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I have one method I use more than any other for a perfect, juicy turkey because it brings the absolute BEST foolproof results – my brown paper bag roasted turkey recipe!
I’ve been known to get frustrated with uneven turkey cooking, skin that doesn’t get crispy, meat that dries out – but this method just works, every time!
Growing up, my mom could never figure out if our turkey was cooked enough and would end up overcooking it. I found history repeating itself, I found this paper bag cooking method and developed a perfect herbed turkey recipe, great with a dry brine, to make a turkey I can get excited about serving my family every Thanksgiving.
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love this Turkey in a bag Recipe
If you’ve ever struggled with making Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner, you know the host of problems that can come along with roasting your bird: slow cooking, uneven temps, dry breast meat, flabby skin; but Thanksgiving turkey doesn’t have to be so difficult.
I recently found the foolproof secret to roasting turkey – and the best way to roast a turkey, ever.
The weird trick? Roast the turkey…. in a paper bag!
Any old paper bag – even the grocery bag you bring the turkey home from the store in – will work.
By cooking the turkey in the bag, which seals in the steam to help it circulate around the bird and help it cook faster and more evenly, you can get perfect juicy turkey meat every time.
This is an easy, delicious way to cook perfect, tender, juicy turkey every time.
Ingredients for Cooking a Turkey in a Bag
This Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe doesn’t require a ton of fussy extra equipment, but there are a few standard kitchen tools that will help you get a perfect never-dry roasted turkey every time.
- 1 Turkey (10 to 20 lbs, brought to room temperature): The star of the dish, roasting the turkey at room temperature helps it cook evenly, ensuring a juicy and tender bird.
- Salt and Pepper: Essential seasonings that enhance the flavor of the turkey, helping to bring out its natural taste while also adding depth to the overall flavor.
- 1 Onion (Peeled and Cut into Large Pieces): Adds sweetness and aromatic flavor to the turkey, infusing both the bird and the drippings with a rich depth of flavor.
- 1 Celery Stick (Chopped): Provides a savory, slightly peppery note that balances the flavors of the herbs and vegetables, contributing to the aromatic base.
- 1 Carrot (Chopped): Adds a subtle sweetness that complements the other vegetables and helps create flavorful drippings for gravy.
- 1 Lemon (Quartered): Adds brightness and acidity, which helps balance the richness of the turkey and butter, enhancing the overall flavor.
- 6 tbsp Butter (Softened): Rubbed under the skin of the turkey, butter adds richness, moisture, and helps create a golden, crispy skin.
- 2 tbsp Italian Herb Blend: A mix of herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme, which adds aromatic, earthy, and slightly floral notes, infusing the turkey with a classic herb flavor.
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth: Adds moisture to the roasting environment, keeping the turkey juicy while contributing to the flavor of the drippings for a rich gravy.
- Large Parchment Paper Bag or Brown Paper Shopping Bag: The bag helps create a moist, enclosed environment, effectively self-basting the turkey to keep it juicy while also allowing for a beautifully browned skin.
How To Make Paper Bag Turkey
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients and equipment, you’ll use the following method:
- Brine. Brine turkey with easy turkey brine or dry turkey brine.
- Season and butter. After turkey has brined for 1-2 days, season with herbs, salt, and pepper. Rub butter all over turkey, including under skin. Stuff aromatics like celery, onion, garlic, herbs, and sliced citrus into turkey cavity.
- Add to bag and roast. Slide turkey into paper bag and roast until turkey has fully cooked. Do not open bag to check as it cooks, this releases steam which helps keep turkey tender, moist, and delicious! Remove from bag and crisp under broiler when turkey is fully cooked, if desired.
- Rest. Let turkey rest 20-30 minutes minimum before carving.
- Carve. Carve turkey and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks For Perfect Paper Bag Turkey
Why roasting turkey in a paper bag works. Making a delicious, juicy turkey that won’t dry out is crazy-easy in a brown paper bag – thanks to increased heat from steam that circles around it as it cooks.
Don’t open bag. Opening the bag will let out steam, so you’ll only want to do it towards the end to take your turkey’s temperature. Trust that the bag is basting your turkey for you and locking in all those juices! You could also use a remote meat thermometer so you don’t even have to open the oven!
Crisp under broiler. Crisp under broiler for extra crunch. While the brown bag method will help your turkey skin crisp thanks to your butter rub, you might want a little extra crunch – go ahead and pop your bird under the broiler on high for 5-8 minutes at the end of cooking (watch it very closely to be sure it doesn’t burn) to get a tiny bit extra flavor!
Let turkey rest. Make sure to let your turkey cool for at least 15 minutes before carving to lock in the juices.
How to check turkey’s temperature. Hit the deepest part of the turkey you can WITHOUT touching the bone with a digital thermometer when taking your turkey’s temperature.
Double check for Giblets. Many turkeys have giblets packed in plastic bags or with twine – double check for the giblets to be sure you’re not melting plastic inside your bird! While we want to cook the turkey with the giblets for a delicious gravy, you don’t want to melt plastic. Check for the giblets!
Brine Turkey Before Roasting
Dry Brine: Lately I am obsessed with Dry Brining turkey – I feel like the flavor and texture is so much better than the traditional liquid brine – for a complete guide to dry brining, click here.
Homemade Brine: This easy turkey brine is perfect for an entire turkey – or just a turkey breast – and is easy to whip up. Place brine and turkey in a plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Tip: Do not use turkey brine after raw turkey has been in it – always discard excess.
Turkey Brine Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Kosher Salt: Essential for brining, salt helps draw moisture into the turkey while breaking down muscle proteins, which results in a juicier, more tender bird. Kosher salt’s coarse crystals distribute well over the surface.
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the saltiness and helps create a beautifully caramelized, golden-brown skin when the turkey is roasted.
- 1 Gallon Vegetable Stock: Infuses the turkey with extra flavor during the brining process. The vegetable stock provides a savory base that enhances the overall taste of the turkey.
- 2 Tablespoons Black Peppercorns: Adds a subtle heat and a layer of complexity, balancing the salt and sugar in the brine.
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Allspice Berries: Contributes a warm, slightly sweet, and aromatic flavor, adding a hint of holiday spice to the brine.
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Rosemary: Brings a fresh, herbaceous aroma that pairs well with poultry, adding a distinct earthy flavor to the turkey.
- 2 Teaspoons Savory: A herb that offers a peppery, slightly minty flavor that adds depth to the brine and complements the rosemary and allspice.
- 1 Gallon Ice Cubes: Used to quickly cool down the brine and keep the turkey at a safe temperature during the brining process. The ice helps ensure food safety while allowing the turkey to absorb the flavors.
How to Make Turkey Brine:
- Boil. Bring all ingredients, except ice to a boil.
- Cool. After you reach a rolling boil, turn off heat and let cool.
- Add turkey. Combine cooled brine with ice inside a large bag in a beverage cooler, stock pot, or other large container with a tight fitting lid. Submerge turkey and seal container.
- Keep Cold. Brine for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days – be sure to keep turkey cold with ice as it brines.
What to Serve With Paper Bag Turkey
If you love this easy and delicious paper bag roasted turkey, be sure to check out some of my other favorite easy and delicious holiday dishes you will love!
We love to serve this turkey with Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Scallops, The Best Yeast Rolls, Parker House Style Buttery Soft Dinner Rolls, Brown Butter Bacon Baked Brussels Sprouts, Herb Roasted Acorn Squash, Garlic Butter Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing, Garlic Butter Roasted Potatoes, or The Best Easy Whole Roasted Cauliflower!
Find more of our Thanksgiving Recipes here.
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Turkey in a Bag Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 turkey, 10 to 20 lbs, brought to room temperature
- Salt and pepper
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 tbsp italian herb blend
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Large parchment paper bag, or brown paper shopping bag
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Sprinkle the turkey liberally with salt and pepper on the outside and inside, and rub the salt and pepper on it.
- Be sure giblets are removed from inside birds cavity, and remove from plastic bag or any twine/string they have holding them in if there is any.
- Put the onion, celery, carrot and lemon inside the turkey, as well as giblets and neck.
- Rub butter all over turkey, including under the turkeys skin.
- Generously sprinkle herbs over turkey.
- Put turkey inside the bag and place in a roasting pan.
- Pour the chicken broth inside the turkey cavity.
- Fold bag closed, and tuck under turkey so that it locks in the steam as it cooks.
- Put the turkey in the middle rack of your preheated oven.
- Estimate the cooking time is about 2.5 hours for the first 10 lbs, plus 12 minutes for each additional pound (for example, the cooking time for 12 lb turkey is 2.5 hours + 12 minutes + 12 minutes = 2 hours 54 minutes).
- When turkey is fully cooked (insert thermometer in thickest part of bird without hitting bone to be sure) remove from oven and leave in bag for 15 minutes.
- Then cut the bag open, carve, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have done this for decades! The difference is, I butter the enside of the bag rather than the turkey. It helps baste the turkey as it cooks. I do about 45 mins at 450 and then drop it down to about 200 or 190 depending on the size of the turkey. Then it sits in my oven overnight and is literally dripping with juices when it comes out. We sometimes have to mop the juices up as we cut.
Thank you for sharing your great tips!