Turkey in roasting pan with carrots and potatoes

HOW TO BASTE A TURKEY

Whether you’re hosting a big dinner or looking to develop your cooking skills, basting a turkey isn’t just a method saved for the pros. Basting is an easy technique to use while your turkey is roasting to help you achieve tasty, mouth-watering results. Read on to learn how easy it is to baste a turkey and try a turkey basting recipe that brings out the delicious flavors of this traditional main course. 

Turkey in the oven garnished with citrus and herbs Turkey in the oven garnished with citrus and herbs

WHAT IS TURKEY BASTING?

Basting is a cooking technique that helps to make meat or poultry more flavorful and juicy while it cooks. You do this by brushing, spooning or using a baster to apply hot liquids like oils, sauces or juices onto the meat at intervals throughout the cooking process.

WHY SHOULD YOU BASTE A TURKEY?

Basting can add delicious flavors to your turkey and help get the outside nice and crispy while keeping the inside juicy. It is a widely-used technique that can help prevent your turkey from drying out as it cooks.

BASTING A TURKEY

This simple guide will help you prep your turkey for basting and teach you how often to baste a turkey. Once you’ve picked up these tips, you can experiment with basting flavors for your own turkey dishes. 

Keep in mind that every time you open your oven door, your oven loses heat. When you’re basting, it’s better to remove your turkey from the oven and close the oven door to prevent too much heat from escaping. Make sure you have all of your basting tools ready to go, to keep the process quick. 

SUPPLIES

  • Turkey

  • Kosher salt

  • Ground black pepper

  • Olive oil, optional

  • Butter, optional

  • Turkey’s natural juices

TOOLS

  • Roasting rack set

  • Turkey baster, optional

  • Basting brush, optional

  • Spoon or ladle, optional

Cooked turkey in a roasting pan with vegetables

STEP 1: PREHEAT AND PREP TURKEY

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Use paper towels to pat your defrosted turkey dry, and then season it with some salt and black pepper. Place the turkey on a roasting rack with the breast side facing up and place it in the oven.

Basting brush inside a bowl of gravy mixture

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR BASTING OIL

As your turkey begins cooking, pour olive oil or melted butter into a small bowl.

Cooking turkey in an oven rack set with its juices below

STEP 3: BASTE

Remove your turkey from the oven, keeping the oven door closed to retain heat. Use a turkey baster to draw up your choice of basting liquid from the bowl, squeezing and releasing the bulb to fill it. Gently press the baster bulb to drip the liquid evenly over your turkey, starting with the larger areas across the breasts and then moving to wings and drumsticks. You can also use the juices from the roasting pan for basting. Repeat this about every hour while your turkey is cooking to keep it moist.

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HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU BASTE A TURKEY?

The suggested basting interval is about every hour. If you baste more often than that, your oven can lose heat as you continually open and close the oven door. This loss of heat can result in longer cook times for your turkey. Basting every hour or so strikes the right balance between getting the advantages of basting without cooling the turkey too much.

WHAT DO YOU BASTE A TURKEY WITH?

Butter is often the preferred basting choice in recipes because of the flavor it adds to your meat. Oils such as canola, olive or vegetable oils are also commonly used, but it truly depends on your own preferences. Both options can be blended with flavorful herbs for a savory turkey. 

You can use different tools for basting, like a brush, spoon or a turkey baster. Each tool applies your basting liquids on the turkey in different ways. You can focus on specific parts of the turkey or spread liquids over a bigger area, depending on the tool you choose.

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SIMPLE TURKEY BASTE RECIPE

This recipe has a delicious blend of flavors and is easy to make. Enjoy a flavorful turkey when you baste with this simple recipe.

INGREDIENTS

  • Butter

  • Chicken broth

  • Lemon juice

  • Minced garlic 

  • Dried thyme

  • Dried sage 

  • Dried parsley leaves

TOOLS

Cook Time

  • 3 minutes

PREP TIME

  • 2 minutes
     

TOTAL TIME

  • 5 minutes

Bottle of olive oil resting on a countertop

STEP 1: PREP YOUR SAUCEPAN

Gather all the ingredients and place them in the saucepan.

Oil being poured into a saucepan on an active stovetop

STEP 2: COOK

Set your stovetop to medium heat. Mix ingredients as the butter melts.

A stuffed, cooked turkey in the oven with other dishes

STEP 3: COOL AND BASTE

After the butter has melted and your ingredients are sufficiently blended, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool before placing the mixture into a heat-safe bowl. Use a basting brush to apply the mixture over your turkey, including tighter areas around the wings and legs. Baste about every hour as your turkey bakes, until it is fully cooked.

EXPLORE MAYTAG® RANGES & WALL OVENS

Ranges and wall ovens are often at the center of kitchen life. With many available features and styles, you can choose a Maytag® range that will meet your needs. Make quick work of your roasted turkey with True Convection with Third Element. This feature, included on select models, can help you bake and roast faster1 and offers cooking coverage for big or multiple dishes. Explore the convenient features of Maytag® wall ovens and ranges.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WALL OVEN AND RANGE POSSIBILITIES WITH MAYTAG BRAND

1. Compared to traditional thermal-bake ovens.

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