining popularity: roasting the turkey upside down.

This technique involves placing the turkey in the roasting pan breast-side down, rather than the usual breast-side up position. Some cooks swear by upside down roasting, claiming it yields the most moist and delicious meat. But others argue it’s an unnecessary hassle that doesn’t improve the final product.

So should you take the time to flip your bird upside down before roasting this holiday season? I decided to investigate the pros and cons of this unorthodox roasting method. Here’s a thorough examination of whether upside down turkey roasting truly is worth it.

The Case for Flipping Your Bird

At first glance, the idea of flipping the turkey over to roast upside down seems odd. But proponents of this method make some compelling arguments

Moist and tender breast meat – The breast is prone to drying out during roasting. Flipping it down allows moisture and juices to permeate the breast as gravity pulls them towards this lower portion. The result is a much moister breast.

Self-basting action – Roasting breast-side down allows fats and juices to continuously baste the breast during cooking The bird essentially bastes itself from the inside out

Slower cooking – With the breast on the bottom further from the heat source, it cooks more slowly. This reduces risk of overcooking the lean breast meat.

Easier basting – With the breast on the bottom basting by spoon is much simpler without having to maneuver around the cavity and legs.

Prevents overcooking – It’s easier to monitor doneness since you can insert a thermometer into the exposed cavity versus poking into the top of the breast.

Better pan drippings – Juices pool in the cavity so your gravy benefits from concentrated turkey flavor rather than diluted drippings.

Frees up oven space – The inverted shape takes up less vertical space so you can fit more side dishes.

Those are pretty compelling reasons to take the time to flip your turkey over for roasting! The self-basting action and slower breast cooking seem especially beneficial.

Reasons to Roast Breast-Side Up

However, there are also good reasons why roasting breast-side up has been the traditional approach:

Following USDA guidance – The USDA advises roasting poultry breast-side up to ensure food safety and proper doneness. Flipping is not recommended.

Crispy skin – Roasting breast-up helps crisp the skin through direct exposure to oven heat. Flipping can make it harder to achieve crunchy skin.

Cook’s Illustrated findings – Their extensive testing found no difference in moisture between breast up vs down. The unexposed underside simply dried out instead.

Operational challenges – Flipping risks breasts tearing, especially if not properly trussed. Retrieving drippings can also be tricky.

Appearance – Browning occurs on the exposed side. Flipping gives you a pale breast vs nicely browned and appealing skin.

Sticking risk – Gravity causes the breast to flatten and stick to the pan. Lifting risks tearing the meat.

Oven space – A tall upright bird actually takes up less horizontal oven real estate so you can fit more sides.

Heresy – After centuries of tradition, changing such an essential cooking technique seems like turkey heresy to some!

So roasting breast-side up certainly has some strong points in its favor as well. The crispy skin benefit and USDA guidance give me pause about flipping.

Executing the Flip: Step-by-Step Guide

If you decide to give upside down roasting a try, follow these steps for successful execution:

Truss tightly – Make sure wings and legs are bound firmly to the body or the weight of gravity can tear meat and skin.
Add aromatics – Stuff the cavity with onions, herbs and lemon before flipping to infuse flavor into breast.
Protect pan juices – Lay bird in pan breast up first. Then flip into juices to prevent splattering.
Flip carefully – Use two sturdy spatulas to support the weight as you gently flip bird. Have someone help if needed.
Monitor temp – Check the temp early and often to prevent overcooking since the breast is now on the bottom.
Brown the skin – For crispy skin and appealing color, flip breast side up for the last 30 mins or broil for a few minutes.
Watch for sticking – If breast skin begins to stick, gently loosen it immediately with a spatula to prevent tearing.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

After looking at all the evidence from both perspectives, I have to admit I remain on the fence about whether flipping the turkey is truly beneficial. There are persuasive arguments on both sides.

While the self-basting and slower cooking of the breast are great perks, I worry about overcoming the practical challenges of flipping without mishaps. And I can’t overlook the USDA guidance against the practice.

For me, the beauty of a perfectly browned turkey exterior with crisp, golden skin is a big part of presentation. So I don’t think I’m ready to sacrifice that for the prospect of a slightly moister interior. However, the flavor benefits of juices pooling in the cavity are compelling enough that I may just try basting my traditionally positioned turkey with juices from the pan throughout roasting.

The case for flipping remains enticing enough that I won’t criticize those who swear by breast-down roasting. But I won’t be joining their ranks this Thanksgiving. While delicious results may indeed be possible, I don’t find the benefits conclusively worth the risks and drawbacks for my preferences.

In the end, I suggest cooks weight the evidence themselves and decide what works best for their goals and level of adventure. When it comes to getting the perfect bird on your holiday table, only you can determine if flipping the bird is the right move or just represents a bird-brained idea.

should you flip a turkey when roasting

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 turkeys 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. And if youre looking for some inspo, check out our ultimate Thanksgiving turkey recipes, for everything from a fried bird to a spice-roasted breast.

Why you should not cook your turkey upside down

When roasting a turkey, the oven is likely between 375℉ and 400℉. This means theres a hot roasting rack sitting inside a hot roasting pan holding a hot upside-down turkey, which is 12 to 14 lbs.

When youre ready to flip the bird, do you reach for a wooden spoon and a wad of paper towels? Do you wrap oven mitts in foil? Is there a safe, easy way to turn your turkey right side up? The answer, sadly, is no.

Thats the major drawback of cooking a turkey upside down. Its a heavy bird and try to flip it upright, you risk splashing yourself with hot turkey fat or burning your hand on the roasting rack. Ouch!

Should you flip a turkey when roasting?

FAQ

Do you flip turkey while roasting?

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.

Does turkey need to be flipped?

The light, tender breast meat is prone to overcooking, while dark meat portions of the bird needs extra time. A simple solution is to flip the bird over and roast the turkey upside down. This technique protects the white meat from drying out, and cooks the thigh meat faster.

Should turkey be covered with foil when roasting?

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.