How to Bake a Juicy Turkey in a Cooking Bag

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Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels

  • Cooking bag

  • Paring knife

  • 2-inch deep baking pan

  • Coarse kosher salt

  • Fresh ground pepper

  • Herbes de Provence

  • Flour

  • Tablespoon

The key to cooking delicious turkey is moisture, and few methods of cooking turkey are as effective at keeping in moisture as cooking turkey in a bag. The process is virtually the same as traditional turkey roasting, but without the need for basting to keep the turkey moist. Whether preparing a holiday meal or making an ordinary day extraordinary with a turkey feast, baking in a cooking bag results in a juicy turkey every time.

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Step 1

Rinse the turkey with cold tap water and dry the surface of the skin with paper towels.

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Step 2

Remove the giblets and neck from inside the turkey and set them aside if you plan on using them for making gravy or side dishes.

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Step 3

Rub the entire skin of the turkey with Herbes de Provence, coarse kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper.

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Step 4

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

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Step 5

Spoon 1 tablespoon of flour in the cooking bag. Hold the end of the bag closed and shake it to lightly coat the interior of the bag. This will help prevent the bag from bursting.

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Step 6

Place the cooking bag in a cooking pan at least 2 inches deep.

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Step 7

Place the turkey breast side down in the cooking bag.

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Step 8

Seal the opening of the cooking bag with the included nylon ties. Cut six 1/2-inch slits in the top of the bag with the tip of a knife.

Step 9

Tuck any loose flaps of the cooking bag under the turkey.

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Step 10

Place the turkey in the bag and cooking pan in the oven and cook at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Check periodically after 2 1/2 hours and remove when the turkey is golden brown.

Step 11

Remove the turkey from the oven and cut open the top of the bag with a scissors. Use caution, as steam can rise from the opening.

Tip

The turkey may cook more quickly in the bag than you are used to. Judge doneness by the turkey's pop-up timer.

Warning

Make sure your oven rack is low enough so the bag will not touch any other oven racks, the sides or top or the oven, or the heating element as it expands.

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