Cooking a Turkey in a Convection Oven with Fresh Herbs has incredible flavor and is super easy to make!! Follow my step-by-step instructions when making this best oven cooked turkey.
Are you looking for a way to jazz up your Thanksgiving Turkey? Then this is the recipe for you to make.
Bag cooked turkey is an easy to cook method that you will make over and over again. This recipe with pesto will help you use all those fresh herbs that you have been growing all summer long.
Learn how to make my easy nut free presto using fresh herbs that you can grow yourself.
Over the years we have done deep-fried turkeys, smoked whole turkeys (which is still a family favorite), and many turkeys cooked in an oven bag.
There are so many Thanksgiving turkey recipes to try, and I have tried a lot of them!! But my #1 tip for making a turkey is using a Turkey Roasting Bag!
If you are looking to add some extra flavor to your oven roasted turkey, than try these Thanksgiving turkey injection recipes.
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Turkey Roasting Bag
When using a turkey roasting bag, your bird will cook quicker and will trap the moisture and juices inside the turkey.
Clean-up is a breeze with a roasting bag because if done right, all the mess will be left inside the bag which gets thrown away.
How To Cook a Turkey in a Bag
Thaw the Turkey: Make sure to thaw your turkey ahead of time. Check out the USDA’s guidelines for how to safely thaw a turkey. Depending on which method that you choose, it can take several day to thaw it properly.
Gather Supplies: Gather all your supplies needed to make the roasted turkey. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cooking a turkey in an oven bag is super easy! The first thing that you need to do is buy a box of turkey bags. I can’t tell you how many times I go to cook a bird and there are no turkey roasting bags in our house. Aghhhh!! So frustrating!
Roasting Pan: Use a large roasting pan so that you have a firm surface to hold the turkey. The last thing you want is to have a foil pan crumble on you when the bird is scolding hot.
Clean the Bird: In a clean sink, take your thawed turkey and clean all the guck out of the inside of the bird. Make sure to scrape each side of the spine. Rinse the inside clean with cold water.
How to Season and Prepare an Oven Turkey
Season and Stuff the Turkey: With your favorite seasoning, sprinkle a generous amount on the cleaned inside of the turkey. Place several cleaned and chopped stalks of celery and onions inside the bird. Sprinkle your seasoning on the inside of the wings and leg creases. Then season on top of the bird.
Prepare the Turkey Bag: Place the turkey on a clean cutting board or flat surface. Prepare your turkey roasting bag by opening it up and folding the opening back. Sprinkle some more of the seasoning onto the inside bottom of the bag.
Tie the Turkey: Cut 2 butchers twine strings about 2 feet long. Tie the two legs together by wrapping the string just below the joint and tying to secure them together. Take the second string and secure the turkey wings snug up against the bird.
Bag the Turkey and Make the Pesto
Bag the Turkey: Place the turkey into the prepared oven bag that is in the roasting pan.
Make the Pesto: Prepare my pesto recipe. Or you can use store bought pesto. The pesto will be used to spread on top of the turkey once it is placed in the oven bag. Remember that a little bit of pesto will go a long way. I made ¾ cup of nut free pesto and I would recommend using only half for a large turkey unless you really love pesto and all its flavors.
TIP: Make sure to separate the pesto before spreading onto the turkey because you do not want to cross contaminate the unused pesto with the raw turkey.
Apply the Pesto: Spread the pesto evenly on to the outside of the turkey using a spoon or spatula.
Add Water: Pour about 4 cups of water or turkey broth/stock in the bottom of the oven bag. Blow some air into the bag and quickly twist it shut. Use the special plastic tie to seal the bag shut.
Create Air Vents and Start Roasting: With a sharp knife, poke several holes into the top of the oven bag. Place the prepared pesto turkey into the preheated oven.
How Long to Cook a Turkey in a Bag?
The cooking time of the turkey is going to depend on the size of the bird. When you purchased the box of turkey roasting bags, there is a chart with the size and cook times for the turkey.
This was a 19-pound turkey, and it took about 2 ½ hours to cook in a 350° convection oven. Always make sure to use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the turkey. The turkey needs to reach 165°F and should be checked in several spots like the leg, thigh, and the breast.
What to Have with Your Thanksgiving Turkey?
My family likes mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry stuffing, mashed butternut squash or griddle roasted butternut squash, glazed carrots, Lion’s Mane Mushroom Risotto, and fresh green and yellow beans.
Cooking a Turkey (in a Convection Oven) – FAQ
Go to reynoldsbrands.com for a complete turkey bag cooking chart along with several tips and tricks. Always make sure to use a digital thermometer to check and make sure the turkey cooking in a convection oven is at least 165°. If not, cook until the turkey comes to the 165° temperature.
Cooking a turkey in a convection oven will take less time than a regular oven because a convection oven circulates the hot air around your food.
Cooking a Turkey (in a Convection Oven) with Fresh Herbs Recipe
Oven Cooked Turkey with Fresh Herbs
Cooking a Turkey in a Convection Oven with Fresh Herbs has incredible flavor and is super easy to make!! Follow my step-by-step instructions when making this best oven cooked turkey.
Ingredients
- Turkey, Whole 19 pounds
- Celery 2 stalks
- Onion, Medium 2 each
- Salt 2 tablespoons
- Pepper 1 tablespoon
- Pesto 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Thaw the turkey the day before cooking it.
- Gather your ingredients to make this oven cooked turkey..
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- In a clean sink, take your thawed turkey and clean all the guck out of the inside of the bird. Make sure to scrape each side of the spine. Rinse the inside clean with cold water.
- With your favorite seasoning (I like to use Lawry's Seasoned Salt and Morton Nature's Seasons), sprinkle a generous amount on the cleaned inside of the turkey.
- Place a couple ofl cleaned and chopped stalks of celery and onions inside the bird.
- Sprinkle your seasoning on the inside of the wings and leg creases.
- Then season on top of the bird.
- Put the turkey on a clean cutting board or flat surface.
- Prepare your turkey roasting bag by opening it up and folding the opening back. Sprinkle some more of the seasoning onto the inside bottom of the bag.
- Cut 2 strings about 2 feet long. Tie the two legs together by wrapping the string just below the joint and tying to secure them together.
- Take the second string and secure the wings snug up against the bird.
- Place the turkey into the bag that is in the roasting pan.
- Prepare my nut free pesto or buy already made pesto.
- Spread the pesto evenly on to the top of the bird.
- Pour about 4 cups of water or turkey broth/stock in the bottom of the bag.
- Blow some air into the bag and quickly twist it shut. Use the special plastic tie to seal the bag shut.
- Poke several holes into the top of the bag with a sharp knife.
- Place the turkey into the preheated oven.
- The cooking time of the turkey is going to depend on the size of the bird. When you purchased the box of turkey roasting bags, there is a chart with the size and cook times for the turkey. This was a 19-pound turkey, and it took about 2 ½ hours to cook in a 350° Fahrenheit convection oven.
- To remove the cooked turkey from the bag, cut the top of the bag open, Be careful not to cut to much so the juices still stay in the bag for easy clean-up.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I TRULY LOVE. Thank you for your support!
Nutrition Information
Yield
14Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 234Total Fat 49gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 671mgSodium 280mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 177g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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Looks delicious! I’ll have to give this a try!
I love the fresh herbs, it tasted so good!
Love the idea of adding pesto to this turkey recipe. So juicy and flavorful
I wanted to give our turkey a little kick!
Thank you for recipe. Quick question. Does the turkey using the Reynolds bag get the skin crispy? Thanks and have a great Thanksgiving. J
Yes, as you can see by my pictures, this turkey has crispy skin and nice color.