Our Family’s Secret to a Juicy Turkey Every Thanksgiving

Can you guess what we use?

Until Thanksgiving, my family’s turkey was thawing on the top shelf of our refrigerator.

Our 18-pounder tasted delicious, even to nonturkey eaters like my dad. The secret?  My mom always cooks turkey in a brown paper bag from the local grocery store - a family tradition dating back to my great-grandmother.  

On Thanksgiving morning, we maintained the same routine we always do:

First, we removed the gizzard package.

After washing and a good salting to rid the bird of bacteria, we put paprika, garlic, and thin slices of butter on the turkey’s various surfaces and in its crevices.

Then, my mom and I carefully maneuvered the turkey into a paper bag so that the bag doesn’t tear. (This year, we went through one bag before getting it right.) It’s crucial that the writing on the bag faces out and is on top so that the ink doesn’t bleed into the turkey or its juices.

We used cooking spray all over the inside of the bag.

My mom and I worked together to tie a string snugly around the brown package and lay it in a baking pan.

The turkey went in the oven around 1 p.m.

It cooked for  four hours at 350F. We followed the directions on the turkey wrapping with an exception: We don’t baste the bird every 30 minutes because the juices stay locked inside the paper bag.

(We try to use the pop-up timer to guide us about when the turkey is cooked thoroughly, but we are mindful that it sometimes fails to work.) After the turkey came out of the oven, it stayed in the bag so that the juices don't escape.

We tore the bag and let it cool inside for 45 minutes before carving it. We removed the bag just before slicing it down.

Just like every other year, all parts of turkey turned out moist and juicy, even the white breast meat. 

And we were once again thankful for our Thanksgiving feast!

But I know that the brown bag isn’t the only tried-and-true method out there. I’d like to learn other ways to ensure a home-cooked juicy turkey (especially as some grocery stores are shrinking their paper bags or doing away with them altogether). Send us your homespun tips this holiday season….