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This turkey in a bag recipe makes Thanksgiving dinner a little easier! Butter and herbs give it plenty of flavor, and the oven bag helps keep the meat juicy without constant basting. Less checking on the turkey means more time for everything else on your Thanksgiving list!
Why You’ll Love This Turkey in a Bag!
- No constant basting:Â The bag helps hold in moisture while the turkey cooks.
- Simple ingredients:Â Butter and pantry seasonings do the work without a long shopping list.
- Less cleanup:Â The bag catches the drippings, which you can save for gravy.
Ingredients For Cooking Turkey In a Bag
You’ll find the complete ingredient list and measurements in the recipe card below. Here are a few things to know before you start!
- Turkey: Be sure to safely thaw it according to the package instructions.
- Dried Italian Seasoning: Turkey is delicious when seasoned with dried herbs!
- Garlic and Onion Powder:Â Both go into the seasoning mixture, so have them ready before handling the turkey.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper:Â Measure these with the other seasonings before you begin.
- Butter: Let it soften first so it’s easier to spread. Butter gives the turkey a great flavor and golden color.
- Flour: This is for preparing the oven bag, rather than seasoning the turkey.
- Oven-Safe Bag: Make sure it is a large turkey-sized oven bag.
Equipment Tip
Use a turkey-size oven roasting bag, a roasting pan, and a meat thermometer. A brining bag or ordinary plastic bag cannot replace an oven roasting bag.
How to Cook a Turkey in a Bag
Start with a fully thawed, unstuffed turkey, then follow these steps to get it ready for the oven. Use the cooking chart below to plan your timing and a meat thermometer to check doneness.
Prepare the Turkey
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat to 350°F. Position a rack low enough to leave room for the turkey and the bag to expand, removing any racks above it.
- Prepare the Bag:Â Add 1 tablespoon of flour to a turkey-size oven roasting bag and shake to coat the inside. Set the bag in a roasting pan at least 2 inches deep.
- Prepare the Turkey:Â Remove the neck and giblets from both cavities. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels without rinsing it. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips underneath.
Butter, Season, and Place Turkey in Bag
- Mix the Seasonings:Â Stir together the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Butter and Season:Â Rub the softened butter over the outside and inside the cavity of the turkey, then season with the seasoning mixture.
- Seal and Vent: Place the turkey breast-side up inside the bag. Close with the supplied oven-safe tie, then cut six ½-inch slits in the top if using a Reynolds bag. Follow your bag’s package directions if they differ. Tuck the ends inside the pan, leaving room for the bag to expand without touching the oven walls, racks, or heating elements.
Roast and Rest
- Roast: Cook according to the timing chart below and your oven bag’s package directions. Begin checking the temperature early, since cooking time varies with turkey size. My 14-pound turkey took about 2½ hours.
- Check for Doneness: Insert a meat thermometer through a slit in the bag. The turkey should reach 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, innermost thigh, and innermost wing, without touching bone.
- Rest and Serve:Â Remove from the oven and let the turkey rest in the bag for 15 minutes. Carefully cut open the bag, keeping your face and hands away from the escaping steam. Transfer to a platter and save the drippings for gravy!
How Long to Cook a Turkey in a Bag
These are Reynolds’ approximate cooking times for a fully thawed, unstuffed turkey at 350°F. Timing varies, so begin checking early and use a thermometer to confirm doneness.
| Turkey Weight | Approximate Cooking Time |
|---|---|
| 10–12 pounds | 1½–2 hours |
| 12–16 pounds | 2–2¼ hours |
| 16–20 pounds | 2¼–2½ hours |
| 20–24 pounds | 2½–3 hours |
My 14-pound turkey took about 2½ hours. Follow your oven bag’s package directions and check for 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, innermost thigh, and innermost wing, avoiding bone.
Note: This chart provides general timing guidance for different turkey sizes. The ingredient amounts in the recipe below are for a 12–18-pound turkey.
Plan Ahead for Thawing
Allow about 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 4–5 pounds of turkey. Keep it in its wrapping inside a container to catch drips. Once thawed in the refrigerator, cook within 1–2 days.
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Turkey In a Bag
Ingredients
- 1 Turkey about 12-18 lbs. (thawed according to package)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the Turkey
- Adjust the rack of your oven to be on the second position from the bottom and remove any racks above. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Use a roasting pan at least 2 inches deep and large enough to hold the turkey comfortably. Also, make sure your oven-safe turkey bag is larger than your turkey so it can wrap all the way around it.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour into the turkey bag. Shake well making sure to coat the inside of the bag with flour. Place the bag in the pan and prepare the turkey.
- Remove the neck and the bag of giblets from the turkey's cavities. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels without rinsing it. Be sure to throw away the paper towels and wash your hands well.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips underneath.
Butter, Season, and Place Turkey in Bag
- Mix together the dried Italian seasonings, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Rub the softened butter over the outside and inside the cavity of the turkey, then season with the seasoning mixture.
- Place the turkey breast-side up inside the bag. Close with the supplied oven-safe tie, then cut six ½-inch slits in the top if using a Reynolds bag. Follow your bag’s package directions if they differ. Tuck the ends inside the pan, leaving room for the bag to expand without touching the oven walls, racks, or heating elements.
Cook and Rest the Turkey
- Place the pan in the oven and roast according to your oven bag’s cooking chart. Begin checking the temperature early, since cooking time varies with turkey size. My 14-pound turkey took about 2½ hours.
- Insert a meat thermometer through a slit in the bag. The turkey should reach 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, innermost thigh, and innermost wing, without touching bone.
- Remove from the oven and let the turkey rest in the bag for 15 minutes. Carefully cut open the bag, keeping your face and hands away from the escaping steam. Transfer to a platter and save the drippings for gravy!
- Optional: Garnish around the turkey with sliced fresh parsley or herbs, oranges, lemons, and cranberries.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Turkey in a Bag Questions
- Will the skin get crispy? The turkey can brown inside the bag, but the trapped moisture means the skin won’t have the same crisp texture as an uncovered roast turkey.
- Do I need to baste it? No! Leave the bag closed while the turkey roasts.
- Can I use the drippings for gravy? Yes! After resting and removing the turkey, carefully collect the drippings from the bag to use for gravy.
Recipes Using Leftover Turkey
Turkey leftovers deserve more than another sandwich! Turn what’s left into a casserole, pot pie, soup, or turkey salad for an easy meal after Thanksgiving.
i have never tried cooking in a bag but this recipe sound really good
I love your recipe
I have a question. Can i cook my turkey in a bag in an electric roasting pan?
I’ll only have 3 people eating Thanksgiving dinner, i want to cook a turkey breast in a bag, i hate dry turkey meat, so if i can do this maybe i’ll make dinner instead of us going out for dinner. Can you supply a recipe for turkey breast in a bag recipe. I’m too old to be fussy. Thanks
You can follow the same instructions for a turkey breast, but reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons and all the seasonings to 1/2 teaspoon. The cooking time will be about 20 minutes per pound, so roughly 1.5-2 hours for a turkey breast.
This is just my style, easy peasy in the cooking bag. Thank you for explaining in detail because I am not a cook. I need specifics to avoid possible mistakes! Plus I love juicy turkey & have made mistakes resulting in dry turkey.
Where do you buy bags for cooking a turkey in. And do they come large enough for a 25 pound turkey. We live in Canada & I have never saw them in our grocery stores.
Hi Carol, they are usually easier to find seasonally. I would ask your local grocery store if they have any and if they will be getting any in for the holidays. Here is a link I found to purchase them online through Target, but I’m not sure if you will be able to get them in Canada. If not, I have a new dry brine turkey recipe I will be posting later today. You don’t need a bag for that recipe and it makes the turkey incredibly flavorful and juicy.
I saw where you had a recipe for turkey gravey without the drippings. I can’t seem to find it now today. Can you send me the recipe. Thanks Rosemarie
Hi Rosemarie! I think the recipe you’re looking for is this one for brown gravy. Happy Thanksgiving!
I love this, it is the only way I cook my turkey. So much easier and the turkey stays moist.
I have used a bag for years. Best way to cook a Turkey, plus it cooks faster. You get lots of drippings for gravy. I also stuff my turkey with the dressing.
I do all of the steps above except, no holes in the bag, squeeze into a glass baking dish & cook at 70% power in my microwave ?
10-12lb turkey Been doing it for 35 yrs this way, delicious every time. .
I’m going to try this! I’ve never been in charge of the Turkey before! Can I use your Oven Baked Herb Turkey recipe and cook it in the bag? Love the herbs and citrus idea but want to use the bag!
I’m sure that would work great!
Thank you, Hon! I have seen but never tried it in a bag! Since it will only be John and I, I will try it that way!! Will let you know how we like it! Thanks again, hon….Marcy
Oh, this is my new favorite way, you’re going to love it! I don’t know if I will ever go back to cooking it any other way. Let me know what you think!!