Oven bags are perfect to lock in moisture, odor and natural juices of the meat. You get to improve the flavors of the food only by using an oven bag. Everyone enjoys a well roasted, delicious turkey over holidays. I am sure turkeys don’t love the season as much as we do, but they still have not come up with a solution for that.
Turkey roast is a festive meal, and a delightful one. You can’t be too creative with traditional recipes since people have rather fixed expectations. But still, you can add some tweaks here and there to spice it up a little.
I set some goals to myself each time I cook turkey. You should do so too. If you focus on what you really want to achieve, then you will be able to adjust any recipe according to your preference.
My turkey cooking essentials are as follows:
- My turkey should have perfect browning. Hint; use browning sauce, honey, or other tricks (see below).
- It should be juicy, especially in the breast area. Hint; cook in an oven bag, use acidic softeners like lemon, orange or pomegranate, etc.
- There should be enough turkey on the table; since mine taste so good, they don’t last too long. Hint; get a bigger roaster oven.
I always play with the herbs and add new ones each year, but I do this minimally. This way my turkey roast is a little different each time.
Here is a witty recipe for cooking turkey in an oven bag. You can use this to impress your guests on holidays; it is a simple but super tasty formula.
Oven Bag Recipe for Thanksgiving Turkey Roast with a Twist
I use yogurt as a secret ingredient whenever I roast chicken. It does two things; softens the meat, and improves the overall color. Every bite becomes more tender. Lately, I started to use it on my Thanksgiving turkey roasts as well to enhance the flavors. I apply it right after I rub the turkey with melted butter.
Covering the turkey with a thin layer of yogurt allows me to add a little tomato sauce and extra herbs on the bird’s skin. It is just the best trick to get that ¨hmm¨ and ¨OMG! ¨ from the guests. This recipe is developed for cooking turkey in oven bags. It has extra herbs since the bag can lock the moisture inside. If you don’t use a cooking bag with this formula, then you might end up with a drier roast. Here is more info on how to select the best oven bag for roasting various meat types.
Ingredients:
Yogurt Mix:
- 1 cup of plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce
- ½ tablespoon of ground chili pepper
- ½ tablespoon of dried mint
- ½ tablespoon of dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
Rub Mix (Butter):
- 1 cup of melted butter (unsalted)
- 3 tablespoon of virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon of browning sauce
- 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- ½ tablespoon of ground black pepper
For cavity:
2 large oranges – cut in wedges
2 large onions – cut in wedges
5-6 celery sticks
6-7 peeled garlic cloves
Other Ingredients:
- 15 to 19 pounds of whole turkey
- Salt and ground black pepper for the inside of the bird.
Directions:
- Remove the giblets from the cavity of the turkey.
- Melt the butter on the stovetop in a medium size pan.
- Pour the melted butter into a small bowl.
- Add the honey, olive oil, browning sauce, chopped parsley, dried thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper to the melted butter bowl, and stir well to blend.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). I suggest using an electric roaster oven for the best results.
- Season the inside of the turkey with salt and ground black pepper.
- Stuff the celery sticks, peeled garlic cloves, orange, and onion wedges inside the cavity.
- Rub the melted butter mix onto the turkey.
- Make sure you insert your fingers under the skin and rub some from the butter mixture.
- In another medium size bowl; add all the yogurt mix ingredients and blend well with a spatula or tablespoon.
- Brush the yogurt mixture all over the turkey. Try to coat evenly and create a thin layer.
- Get your oven bag out. If you cook turkey regularly then I suggest you get the 100-count turkey size Buddy Bags
to save. Otherwise, Reynolds
(pack of 8) large size bags are the best.
- Put the turkey carefully inside the large size oven bag. Close the bag with the enclosed bag tie. Place the turkey on to the rack or the pan. Don’t forget to poke a few holes on top of the bag.
- Cook in the roaster oven for 2 hours or 3 ½ – 4 hours in the conventional oven. The meat temperature should show 165°F in the breast area and 175°F in between the legs.
to save. Otherwise, 
(pack of 8) large size bags are the best.How Do You Cook a Frozen Turkey in an Electric Roaster?
Defrost option comes with almost all electric roaster ovens, and it is absolutely the best way to save on time if you are using frozen turkey. So, make sure you take advantage of it. You don’t have to thaw the turkey hours before you start cooking. Instead, just put it in the roaster oven and turn the knob to Defrost option; it will be ready in about 15 minutes. The 22 Quart Oster Roaster
Final Thoughts
Do not get intimidated from cooking Thanksgiving turkey for your guests; it is not as hard as you think. In fact, turkeys must be the only ones who should get worried, not you. Anyone can prepare an exceptional turkey roast if they follow a tried recipe like the one above and get the necessary gadgets as the oven bag, turkey lifter, electric roaster oven, and a digital meat thermometer. Cook the best turkey on holiday season with confidence and impress everyone; you know you can do it!
