This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.

Have you ever made turkey in a bag? This is my Mom’s Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe – it’s moist every time with delicious flavor thanks to her secret baste recipe. If there is one recipe from mom I look forward to all year, it’s her turkey. It’s the turkey I grew up with and ate every holiday, and now I make it for myself and it’s SO easy to cook turkey in a bag.

stuffed baked turkey surrounded by herbs on a white plate


Why make a turkey in a bag?

Why isn’t the oven bag some sort of revolutionary thing? I just don’t get it…if I lived in Star Trek and had the capability to say order up an instant Thanksgiving meal, I would. Using an oven bag is like doing that: poof! your turkey is done! WHY ISN’T THIS A THING?

My mom cooks her Thanksgiving turkey in an oven bag. It’s just how she’s always done it. It’s the only way I’ve ever seen it done. It’s the way I learned how to cook a turkey, the way I cook it, and it’s the way I’ll teach Jordan.

Why spend 8 hours making something when you can pop it in a bag and it’s done in 3 with no basting required? With my mom’s secret special baste (which is actually a sauce, because there is no basting), the turkey comes out moist every time. My mom has never made a dry turkey, ever.

What is a turkey bag?

The secret of the oven bag is that it self-bastes your turkey. The liquid boils in the hot oven and somehow as if by magic, makes the entire thing golden and tasting delicious. Once the turkey is done and you remove the turkey from the bag, you save the basting liquid and anything that’s drained off the turkey and you make your gravy with it. My mouth is watering thinking about it, seriously.

Cooking turkey in a bag is like magic: done in 2-3 hours!

PRO TIP
ingredients in thanksgiving turkey.

Mom’s Turkey Baste Recipe

Mom’s Thanksgiving Turkey in a bag is always a huge hit with her secret basting sauce.

  • Soy Sauceyou don’t need to salt the turkey and I always use low-sodium soy sauce.
  • Brown Sugar – adds a little sweetness (I’ve also used swerve brown sugar)
  • Sherry or white wine – or use chicken stock if you don’t use alcohol
  • Ground Pepper – freshly ground is my favorite.

How to make your Thanksgiving turkey in a bag

  1. Whisk all baste ingredients in a measuring cup.
  2. Flour your bag with a tablespoon of all-purpose flour so the turkey doesn’t stick.
  3. Once you prep your turkey and add it to the bag, you just need to pour the baste all over it. The bag catches it, so there is no mess.
  4. Slice 6 slits in the bag for air to escape.
  5. The turkey cooks in the exact amount of time specified on the instructions in the bag box. There is a range of time for your turkey size, but basically, your turkey will be done in about 2-3 hours. Since your turkey cooks in a bag there is almost ZERO pan cleanup. << THAT is something I love.
  6. While the turkey is cooking I make stock using the turkey neck, herbs, onions, celery, and carrots. This will help supplement the drippings for the gravy.
sliced turkey surrounded by herbs on a white plate

Serving Suggestions

Serve the best turkey with my favorite sides and pies for Thanksgiving or any holiday (I’ve been known to make this same meal at Christmas and Easter too!)

stuffed baked turkey surrounded by herbs on a white plate

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tip

  • The baste is important, don’t skip that step. Use a sherry or wine you’d drink, not cooking sherry. You can omit it if you don’t do alcohol, just use chicken stock instead.
  • Be sure to flour the bag as directed on the box, and to make sure to cut the holes in it. Both are really important steps.
  • Be sure to save the liquid in the bottom of the bag for gravy. Strain it and scoop off the fat, then use it in your favorite gravy recipe.
  • Follow the cooking times on the instructions on your box. It goes according to weight, but use a thermometer to make sure it’s done.

FAQs

Is it better to cook a turkey in a bag or not?

I think it’s better because it cooks faster and is always moist.

How long do you cook a turkey in a bag?

Follow the directions on the insert in the box the bag comes in. There is a chart for weight and whether your turkey is stuffed or not. The turkey will always cook in the time specified on that chart.

Is it safe to cook a turkey in a bag?

Yes totally safe – the bags are made of food and heat-safe materials.

Can I stuff my turkey in a bag?

You can if you want just be sure to follow the directions on the bag box for how long. I don’t recommend stuffing the turkey in general because you need to be careful that it cooks all the way and that the stuffing is up to temperature – but you can do what you prefer.

stuffed baked turkey surrounded by herbs on a white plate

Mom’s Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

4.66 from 47 votes
Mom’s Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe is cooked in an oven bag! It’s moist every time with delicious flavor thanks to her secret baste recipe.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Yield 8 servings (depending on size of turkey)
Serving Size 4 ounces

Equipment

  • Reynolds Cooking Bag (turkey size)

Ingredients
 

  • 1 whole turkey thawed (you can also use a bone in turkey breast)
  • ½ orange or lemon sliced in quarters
  • ½ medium yellow onion skin removed and sliced in quarters
  • ½ cup (118ml) low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup (59ml) sherry or white wine
  • ½ tablespoon (6g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • Reynolds Turkey Sized Oven Bag
  • 1 tablespoon (9g) all purpose flour
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Remove the neck and giblets from your turkey, then rinse and pat it dry. Discard giblets and neck (see note).
  • Place sliced citrus and onion in the cavity of the turkey.
  • Whisk soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar and pepper together in a measuring cup.
  • Prepare the oven bag as directed on package (shake flour inside the bag and place the bag inside a roasting pan that is at least 2 inches deep).
  • Place the turkey in the bag. Pour the baste over the whole bird. (You do not need to salt the bird; the soy sauce does that for you.)
  • Seal the bag according to package directions and cut six 1/2 inch slits in the top of the bag.
  • According to the directions in the bag, the cooking time will be 1.5-2 hours for an 8-12 lb turkey, 2-2.5 hours for 12-16 lb turkeys, 2.5-3 hours for 16-20 lb turkeys, and 3-3.5 hours for 20-24 lb turkeys.
  • Cook turkey until the internal temperature reaches 180° in the thickest part of the thigh not touching the bone. Remove from oven and let stand in oven bag another 15 minutes.
  • While turkey is still in the pan, cut open the bag carefully and remove the turkey from the bag. Save the juices. Place on cutting board to rest until ready to carve.
  • Store leftover turkey in the refrigerator for 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Servings depend on size of turkey, as does baking time.
  • Because of the onion/citrus inside the bird, it may take to the longer end of the cooking times suggested on the bag instructions.
  • Neck: Want to make your own stock while the turkey cooks? Add the neck with a roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery stock and herbs to a 4Qt saucepan and fill with water (at least 1 inch above the items in the pan). Cover and simmer for 2 hours or until it’s reduced by half. Drain out large chunks then strain through a wire mesh strainer. Use when making gravy.
  • I love making gravy with the juices left in the bag. Pour juices into a measuring cup and spoon off fat, then measure out however much needed. Normally with a mid-range size turkey I get about 2-3 cups juice just from the bag. Supplement with homemade or store bought turkey stock to make gravy as needed.
  • Turkey should rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.
  • Turkey will take 1 day for each 4-5 pounds to defrost in the refrigerator so plan accordingly!

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 40kcal
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Pie Recipes

Last Updated on October 1, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

Learn to Bake in 4 Days!
Get my tips, tricks and recipes to take your baking to the next level for FREE!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




36 Comments

  1. How would make gravy from the drippings? I assume it’s just straining whatever juices are in the bottom of the bag… adding a certain amount flour + butter and simmering it? But how to know how much flour to add? This will be my first turkey in a bag and first time making gravy from drippings.

  2. We made this wonderful Turkey recipe for Thanksgiving! It was delicious, moist, and cooked quickly! Everyone loved it! Definitely our new favorite!!

  3. Somehow I missed this post last year but will surely use your baste recipe this year! I have made my turkeys in a bag for several decades and always simply rub the turkey with softened butter after I have placed it in the bag. It’s time to try something different than just butter. Many years in the past, I have needed two turkeys; the day before I would put one in the oven before leaving for work, come home at lunch to take it out, put the second one in the oven as soon as I got home for the day, debone both turkeys throughout the evening and refrigerate in broth while simmering the necks and giblets with chopped celery and onions (used in the sage dressing). The next day I only have to prepare the dressing, make mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, reheat the sliced turkey meats, and thicken the gravy. I have so many wonderful memories of having so many people at my Thanksgiving table and all of this day-before prep made it fairly easy to do!

  4. This was excellent! Possibly the best turkey I’ve ever roasted. We’ve all decided that we need to eat turkey more often since this was so easy to make and cooked so quickly. Thanks for the great recipe!

  5. This year will be the year I finally nail the turkey. The last few years have been a real disappointment. I don’t know why I’ve had such a difficult time of it. I’ve got a good feeling about this one.

  6. Delish! I have always used a cooking bag. Best thing ever invented never a dry turkey since the first time I used it. So moist believe it or not that I cook my turkey the day before, Cut it and leave it in its own juices until the next day which is Thanksgiving of course.

  7. My father always made our turkeys in 2 brown paper bags. He would slide the turkey in one and crimp the open end. He then slid the crimp side into the second bag and crimped it. Those turkeys were so tender and tasty.
    Now, I have my butcher cut my turkey into parts like a chicken and I cook it covered in an aluminum pan. No muss, no fuss. Delicious and plenty of juice for gravy!

  8. I followed this last night with a 13lbs turkey for Canadian Thanksgiving. Super yummy and easy to prep. I will use this every year from now on!

  9. The best turkey I’ve had in a long time, easy peazey, and fell off the bone, moist and delicious. Thank you, I am saving this recipe!!!