The number one Thanksgiving turkey tip promoted every year is basting. You know it, you\u2019ve seen it, or you\u2019ve personally done it\u2014tediously standing in front of an open oven radiating heat while trying to navigate a basting tip into the rich pan juices of the turkey, and then somehow getting those juices on top of the turkey without splashing yourself or burning yourself on the hot edges of the pan and the oven. The internet consensus is that this is the number one way to end up with a moist, juicy Thanksgiving turkey.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to be super transparent with you (and this may have already been apparent): I don\u2019t do this<\/strong>, and neither does most of the Food52 Test Kitchen. But, if this is a method you want to try, or you love tradition, read on for how to do it and how often to baste; our best tips for if you must<\/em> baste; and also why we don\u2019t\u2014and what you can do instead.<\/p>\n Simply, it’s a process that involves coating a protein\u2014or other item\u2014in its own juices, or in a prepared sauce or melted fat, which is designed to promote the retention of moisture and even cooking. By routinely, usually in a timed cadence, coating a roasting protein in its own fat, the moisture is locked into the meat, the flavors are evenly distributed, and everything turns out nice and golden brown.<\/p>\n First, what you need is a (hot) liquid with a good amount of fat. Using a lean sauce here isn\u2019t as effective, as water will dry out the skin of the bird. Fats and lipids are more likely to permeate and cling to the skin, sealing it with a protective barrier against the heat. This can assist with browning of the turkey skin\u2014without burning\u2014and also imbuing lost flavor from the juices shedding into the roasting pan.<\/p>\n Second, you need the right tools, and a bit of technique. Anna Billingskog, Senior Food Stylist and our only hold-out, still bastes her turkey, but in her own way. \u201cI think basting with butter or pan juices (as long as there’s a good amount of fat) is helpful for a bird like a turkey.\u201d She elaborates: \u201cI mean\u2026 I\u2019ll baste a turkey\u2026I just don\u2019t use a baster itself.\u201d As a typical basting tool<\/a> only holds \u00bc cup of liquid (and not to mention immediately starts leaking the liquid the second it\u2019s slurped up), Anna\u2019s right that a bulb baster isn\u2019t your best, or most effective, tool here.<\/p>\n Some cooks lean towards a large spoon<\/a> (think: serving size), but we prefer a ladle<\/a> or a small glass measuring cup. Additionally, instead of keeping the oven open trying to chase the liquid around the pan needed to top the turkey, try heating a separate pot on the stove of chicken stock, duck fat, butter, or a combination of the three to ladle over the turkey\u2014this saves you time (the faster in and out of the oven, the less your oven has to work, and the more consistent the temperature can try to stay), and lessens the chance that you\u2019ll burn yourself in the process.<\/p>\n The best practice for basting is no more than once an hour. Any more won’t add any extra moisture or flavor\u2014in fact, it’ll do the opposite in the long-term (see below)\u2014and opening the oven excessively will wildly fluctuate its temperature for most of the cooking time.<\/p>\n Simply put, no.<\/strong> Here\u2019s my holiday ethos: cooking doesn\u2019t have to be difficult. The late fall\/winter season is already filled with so much stress, from taking work projects through the Q4 finish line, to attempting to mitigate hosting famil(ies), to managing holiday break for kids, to traffic jams and traveling. The last place you need more stress is in your home kitchen. And for me, basting = Big Stress<\/strong>. Additionally, it\u2019s a task that keeps you confined to the kitchen, when you could be spending your time catching up with loved ones, relaxing, and enjoying the holiday.<\/p>\n Allison Buford, our Test Kitchen Director, says it best: \u201cIt\u2019s messy and sometimes even dangerous (hot oven, large, unwieldy bird, and usually with lots more activity\/distractions in the kitchen).\u201d<\/p>\n The act of basting, and therefore opening up your oven numerous times throughout the lengthy cooking process, does a disservice to the turkey in multiple ways. One, by opening up the oven so often, you\u2019re deregulating the temperature, not only causing sharp drops in temperature, which will then increase your overall cook time as the oven struggles to come back to temp, but because basting is surface-level, you\u2019re adding a lot of extra moisture to the skin, so it stays soggy, pale, and chewy instead of getting nicely brown and crispy. The fluctuating temperature will also contribute to having that less-than-ideal exterior, as a lower temperature (below 450\u00b0F) doesn\u2019t provide the high blast of heat needed to create that photo-ready turkey, and you\u2019ll end up leaving the turkey in the oven even longer, drying it out, trying to chase that golden-brown result.<\/p>\n And this change happens quickly, too. In our Test Kitchen, just 30 seconds of an open oven resulted in a 25-degree drop. Typically, basting is a few minute process, which could result in a triple digit drop\u2014hugely detrimental to your Thanksgiving day.<\/p>\n Above all else, a lot of cooks don\u2019t notice a huge beneficial outcome when basting. \u201cI usually don’t baste because it’s just extra effort when I feel like the beauty of roasting a bird or any piece of meat is that it’s hands off,\u201d says C\u00e9sar P\u00e9rez, Test Kitchen Assistant and pro cook. \u201cThe times I have chosen to baste, I didn’t feel like the end result was much different or that much better.\u201d Basically, any benefit you can gain from basting is lost in the process of opening the oven every hour.<\/p>\n Though the idea of simply leaving your turkey unsupervised<\/em> feels counterintuitive and scary, here are some of our best tips if you\u2019re ready to try a more hands-off turkey roasting this Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n A spatchcocked turkey<\/a> is essentially a turkey that has had a few cuts made down its center, making it easy for the turkey to lay flat in the roasting pan. This does a few things: it opens up the surface area, allowing heat to directly impact more of the turkey (instead of the inner cavity being hidden and also usually stuffed, which only makes things take longer), cuts the roasting time essentially in half, and makes the carving process easier, as you’re not dealing with an unstable surface anymore.<\/p>\n As basting is all about distributing fat and flavor to be locked into the turkey, a compound butter\u2014rubbed under the skin before transferring into the oven\u2014is a super easy and delicious way to imbue the stuff that\u2019s going to keep the meat super juicy, and also impart delicious, herby aromas (sage butter is a great idea, just sayin\u2019).<\/p>\n If your bird is on the smaller side (think: 5 to 6 pounds), or you\u2019re doing just turkey legs or breasts, then a large Dutch oven may be your best tool. The dappled top of a Dutch oven lid (like this Le Creuset<\/a> 9.5-quart) is designed to collect moisture that\u2019s circulating, then drip it back down onto the surface in an even way throughout the cooking process, no interfering necessary.<\/p>\n I personally don\u2019t have any tips for you, but I do recommend reading our guide to deep frying your turkey<\/a>, then going on YouTube and looking up \u201cfire safety turkey frying.\u201d You\u2019ll be rewarded with a bounty of local fire departments explosively demonstrating how NOT<\/em> to fry your turkeys. Which leads me to my next tip\u2026<\/p>\nWhat is basting?<\/h3>\n
How Do You Baste a Turkey?<\/h3>\n
How Often Should You Baste?<\/h3>\n
Try spatchcocking<\/h3>\n
Make a compound butter<\/h3>\n
Use a Dutch oven<\/h3>\n
Deep fry your turkey<\/h3>\n