Go Back Email Link
+ servings
uncooked turkey on a cutting board

How To Roast a Moist Thanksgiving Turkey

Arlene Mobley - Flour On My Face
Make a moist and tender Thanksgiving turkey your family will enjoy with my covered roasting pan method of cooking a turkey.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Resting 15 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 15 People
Calories 162 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Roasting Pan
  • aluminum foil

Ingredients  

  • 1 20 lb Turkey
  • 3 sticks Margarine
Follow Flour On My Face on Pinterest

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Scrub and rinse the sink well before beginning. Place the thawed turkey in the clean sink and remove the plastic outer wrapping. Carefully cut the plastic with a scissor at the leg end without damaging the skin of the turkey.
  • Rinse the outside and both cavities of the turkey. Remove the bag of gizzards and the neck bone. Reserve both if you plan on using them to make gravy. (I don't use them for gravy). Rinse both cavities out with cold running water. Reach inside the neck cavity and remove any pieces of gizzards that might be in there. You may also find the little nubs of feathers still in the skin. Grab onto them and tug. They will come right out. Drain the turkey in the sink.
  • Put your turkey in your roasting pan, breast side up. Pat the skin dry with paper towels.
  • Place one whole stick of margarine or butter into the cavity of the turkey. Use two more sticks of margarine or butter to coat the outside skin of the turkey. Tuck some of the margarine or butter under the skin at the tail end of the bird.
  • Cut off two 3 inch wide strips of aluminum foil. Cut each piece in half. Wrap the tips of the wings and drumsticks in the aluminum. Now cut off a long sheet of aluminum that will cover the turkey completely with enough overhang to tightly wrap around and crimp over the edges of the pan. Depending on the size of the turkey and the pan you might need to cover the pan horizontally with 2 or more pieces of aluminum. Repeat until the entire turkey and pan are covered tightly. Cover the entire roasting pan with aluminum foil. Creating a tight seal. You will not need to baste your turkey at all during the cooking. This method will also decrease the cooking time.
  • Roast the turkey at 350° F. following the time on the turkey packaging for the size bird you have. A 20 pound turkey will cook in about 4 ½ hours using this method.
  • After about ¾ of the roasting time has passed carefully remove the aluminum foil covering the turkey and set it aside to recover the turkey when it comes out of the oven. Slide the turkey back into the oven uncovered to brown the turkey for the remaining roasting time until the turkey is done. Occasionally baste the turkey with the pan drippings.
  • Begin checking the internal temperature of the turkey with a meat thermometer when there is about 30 minutes left to the roasting time. Insert it in the thickest area of the turkey thigh. Poultry is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 180° F. in the thickest part of the thigh or 170° F. degrees in the thickest part of the breast.
  • When the turkey is done roasting carefully remove it from the oven. Allow the roasted turkey to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Recipe Expert Tips

  • This method of roasting a turkey will cut some time off the roasting time.
  • Make sure you buy a turkey big enough for the number of people you are serving and to have some leftovers.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5lbCalories: 162kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 8gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 213mgPotassium: 9mgVitamin A: 808IUCalcium: 7mg
Tried this recipe?Share a picture on Instagram and tag @flouronmyface2