Should You Use a Roasting Rack When Cooking Your Turkey?

Here you will find all the tips and tricks you need for roasting a tasty turkey. I promise it’s not the daunting task you may think it is.

Yes, you are asking yourself, “How do I cook this thing?” as you look at the whole turkey. If this is your first turkey, let’s take the mystery out of the turkey roasting process for you. You don’t want any more stress before Thanksgiving dinner!.

As Thanksgiving approaches it’s time to start planning for the star of your holiday table – the turkey! Getting your turkey cooked to perfection is key but should you use a roasting rack? In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of using a rack, when you can skip it, and tips to roast your best bird ever.

What is a Roasting Rack?

A roasting rack is a metal or stainless steel rack that fits inside a roasting pan. It elevates the turkey off the bottom of the pan allowing air flow all around the bird. Many roasting pans come with a rack included. You can also purchase racks separately to fit your pan.

The rack typically has handles or legs to keep it stable in the pan It may be a flat grid or have a curved shape to cradle the turkey. Quality racks are durable and withstand high oven temperatures

Why Use a Roasting Rack?

There are some clear advantages to using a roasting rack when cooking your turkey:

Promotes Even Cooking – With air circulating under the turkey, heat reaches all areas evenly for thorough cooking. This prevents undercooked thighs or breasts.
Crispier Skin – The hot air flow dries out the skin so it gets crispy, not soggy Skin sitting in pan juices gets mushy
Easy Access to Drippings – The rack lifts the turkey above the juices, so you can easily scoop them out for gravy.
Prevents Burning – Keeping the turkey elevated prevents the bottom from burning or over-browning.

So for the best results, a rack really maximizes texture, doneness and flavor. But are there any scenarios when you can go rack-less?

When You Can Skip the Roasting Rack

While a rack is ideal, you can still roast a turkey directly in a pan. Here are some instances when it’s okay to roast without a rack:

If you only have a small turkey breast, not a whole bird.
Using a pan with a very shallow depth. Turkey is closer to top of pan.
Basting the turkey frequently with juices. This prevents skin drying out.
Being extra diligent. Rotate turkey and check often.
Using a high-sided, lidded roaster. Heat is contained around turkey.
Stuffing the cavity which lifts turkey up. However, use caution stuffing before roasting.

While you can roast without a rack with care, for large whole turkeys, a rack really makes a difference for evenly cooked meat and crispy skin.

Turkey Roasting Rack Tips and Tricks

Follow these tips for roasting success using a rack:

Elevate it – Use rack handles or set rack on vegetables to further lift turkey if pan is very deep.
Leave space – Don’t cram bird right up to edges of rack. Allow air flow.
Spray it – Give the rack a spritz of oil spray or brush with oil for easy removal.
Tent foil – Tent foil over just the breast or legs if over-browning.
Make a shield – Fold foil into a shield shape if sides or back crisp too quickly.
Try a sling – DIY foil sling under turkey simplifies moving it.
Watch the wings and legs – Rotate if they brown more quickly than body.

Roast Your Best Turkey Ever with a Rack

Using a high-quality roasting rack helps ensure your turkey cooks evenly from all sides resulting in superior texture. Keep the turkey up out of the juices for delicious pan drippings too. While you can roast without a rack, to get that picture-perfect bird, a rack is your best bet for crispy skin, tender meat and ideal doneness. Give your turkey the lift it needs!

should i use a rack to roast my turkey

Ingredients Needed to Make this Roast Turkey

Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below

Turkey: You can use fresh or frozen turkey in this recipe.
Olive oil
Seasoning for chicken: This is a mix of sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg, and onion powder. It is readily available at most grocery stores.
Salt
Pepper
Kitchen twine is used to tie the turkey legs together so they cook more evenly.

Convection versus Conventional Oven

A convection oven has a fan and exhaust system that circulates hot air within the oven itself. This is helpful if you cook on more than one rack at a time because it keeps the oven from having hot and cold spots, which makes the cooking more even.

Since most conventional ovens have their heating elements on the bottom, foods on the bottom rack cook faster than those on the top rack.

For this reason, you don’t need to heat a convection oven as high as you would any other oven. When I use a convection oven, I like to cook turkey at 325 degrees. When I use a regular oven, I like to cook turkey at 350 degrees.

It doesn’t matter what kind of oven you use as long as the turkey is the only thing in there while it roasts. For this turkey recipe, I used a conventional oven. For my Rosemary Orange Roast Turkey recipe, I used a convection oven. Both turned out fantastic!.

For people who have never cooked a turkey before, I get a lot of questions about how long to cook it. What if your turkey isn’t 10 to 12 pounds like the one in this recipe? That can also be hard to understand.

A good rule of thumb for a cook time is around 15 minutes per pound. This might be a little different if your turkey is very small or very big, but for the most part, it works well.

How do you know when the turkey is done? First of all, a meat thermometer is a must.

An old-school meat thermometer that has a dial works well. It just takes some time to register the temperature.

These days, you can find an instant-read thermometer that takes just a second or two to measure. The instant-read thermometer is all I use anymore.

When 165 degrees are read in the thickest part of the breast and 175 degrees are read in the thickest part of the thigh, your turkey is done. Some people will take the turkey out about 5 degrees below these temperatures.

For some reason, they think the bird will be more juicy in the end because it will cook about 5 degrees more while it rests. I would start with the temperatures I suggested, but as you get better at roasting turkey, you can try different things to see what works best for you.

Still not the perfect turkey after taking it out of the oven! You need to let the juices settle back into the turkey to make sure the meat stays moist.

I typically tent with aluminum foil and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. I’ve let it sit longer while I finish all the side dishes, and it still turns out juicy and flavorful.

Once the time has passed, you are ready to slice your turkey. There are lots of great videos on YouTube that show you both simple and fancy ways to carve and serve your fresh turkey.

And now it’s time to dig into the fruits of your labor!

How To Make a Roasting Rack For Your Holiday Turkey | Mad Genius Tips | Food & Wine

FAQ

Should you roast a turkey on a rack?

The point of using a rack is to let the heat of the oven circulate around the turkey. You don’t need a specially designed rack for your roasting pan, but you need something to lift the bird above the bottom of the pan. Balls of aluminum foil work perfectly well; you can also use upside-down ramekins.

Do I really need a roasting rack?

A rack is intended to keep whatever you’re roasting out of its juices, which may prevent the bottom of your roast from becoming soft or floppy. This feature also works to promote air circulation, facilitating even roasting and perfect outer crispiness.

Is it better to roast on a rack?

Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan. A heavy pan is best, for even distribution of heat. The rack will prevent the meat from sitting in the drippings. If you don’t have a roasting rack, a wire cooling rack in the bottom of the pan will help raise the meat above the liquid.

What do you put in the bottom of a turkey roasting pan?

Add about 1/2 inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan. This will keep the oven moist and the turkey juicy. This aromatic liquid can be used to baste the turkey while it cooks (there is a debate about whether basting does anything, but it’s part of the tradition).

Do you need a roasting rack to cook a Turkey?

However, you can also try using a Dutch oven, skillet, or baking dish. You don’t need a roasting rack, but it helps to keep your turkey raised. It might come out a little stewed otherwise. You can use a wire cooling rack if you have one.

What is the best roasting rack for Turkey?

For the best roasting rack for turkey, you’ll want something with a nonstick coating to ensure your Thanksgiving turkey comes out without sticking to the rack. Good heat distribution is also key; a rack with an aluminum core will help distribute the heat evenly, crucial for both a golden brown turkey and for roasting vegetables alongside your bird.

Do you need a roasting rack?

According to My Recipes, you need one essential thing: a roasting rack. There are several reasons why using a roasting rack along with your roasting pan will take your turkey from sad panda face to huzzah. The main reason is that a rack literally lifts the turkey off the bottom of the pan.

Why do you put a rack on a Turkey?

The main reason is that a rack literally lifts the turkey off the bottom of the pan. This ensures that hot air circulates around the bird as it’s roasting, producing a more even cook by allowing heat to reach every surface of the skin.

Should a Turkey rack be centered in the oven?

Normally, when you’re cooking something in a flat dish like green bean casserole, if you center the rack within the oven, the dish will be in the center as well. Since a turkey is much taller than a casserole dish, in order for the bird to be the center of attention, the rack may need to be moved to the bottom.

Can you flip a Turkey on a roast rack?

Unlike most meats, you can’t easily just flip a turkey, so the roast rack helps to avoid a partially-soggy turkey and instead will ideally give you a crispy outside, and a moist and delicious bird on the inside – just be careful of the cooking time, as too much time in your oven will get you a crisp, but dry turkey!