Juicy Turkey (Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Nut Free)
I love a juicy turkey, when the meat just melts in your mouth… Growing up, my dad was always the best turkey chef, so I had to see if I could re-create his delicious juicy turkey! Well, it worked; try the recipe and see for yourself!
History of Turkey
Turkeys have been shared at thanksgiving ever since the Pilgrims first had Thanksgiving in 1621. If you want to find out more about the history of title, here is where I found my information!
This post may contain affiliate links. See full disclosure HERE.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15-18 lb turkey. See notes for smaller/larger turkeys
- 1 lb thick cut bacon *optional, this recipe works with or without thick cut bacon
- stuffing *optional, see my go to recipe here
How to Make Juicy Turkey
Take the middle rack out of the oven. Then, preheat the oven to 350F.
Take the giblets out of the turkey and use for gravy, if desired. However, if the turkey is stills bit frozen on the inside where the giblets are, you can scrape out the ice or pour a little warm water in it, till it melts.
If you decide to fill your turkey with uncooked stuffing, add 20-30 mins to your time to make sure the stuffing and meat adequately cooks.
The bacon is optional but highly recommended. Weave the bacon on top of the turkey. The bacon helps the turkey retain moisture and adds a rich flavor to the meat.
Carefully place turkey into a turkey bag and slice a few 1/2 inch holes into the top of the bag. This bag is key to a juicy turkey!
Bake the turkey in a turkey pan with a lid for 3hours (3.5 hours with stuffing). Below is a chart from All Recipes we use to help determine how long we need to cook our turkey for:
Check internal temp with a meat thermometer by pushing the thermometer halfway into the breast, thigh, and stuffing in the turkey. (look for these temperatures: 180°F in thigh. 170°F in breast. 165°F in stuffing).
If your Turkey is not up to temp, heat Turkey for fifteen minute intervals till you reach desired temperatures. If you cook the meat past the temperatures recommended, you will dry out the meat.
Serve hot with desired gravy, mashed potatoes, and other side dishes.
Common Questions
- What if my turkey is frozen? Bring out of your freezer 5 days in advance and let thaw in the fridge. On the morning you plan to cook your turkey, plug your sink drain, fill your sink with hot water, thaw turkey (in its original bag) there for up to 1 hr. Do not let sit out much longer, to reduce possibility of bacteria growth & sickness. Then follow recipe instructions as per usual.
Other Favorite Allergy Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes
Juicy Turkey
I love a juicy turkey, when the meat just melts in your mouth… Growing up, my dad was always the best turkey chef, so I had to see if I could re-create his delicious juicy turkey! Well, it worked; try the recipe and see for yourself!
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 Turkey 1x
Ingredients
- 15–18 lb turkey *See notes for smaller/larger turkeys
- 1 lb thick cut bacon *optional, this recipe works with or without thick cut bacon
- stuffing *optional, see my go to recipe here
Instructions
- Take the middle rack out of the oven. Then, preheat the oven to 350F.
- Take the giblets out of the turkey and use for gravy, if desired.
- Fill your turkey with uncooked stuffing or leave empty.
- If using bacon, weave the bacon on top of the turkey.
- Carefully place turkey into a turkey bag and slice a few 1/2 inch holes into the top of the bag. This bag is key to a juicy turkey!
- Bake the turkey in a turkey pan with a lid for 3 hours. (3.5 hours with stuffing),
- Check internal temp with a meat thermometer by pushing the thermometer halfway into the breast, thigh, and stuffing in the turkey. (look for these temperatures: 180°F in thigh. 170°F in breast. 165°F in stuffing).
- If your Turkey is not up to temp, heat Turkey for fifteen minute intervals till you reach desired temperatures. If you cook the meat past the temperatures recommended, you will dry out the meat.
- Serve hot with desired gravy, mashed potatoes, and other side dishes.
Enjoy!
~Please leave a comment below on how you liked this recipe~
Notes
Below is a chart from All Recipes we use to help determine how long we need to cook our turkey for:
Furthermore, when deciding what size turkey to buy, we usually figure 1 – 1.5 pounds per person.
- Prep Time: 15 Min
- Cook Time: 210