Turkey in a bag with lemon and herbs.

How to cook the turkey in the oven. Web it’s really just about personal preference. If possible, put the turkey in the oven so the legs face toward the back, since these take longer to cook than the breast. Pat the tops and sides of the turkey dry with paper towels and throw them out.

Prep the turkey unwrap the plastic around your turkey while holding it over the sink to ensure that any juices will run down the drain. Web either brine the turkey beforehand or salt the inside and outside of the bird generously, then stuff the cavity with aromatics, like lemon halves, wedges of onion, and herbs. This turkey has all the flavor that grandma’s used to have, minus the hassle.

Once the turkey is prepared and the oven is on, put the turkey in the roasting pan and cover it with the aluminum foil tent. Put the onion and a large sprig of bay in the cavity between the legs. The usda doesn't recommend cooking under 325 ° f however,.

Web set the turkey on a cookie sheet or pan, to catch any liquid the turkey may drip as it defrosts in the fridge. The turkey is done when it registers a minimum of 165° in the thickest part of the thigh. We are big proponents of always cooking with bone in and skin on meat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f on the convection setting. The flavor can’t be beat, and there’s nothing quite as delicious as crispy skin. Your guests will not be disappointed!

(scott suchman for the washington post/food styling by lisa cherkasky for the. If you wash your turkey in your sink you will just contaminate your sink. Of course, you can add more spices to suit your taste.