A miraculous way to roast a turkey that uses butter-covered aluminum foil to protect the breast from the high heat while basting it. The foil is removed at the end so that the skin can crisp up. This article also talks about brining and whether or not you should do it. It also has a lot of tips for roasting a turkey perfectly.
You probably know that my parents owned and operated restaurants when I was growing up. What you might not know is that they also did a lot of catering. We estimate that they’ve catered over a thousand turkey dinners, with each dinner requiring numerous turkeys. Their dinners have always gotten great reviews, and now I’m going to show you how my mom roasts a turkey perfectly. We will first talk about what size turkey you need, and then we will talk about how to cook it (basting and crisping the skin with butter!) so that the meat is perfectly cooked and juicy. Even the breast meat is juicy.
As Thanksgiving approaches, home cooks everywhere face the big question – should I tent my turkey with foil while it’s roasting or leave it uncovered? There are good arguments on both sides of this debate, with foil proponents insisting it locks in moisture and foil naysayers arguing it results in soggy skin After researching the science and testing different methods myself, I have determined the best approach is to use foil strategically – tenting the turkey for most of the cook time then removing it at the end
The Case for Tenting with Foil
Covering a turkey with loose foil midway through roasting can help it cook more evenly and prevent the delicate breast meat from drying out Here’s why
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Foil traps steam and moisture close to the turkey as it cooks, keeping the meat juicy.
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It protects areas like the breast and wings from over-browning or burning before the legs are fully cooked.
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Tenting reflects heat down over the turkey, promoting even cooking between the breast and thighs.
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The foil insulation slows cooking so the white breast meat doesn’t end up dry and stringy while the dark leg meat finishes cooking.
I’ve found tenting just the breast with foil gives the best results, while still allowing the legs exposed to brown nicely. The breast is the part most prone to drying out, so protecting it halfway through is key.
Why Some Dislike Tenting with Foil
Not everyone agrees that covering a turkey with foil is beneficial. Some experienced cooks argue:
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Foil steaming the turkey can make the skin soft and soggy rather than crispy.
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Flavorful browning requires uncovered exposure to oven heat.
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Juices dripping down are lost rather than evaporating and basting the turkey.
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It’s unnecessary if you monitor cooking carefully and remove it on time.
Those opposed to tents of foil have merit regarding the skin texture and appearance. If you leave foil over the entire turkey for the full roasting time, it definitely leads to pale, rubbery skin.
The Ideal Approach
After much turkey testing, I’ve landed on the perfect compromise – tent the turkey with foil most of the way through roasting, then uncover it for the last 30-60 minutes. This gives you:
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Moist, tender meat thanks to retained moisture under the foil tent.
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Crisp, beautifully browned skin after finishing uncovered.
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Greater leeway against overcooking since foil slows it down.
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Time for the thighs to finish cooking after no longer being shielded.
I recommend tenting your turkey with foil once the thighs and breast reach an internal temperature of about 120°F, or after around 2 hours if you don’t have a meat thermometer. Remove the foil for the last half hour or so for ideal doneness and skin texture.
Step-By-Step Tenting Method
Follow these simple steps for flawlessly juicy turkey using strategic foil tenting:
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Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and rub with oil, salt, and pepper.
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Place turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour uncovered.
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Loosely tent breast and tops of drumsticks with a sheet of heavy duty foil.
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Continue roasting until thighs reach 165°F, about 1 hour 10 mins per pound.
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Remove foil tent and roast until skin is nicely browned, about 30 more minutes.
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Let turkey rest tented with foil for 15-30 mins before carving.
The modest effort of tenting with foil pays off in a deliciously moist, perfectly cooked turkey everyone will love. I hope these tips help relieve some stress from your Thanksgiving prep! Now get ready to enjoy tender, foolproof turkey with crispy skin worth savoring.
STEP #2 – Stuff The Cavity With Aromatics
Don’t stuff the turkey with stuffing or dressing. I know that to some people this may seem sacrilegious. I understand. But really, don’t stuff the turkey. That makes it take longer to cook, which means the turkey is drier, and it has also been linked to more infections. Instead, you’ve got to try my mom’s stuffing recipe. She bakes it in muffin tins, which makes the portions look so cute. The recipe is classic, and the bread is soft on the inside and slightly crispy on top.
Instead of filling the turkey with stuffing or dressing, you can put some aromatics in there. I really don’t think it’s necessary, especially if you used the dry brine or the very flavorful wet brine I talked about earlier. But if you really want to, you can. Fresh herbs, carrots, onion, celery, orange wedges, lemon wedges, and garlic cloves all work well. You don’t need very much though. It should be really loosely tucked into there. I think for this picture, I had too much. You also don’t really want it sticking out like that. I did that to make the picture look pretty, I think. But, it’s better to have it all tucked in.
Step #3: Season And Butter The Turkey
Next you’ll be seasoning liberally with salt and pepper, all over. But, there’s no seasoning in the below picture because this turkey was brined. If you have brined your turkey, don’t add anything to it here.
Brined or not, what you’re going to do is to take a big piece of aluminum foil. You’ll want a piece bigger than in the below picture. Let me explain. I forgot how my mom did it when I was taking these pictures. I thought she only put foil over the breast meat. She has since told me that I was wrong. So, get a piece of foil big enough to cover the whole bird. If you need to, you can use two pieces that overlap. Then smear one side of the foil with a lot of softened butter or margarine. You want a good cup (that’s two sticks) of butter spread on there.
Note, I think it’s best to use unsalted butter, especially if you’ve brined the turkey. Or just keep in mind that there’s salt in your butter when you’re seasoning the turkey. You can make the butter taste better before putting it on the foil if you want to take this butter thing to the next level. This is my recipe for Compound Butter for Turkey. Putting it on the foil before roasting is one way to use it, and adding little bits of it to sliced turkey that is already cooked is another way to use it.
Then, take that foil and put it butter side down onto the turkey. Press the foil against the turkey skin so that it’s making contact all over. The breast meat won’t dry out because of this foil, and the tasty butter will stay on the turkey for a lot of the cooking time. It will also drip into the roasting pan, leaving you with tasty baste juices and great drippings for your gravy.
Tent vs. Wrap: Turkey Tips with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
FAQ
Should you tent turkey with foil?
Is it better to cook a turkey covered or uncovered?
Should I cover turkey with foil when resting?
Should I cover my butterball turkey with foil?
How do you cook a Turkey in a foil tent?
MAKE a foil tent by placing a sheet of foil over turkey, leaving 1 inch between top of turkey and foil tent for heat circulation. Crimp foil onto long sides of pan. ROAST turkey until meat thermometer inserted in thickness part of the thigh not touching the bone reads a temperature of 180°F. For approximate roasting times see chart.
Should you tent a Turkey with foil before roasting?
Use a meat thermometer to ensure the turkey breast reaches the recommended internal temperature before removing the foil for the last part of the cooking process. In summary, tenting your turkey with foil is an essential step during roasting to achieve a perfectly cooked bird.
How do you make a Turkey tent?
Fold a large piece of foil in half lengthwise. Place the turkey breast-side up in the center of the foil. Bring the long sides of the foil up over the turkey and crimp to seal. Fold the ends of the foil up to create a tent. 6.
Can you use aluminum foil to tent a Turkey?
While aluminum foil is commonly used for tenting a turkey, you can also use a lid from a roasting pan or a silicone turkey roasting tent specifically designed for this purpose. 10. What if my foil tent sticks to the turkey skin? If the foil tent sticks to the turkey skin when removing it, gently peel it off to avoid tearing the skin.
Do you need a foil for roasting a Turkey?
But if you are roasting the turkey, be it whole turkey, breast, or leg on a regular roasting pan, foil is a good option. Basically the foil works in the same way a lid works—by trapping steam so the turkey stays moist throughout the roasting process. Simply tent the foil so that it loosely covers the whole turkey.
Is foil tenting suitable for roasting Turkey breasts?
Certainly! The foil tenting technique is suitable for roasting turkey breasts as well. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the turkey breast reaches the recommended internal temperature before removing the foil for the last part of the cooking process.