Herb Roasted Turkey

[Domestic Goddess]

This is the only way I cook my turkey for Thankgiving. I prep the turkey the night before, placing the bird in an oven cooking bag in a large roasting pan in the refrigerator. Then I am set to cook the bird the next day. Most of the time I do this a day or two before Thanksgiving (prep and cook bird). Afterwards, I'll remove all the meat from the bird. Then when it's time to heat the gravy, I'll add as much of the turkey meat to it as I can. (Usually everyone pours gravy over there meat, so I figure why not just mix the two together.) Also, when it's time make the gravy, (and if I've already refrigerated the pan juices the day before) I'll scrape off the excess fat that has accumilated ontop. I've found this is a good way to remove fat from the gravy. Years past I've even cheated and on many occasions I would buy jarred gravy, and add the cooked meat to it. The gravy I used was...Heinz.


Herb Roasted Turkey

1 Reynolds® Oven Cooking Bag, Turkey Size (for 8-24 lbs.)
1 Tbsp. flour
1-(12 to 24 lb.) turkey, thawed (See *Note)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced (See *Note)

Additional vegetables to add:
1 to 2 carrots (optional)
a few cloves of garlic (optional)

Vegetable oil (See *Note)
1 Tbsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried thyme (See *Note)
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. Lawrys Seasoned Salt
regular table salt, desired amount
ground black pepper, desired amount

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Shake flour in Reynolds Oven Cooking Bag.
Place in a large roasting pan, at least 2 inches deep.
Spray inside of bag with nonstick spray to reduce sticking, if desired.
(I do not spray the inside of cooking bag w/a nonstick spray.)

Remove neck and giblets from turkey.
Rinse turkey; pat dry. (See *Note)
Brush turkey with oil. (See *Note)
Combine sage, thyme, rosemary and seasoned salt.
Sprinkle and rub herb mixture over turkey, turning to coat evenly.
Sprinkle a bit of table salt & black pepper inside the cavity,
and over the entire outside of bird as well.

Place turkey inside oven cooking bag.
Add vegetables inside the bird cavity.
Close oven bag with nylon tie; cut 6 (1/2-inch) slits in top.
Tuck ends of bag in pan.

Bake 2 to 2-1/2 hours for a 12 to 16 lb. turkey,
2-1/2 to 3 hours for a 16 to 20 lb. turkey,
and 3 to 3-1/2 hours for a 20 to 24 lb. turkey,
For easy slicing, let stand in oven bag 15 minutes before opening.

*Note: For this recipe, you can substituted ground thyme for the dried thyme.
I also added, 2 medium-sized whole onions, (3-4 ounces each in size)
2 carrots, 2 stalks celery, and a few cloves of garlic.

I baked my (12 -14 lb.) turkey for exactly 2 hours & 15 minutes in the oven,
then let rest ontop of stove for 20 minutes, before removing from oven cooking bag.

Also, I do not pat my turkey dry after rinsing the bird, nor do I brush on the oil.
Immediately after I rinse the bird, I rub on the dried herbs.

KITCHEN TIP:
If turkey sticks to oven bag, gently loosen bag from turkey before opening bag.

 

[Alix]

Domestic Goddess, does the "bag" make the turkey cook faster? I have always gone by the basic rule of 20 minutes per pound if the turkey is -15lbs and 15 minutes per pound if the turkey is +15lbs. 2 1/2 hours would just do a 7lb ish bird safely. Can you elaborate a bit? Just want to make sure everything is safe.

 

[Constance]

My son-in-law cooks turkey in a bag, and it is extremely tender and juicy!

I use the sage and thyme, but hadn't thought of the rosemary. I have a nice plant...I'll have to make use of it!

 

[Domestic Goddess]

Domestic Goddess, does the "bag" make the turkey cook faster?
I have always gone by the basic rule of 20 minutes per pound if the turkey is -
15 lbs and 15 minutes per pound if the turkey is +15 lbs. 2-1/2 hours
would just do a 7 lb ish bird safely. Can you elaborate a bit?
Just want to make sure everything is safe.

Alix, whenever I cooked a (thawed) turkey in one of those Reynold's Wrap Oven Cooking Bags,
the recipe/instructions card that comes with it states...for a 12-16 lb. unstuffed turkey, it will
take 2 to 2-1/2 hours to roast it in the oven. I always buy a 14 lb. bird, and have found it is
done cooking within 2 hours & 15 minutess. I usually buy a turkey that has one of those red
pop-up things that are in them, that let you know the bird is done cooking when they stick up
out of the turkey, and of course I let the turkey sit for at least 20 minutes, (in the bag)
before opening it and removing the turkey.

 

[suziquzie]

Do you have to take it out of the bag at some point to brown the skin?

 

[Domestic Goddess]

Do you have to take it out of the bag at some point to brown the skin?

No I don't, as I don't eat the skin.

 

[suziquzie]

I would have to, I do.

 

[Alix]

AH! Perhaps that is the difference DomesticGoddess, I think I'm doing stuffed instead of unstuffed. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Domestic Goddess]

Since I posted this recipe last, I have made a few changes to the recipe (the ingredients and the instructions), and since I am no longer able to edit the recipe, I hope no one minds that I just repost the recipe, and include pictures of the turkey which I have taken.

Herb Roasted Turkey (Baked in Oven Cooking Bag)


Reynolds® Oven Cooking Bag, Turkey Size (for 8-24 lbs.)
1 tablespoon flour
1 (12 to 24 lb.) turkey, already thawed (See *Note)
2 carrots, peeled and rinsed
2 stalks celery, cut in half if need be
1 medium size onion, peeled and cut in half
a few whole cloves of garlic, peeled

About 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon regular table salt (or desired amount)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (or desired amount)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spray inside of bag with a nonstick spray, to reduce sticking, if desired. Shake flour in Reynolds Oven Cooking Bag. Place in a large roasting pan, at least 2 inches deep.

Remove neck and giblets from turkey.
Rinse turkey; pat dry.
Brush turkey with the vegetable oil. (See *Note)

Combine the thyme, rosemary, seasoned salt, sage, table salt, and black pepper, then sprinkle and rub the herb mixture inside the cavity of the bird, plus over the entire the turkey; turning to coat evenly.

Place turkey inside oven cooking bag. Add vegetables inside the bird cavity. Close oven bag with nylon tie; cut 6 (1/2-inch) slits in top. Tuck ends of bag in pan.

Bake: 8-12 pound turkeys 1-1/2 to 2 hours, 12-16 pound turkeys 2 to 2-1/2 hours, 16-20 pound turkeys 2-1/2 to 3 hours, 20-24 pound turkeys 3 to 3-1/2 hours. (See *Note for roasting a 16 and a 19 pound turkey.)

For easy slicing, let turkey rest in oven bag (on top your stove) for 20 minutes before opening. If the turkey sticks to the oven bag, gently loosen the bag from the turkey, before opening the bag.

*Note: When it comes to prepping the bird, I do not brush the turkey with vegetable oil. Also, when it comes to baking the turkeys, I'll bake a (16 lb.) turkey for 2 hours & 15 minutes, and a (19 lb.) turkey for exactly 2 hours & 30 minutes. But, when I add the herbs and seasonings to the 19 lb. turkey, I use the following amount... 1-1/2 tablespoons of rubbed sage, 1-1/2 teaspoons each... of Lawry's Seasoned Salt, dried thyme, and rosemary, plus I add the 1/2 teaspoon of table salt, and the 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper. And after I bake the 19 lb. turkey, I let it rest on top the stove for 30 minutes, before removing it from the cooking bag.


Additional pictures of the turkey...

 

[PrincessFiona60]

That turkey is beauty, DG. I got enough onion and garlic to stuff my bird, didn't think of celery. Back to the store.

 

[Domestic Goddess]

Yesterday I had prepared an 18 lb. Butterball Turkey, and used the following vegetables, dried herbs, and spices...

1 medium size onion
4 medium size carrots
3 stalks of celery, each cut in half
3 extremely large size whole garlic cloves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 tablespoons dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon of table salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus 1/16 teaspoon of black pepper

I placed the onion and 2 carrots inside the cavity of the bird, and 1 carrot each inside the pockets, which are on each side of the drumsticks and next to the breast of the bird. I also placed a celery half in each pocket, and the remaining halves of celery inside the cavity of the bird. I then placed an extra large clove of garlic in each pocket, and the remaining clove inside the cavity of the bird. I baked the turkey for 2 hours and 30 minutes, and the meat was so moist and tender.

As you can see, I upped the amount of carrots and celery, plus the dried herbs and spices this time when I prepared my turkey, which not only made my kitchen smell even more wonderful while it was baking, but I'm sure it will also make the gravy taste even more flavorful!

 

[Domestic Goddess]

That turkey is beauty, DG. I got enough onion and garlic to stuff my bird, didn't think of celery. Back to the store.

Thank you PrincessFiona60.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

[Dawgluver]

What a lovely bird, DG!

 

[Domestic Goddess]

What a lovely bird, DG!

Thank you Dawgluver!


And let me tell you Dawgluver, that lovely bird sure tasted good too!

 

[Dawgluver]

Thank you Dawgluver!


And let me tell you Dawgluver, that lovely bird sure tasted good too!

I'll bet it did, DG! I recently roasted a bird in the bag, but it didn't look as purdy as yours did. I did not realize the bag cooks a lot quicker than unbagged, and by the time I took its temp, it was 185°F! But thanks to the bag, it stayed nice and moist.

 

[Cheryl J]

That looks beautiful, DG! I too like the idea of adding celery to the cavity. Yum!