A Guide to Cooking a Moist Turkey with an Oven Cooking Bag
Using an oven cooking bag to cook a turkey is a great alternative to roasting. Cooking a moist turkey is a lot easier with an oven cooking bag because all the juices and moisture are trapped inside the bag. Roasting is more difficult because it is a dry-heat method that can make the meat tough and dry.
Cooking a moist turkey with an oven cooking bag consists of putting the turkey in a large heat tempered plastic bag that is designed to withstand high oven temperatures.Most grocery stores sell these plastic bags and they come with instructions. When cooking a moist turkey, coating the turkey in butter or olive oil can help in keeping the meat juicy.
In order to ensure that they bag doesn’t burst you have to put a tablespoon of flour in the bag prior to putting the turkey in it then you have to shake it to make sure the flour coats the bag. You also have to cut slits in the bag prior to putting it in the oven. Cooking a moist turkey is made simple in the moist-heat environment of an oven cooking bag.
Tips on Safely Cooking a Moist Turkey with an Oven Bag
Preheat the oven to 350F before putting your turkey in. Make sure the pan you put the turkey on is big enough so that the bag is not hanging over the sides. Also make sure that the bag is not touching the top or sides of the oven because otherwise it will melt. You need to allow enough space for the bag to expand during cooking.
You can insert a meat thermometer right into the turkey. You will know the turkey is safe once the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165F. Read a guide on fine cooking and follow directions on cooking length based on the weight of your turkey. You may want to baste your turkey but keep in mind that basting will not affect the moistness of your turkey. It will affect the flavor of the turkey’s skin but the meat on the inside will not become any moister with basting.
Try not to open the oven often and peek at your turkey. Evenly cooking a moist turkey is difficult if you open and close the often too often. You need to keep the oven closed as much as possible in order to maintain a constant temperature in there.
During the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking, you can take the turkey out of the oven bag to ensure that the skin browns nicely. You can also put a glaze on the turkey at this time if you so wish.Successfully cooking a moist turkey is also easier if you hold off 20 minutes to carve it after taking it out of the oven. This keeps the juices in the turkey rather than all over your counter.
Your goal? Take this information and use it as a guide in cooking a moist turkey. Nobody likes dry, tough turkey meat. By following these simple tips and cooking your turkey with an oven bag, you will end up with a turkey that is golden and crispy on the outside and juicy and moist on the inside.
