The Genius Hack That Eliminates The Need For A Turkey Roasting Rack

There is a slew of tips for cooking a perfect turkey, but trying to achieve a roasting a gorgeously burnished bird can be stress-inducing. One popular belief is that the must-have equipment for the task includes a turkey roaster with a rack. However, that apparatus is generally enormous. If you're just cooking a smaller bird rather than the traditional holiday 20-plus-pounder, then you don't really need either the roasting pan or the rack. One of the easiest and best hacks for getting around that issue involves an item that's likely in your pantry or kitchen drawer: aluminum foil. It comes in handy if you're wondering whether to roast the turkey covered or uncovered when you drape a piece over the breast meat to prevent it from over-cooking. But foil can serve double duty underneath the turkey by elevating the bird just as a roasting rack does.

The idea is to prevent the turkey from getting drowned in its own exuded juices, which will render a dreaded soggy bottom. Even a team of recognized turkey-roasting experts at Butterball University recommend substituting foil for a roasting rack by rolling it into a coil and laying the turkey on top. Butterball University is vague about the exact shape the foil coil should take, but another more precise method involves twisting a couple of feet of foil into a figure eight, which then raises up the front and the rear of the turkey. This method also works for roast chicken and roasted pork tenderloin.

Alternatively, you could mold two rings of aluminum foil or a few foil cylinders to keep the turkey from touching the bottom of the pan. One of the tastiest substitutes for a rack is roasting a turkey on top of vegetables. Root vegetables, cut into large pieces, work especially well since they can hold their shape and texture for longer periods of cooking. And while you're at it, toss in the turkey neck or quartered lemons or oranges for even more amped-up flavor.

Butterball University also suggests that you don't need a turkey roaster. Unless the turkey is elevated, high-sided roasting pans steam the turkey rather than brown it. Roasters that are higher than three inches tend to undercook legs and thighs because the sides of the pan protect the dark meat from heat. However, this portion of the bird needs more time to cook, while the breast, needing less time, is overexposed and dries out. You could certainly purchase a pan with lower sides, such as the Farberware Bakeware Nonstick Steel Roaster with Flat Rack. You can also go with Ina Garten's favorite sheet pan or your oven's broiler pan, both of which are shallow enough to allow for even heat distribution around the turkey. Another option is to try the aluminum foil hack with a sheet pan. However, because it's usually only one-inch deep, placing a wire cooking rack into the pan is recommended instead.