Cooking a turkey in an electric roaster

[MELSMICE]

I have to make 2 turkeys this year so one will be done in an electric turkey roaster, which I've never done.

I always use a turkey bag. Can I use a bag with a roaster? There are no instructions with the roaster, as I borrowed it from someone. If I don't use a turkey bag, how would I cook it in the roaster? It's about 11-12 lbs.

[yoopermom]

Like a Nesco roaster? I have them in four sizes and use them all the time. The website is a godsend, here's the link...
http://www.nesco.com/recipes/?season...=recipe&uid=21

and copy/pasted:

"How to Roast Turkey
One 14 to 22 pound turkey, fresh or frozen
Poultry seasoning
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon browning sauce such as Kitchen Bouquet®(optional)

Preheat 18 quart Nesco® Roaster Oven to 400º F. If you have a 12 quart Nesco®, a maximum 14 pound turkey is recommended. Cooking times (per pound) remain the same.

Clean and rinse turkey. Pat dry. Remove neck and giblets. If desired, prepare separately. Place turkey on rack. Use a pastry brush to spread mixture of butter and browning sauce evenly over turkey skin. Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

Determine length of roasting time, normally 15 to 20 minutes per pound. A stuffed turkey will add 30 to 45 minutes to total roasting time.

Stuff cavity, if desired. Cover. Roast one hour at 400º F. With baster, remove any liquid and fat from cavity of bird and cookwell. Set aside to make gravy. Brush bird with basting liquid or butter mixture.

Reduce temperature to 350º F. Roast for remainder of cooking time. Use baster, to remove any liquid from cavity of bird and from cookwell when cooking time is about half-way through. If dry, baste turkey with basting liquids.

If turkey isn't as brown as you like it, increase temperature to 400º F. Roast remaining portion of time.

Use lift handles to remove turkey. Be careful - rack will be hot. Set turkey on a platter or cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

If turkey is done early, reduce temperature to 200º F. until serving time."

I've cooked all sorts of meats in my nesco, have never used a bag (I would be afraid of it melting up against the sides), and it always turns out fine.

Good luck!

Terri

[powellrj]

I have always used a bag and never had a problem. I have even had them stick to the lid, but it always just peels right off.

[minniecarousel]

I'm using an electric roaster for the first time. I looked on the Reynold's Cooking Bag site, and they say NOT to use a cooking bag in a roaster.

I'll be cooking one on Wednesday, so I'l know how long to cook the second one on Thursday. We eat early, at one o'clock.

[MELSMICE]

Thanks everyone!

[crz4mm2]

Yes you can use a bag in a roaster. I have used a roaster for YEARS.

[DebbieB]

I was just asking my aunt the same thing! I recently moved. My old stove had 2 ovens, a regular size one on the bottom and a smaller one on top. So the turkey would be in the bottom and I could make my other stuff in the top. My new stove is just a regular size oven. So I bought a roaster for the turkey, leaving the oven open for everything else. I was just looking on the bag box, it says not to use with countertop electric roaster ovens. Do you put the turkey straight onto the roaster rack or do you use a foil pan or just put foil on the rack?

[powellrj]

I use a foil pan.

[crz4mm2]

Originally Posted by DebbieB

I was just asking my aunt the same thing! I recently moved. My old stove had 2 ovens, a regular size one on the bottom and a smaller one on top. So the turkey would be in the bottom and I could make my other stuff in the top. My new stove is just a regular size oven. So I bought a roaster for the turkey, leaving the oven open for everything else. I was just looking on the bag box, it says not to use with countertop electric roaster ovens. Do you put the turkey straight onto the roaster rack or do you use a foil pan or just put foil on the rack?

I put mine in breast side down. I don't use any foil. just put it in.

[Mermaid02]

Love my Nesco! Does a great job on the turkey!

[DebbieB]

Originally Posted by Mermaid02

Love my Nesco! Does a great job on the turkey!

Do you just put it on the rack?

[Mermaid02]

Originally Posted by DebbieB

Do you just put it on the rack?

Yep! Prepare it like I was going to put it in my big oven and just put it in. It really does a nice job and leaves the big oven free for pies and breads.

[Kellydelly]

I cooked a turkey (11 lbs) last month in my regular crockpot, it turned out moist and tender and actually browned up too . I have cooked a turkey in my big electric roaster before and it was okay, didn't brown up very much though. I didn't set it on a rack or put it in a bag, just seasone it and stuck it in.

[wowsmom]

Originally Posted by yoopermom

Like a Nesco roaster? I have them in four sizes and use them all the time. The website is a godsend, here's the link...
http://www.nesco.com/recipes/?season...=recipe&uid=21

and copy/pasted:

"How to Roast Turkey
One 14 to 22 pound turkey, fresh or frozen
Poultry seasoning
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon browning sauce such as Kitchen Bouquet®(optional)

Preheat 18 quart Nesco® Roaster Oven to 400º F. If you have a 12 quart Nesco®, a maximum 14 pound turkey is recommended. Cooking times (per pound) remain the same.

Clean and rinse turkey. Pat dry. Remove neck and giblets. If desired, prepare separately. Place turkey on rack. Use a pastry brush to spread mixture of butter and browning sauce evenly over turkey skin. Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

Determine length of roasting time, normally 15 to 20 minutes per pound. A stuffed turkey will add 30 to 45 minutes to total roasting time.

Stuff cavity, if desired. Cover. Roast one hour at 400º F. With baster, remove any liquid and fat from cavity of bird and cookwell. Set aside to make gravy. Brush bird with basting liquid or butter mixture.

Reduce temperature to 350º F. Roast for remainder of cooking time. Use baster, to remove any liquid from cavity of bird and from cookwell when cooking time is about half-way through. If dry, baste turkey with basting liquids.

If turkey isn't as brown as you like it, increase temperature to 400º F. Roast remaining portion of time.

Use lift handles to remove turkey. Be careful - rack will be hot. Set turkey on a platter or cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

If turkey is done early, reduce temperature to 200º F. until serving time."

I've cooked all sorts of meats in my nesco, have never used a bag (I would be afraid of it melting up against the sides), and it always turns out fine.

Good luck!

Terri

Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooo much for posting this. We bought a roaster last year and our turkey came out great, except the pale skin.

When I saw this the other day, I thought "I'll have to try the butter/browning sauce". So when I put the turkey in the roaster an hour ago, I brushed the butter/browning sauce mixture over all the skin. Just checked it (to remove the drippings, as recommended) and it's a beautiful golden brown.

[minniecarousel]

I took the plunge and used the cooking bag in the roaster and the 20 lb turkey was done in 3 - 3 1/2 hours. (Next time I'll add the browning sauce in an attempt to brown in up a little. It came out pretty pale.)

Tasty and moist. This is the way we'll go from now on.