Roasting Turkey in an Oven Bag Is Actually Beneficial.
I’ve been against baking Thanksgiving turkey in oven bags all along. I think this is an easy way to get a moist-skinned bird, even though we all seem to want crispy skin. However, I’m also against making judgments unless I’ve actually tried the method. Last week I bought myself a roasting bag and put a whole turkey in it. This did not lead to sagging skin. It was actually surprisingly successful. And the benefits may be something you’re interested in trying for yourself.
My priorities have always been speed and taste. Cooking a whole turkey quickly is already difficult, so I usually cook it, which solves both problems. The turkey is laid out flat so it cooks faster and the legs and thighs are equally exposed to the drying heat rather than tucked away. This results in improved skin flavor on all parts of the turkey. However, you can’t stuff a turkey, and the truth is that many people like the traditional method of roasting it whole and stuffing it.
How to use a baking bag in the oven
A roasting bag allows you to do just that, and the main advantage is that you don’t have to clean a nasty roasting rack and a pan with half-burnt drips stuck to the bottom. I used Reynold’s oven bags , and according to the packaging, the bag retains moisture, resulting in “tender, juicy meat.”
To use a casserole bag, add a tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the bag and shake it. The instructions on the package highlight this, but be sure to do it. This bit of starch helps prevent the bag from burning and breaking. Load in the turkey and any roasting aromatics, such as quartered onions, thyme and sage sprigs, or lemon slices. Arrange them so they are underneath the bird and place the bag in a deep roasting pan. Tie the opening with one of the included ties, cut some vent holes at the top, and tuck the excess plastic down. Fry according to package instructions.
What are the benefits of baking in the oven?
While I didn’t find that the bag made the turkey meat any juicier than my usual dry brining preparations, it absolutely sealed in moisture. In the picture below you can see that all the drippings and fat collect at the bottom in one big turkey. balloon.
The drops have already been collected. With traditional roasting, removing the turkey from the pan and removing the roasted vegetables so you can deglaze the pan for gravy can be annoying when you’re in a hurry. Everything will be conveniently collected in the baking bag. If you’re strong enough or your turkey is small enough, you can lift the bag, cut off the bottom, and pour all the juices into the pan. What you lose in fondue (brown bits on the bottom of the pan) you make up for in easier cleanup.
Crispy skin is not a problem. As for the crispy skin, I found that this was not an issue at all. The chest skin doesn’t get soggy because you’re cutting vents in the top anyway and most of the steam escapes. When the turkey is almost done, you can make it even crispier by removing the turkey from the oven and cutting the top of the bag open just enough to expose the top and sides of the turkey. Don’t cut it too much or drops may leak out of the bag. Return it to the oven for about 10-15 minutes to finish cooking and for the skin to crisp up even more.
The dice I need to pick
While the casserole bag does reduce the cleanup issues I had with classic casserole, the bag does have a couple of annoying features.
Dismount. It’s hard to remove the turkey from the bag without pouring all the collected juices into the roasting pan. I managed to do it, albeit with a small spill, but it was difficult. I have two suggestions: wait a good 30-40 minutes so you can easily handle the turkey without getting burned, or just pour the contents into the roasting pan. Cleanup will still be easy because you’ve avoided any browned, crusty bits.
Sticky edges. Another annoying thing I encountered is that after removing the turkey from the heat, the bag deflates, which is to be expected, but what I didn’t expect was the plastic bag sticking to the legs and wings of the turkey. I’m not entirely sure why, but the areas where the skin was somewhere between crispy and wet stuck right to the bag. I managed to remove the skin with forceps, but I didn’t want that kind of struggle.
Temperature measurement. This was a problem until I realized it was easy to solve. Just in case you’re wondering how to insert a thermometer when roasting a turkey in a bag, just poke a hole in the bag. There is no point in looking for ventilation holes; They’re in the wrong places anyway. Simply find the thickest part of the thigh and poke through the plastic.
Should you roast turkey in a bag?
If you’ve had nightmare clean-up sessions due to burnt-on grease in your pan, frying bags will be a godsend. Even with the turkey fat and juice spilled, my roasting pan was easy to clean. Additionally, if you don’t like a strong turkey smell in your home for three hours, the bag will help muffle the aroma. And if you like to make your own sauce but want the drippings to be easier to catch, you’ll love using a baking bag.
The bag isn’t perfect though. I don’t prefer it over my simple spatchcocking method, so if you already have something that works for you, stick with it this Thanksgiving. Check the roasting bag another time, and perhaps on a more manageable chicken instead of turkey.