If you want to host the easiest Thanksgiving turkey dinner, you have to try this paper bag turkey recipe. Cooking a turkey in a brown paper bag keeps the bird moist and eliminates the need for basting since the bag retains all the moisture. Our paper bag turkey makes the most tender and juicy roast turkey.
We have a few turkey recipes on our site, including a smoked turkey, a Cajun style turkey, and a roasted turkey breast to name a few. We even have recipes for turkey thighs and turkey wings, but this recipe for a paper bag turkey may be our most curious method for cooking a turkey.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking a turkey in a brown paper bag helps seal in the moisture and creates a ‘self basting’ environment.
- Unlike the popular plastic roasting bags, a brown paper bag lets the air circulate enough for the turkey to roast instead of steam. The result is beautifully brown, roasted, crisp skin.
- Coating the bag with oil prevents the paper from sticking to the turkey.
- The garlic butter rub gives the turkey extra flavor and bastes the turkey as it cooks.
- The pan juices make a delicious turkey gravy that comes together quickly and easily.
- Cooking the turkey at a lower heat prevents the paper bag from burning.
Ingredients Needed
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for our brown bag turkey recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
- Whole turkey. Try to find a turkey less than 16 pounds.
- Butter. Let the butter get soft so you can mix it with the garlic and herbs.
- Garlic
- Herbs. We used rosemary, sage, and thyme.
- Salt and pepper
- Aromatics to stuff the turkey. We used onions, garlic, celery, apple, and fresh herb sprigs
- Canola oil. Since this recipe cooks the turkey at 350°F, you don’t need a high smoke point oil, but we recommend using an inexpensive oil since it is only needed to grease the brown paper bag.
- Large paper bag. Use the kind you can find at the grocery store. You can also construct your own paper bag with pink butcher’s paper (like the kind we used in our Traeger pork shoulder).
Cooking a Turkey in a Paper Bag
Here is a brief overview to get an idea of what to expect with this brown bag turkey recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
- First, preheat your oven and put the rack in the lowest position, then prepare the herbed garlic rub.
- Spread the butter all over the inside and outside of the turkey (including under the skin).
- Stuff all the vegetables and aromatics into the main cavity of the turkey.
- Saturate the inside of the brown paper bag with canola oil.
- Slide the turkey into the paper bag, then staple it closed.
- Transfer the paper bag turkey to a roasting pan, then coat the outside of the bag with more oil. Slide the turkey into the oven and ensure the bag doesn’t touch the heating element at the top of the oven.
- When the turkey is finished, carefully cut the bag open to let the steam out so the skin stays crisp. Let the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
- While the turkey rests, make the gravy. We used an easy, fail-proof method to thicken the drippings by making a Beurre Manie which is butter and flour mashed into a paste. It’s the same way we made the gravy for our beer can chicken and you won’t get lumpy gravy.
Tips for Success
- Let the paper bag soak in the oil for a minute, and add more oil to any dry spots before inserting the turkey.
- Make sure the paper bag does not touch the heating element at the top of the oven and keep the oven rack in the lower position.
- Calculate the cooking time for your paper bag turkey by adding 12 to 13 minutes for every pound of meat.
- Turkeys with less fat, such as pasture-raised turkeys tend to cook faster, so keep an eye on the meat thermometer and cook until the internal temperature registers 165°F (we actually shoot for a temperature of 157°F because the carry-over heat will continue to cook the turkey about 10°F after you remove it from the oven).
- If you’re using a leave-in thermometer, leave a small opening for the cord when you staple the bag shut.
- Smaller turkeys cook more evenly, so we recommend buying two 14-pound turkeys if you’re hosting a large gathering.
- We place the seam of the bag under the turkey to help hold in more steam. However, be careful when you lift the turkey because the seam can rip easily.
- Save the turkey carcass for homemade turkey broth!
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m not sure about the chemicals, but this recipe has been around for several generations, and I haven’t heard any complaints. If you are concerned about it, you can make your own bag out of pink or brown butcher paper. Butcher paper is food safe and can withstand temperatures over 450°F.
Not at temperatures below 480°F. According to our research, we learned that paper ignites at 480 degrees Fahrenheit and this recipe cooks the turkey at 350°F. However, it may catch fire if the paper bag touches the heating element, so take the necessary precautions to ensure that bag does not come in contact with the heating element.
A bag will hold in moisture and keep the turkey from drying out. Using a brown paper bag (instead of a plastic bag) will allow enough air to circulate so the turkey will roast instead of steam. The bag makes it easy to get a juicy, roasted turkey.
Yes, you can overcook a turkey with any cooking method. For best results, use a leave-in meat thermometer.
If you’re looking for an easy and delicious way to roast a turkey, this method for a paper bag turkey is simple and produces a moist and juicy bird. The gravy made from the pan juices is delicious and goes well with our crockpot mashed potatoes or ricotta mashed potatoes.
And don’t forget all the other Thanksgiving dinner sides, like our sweet potato crunch, cornbread dressing, or rice dressing, and creamy mac n cheese, just to name a few.
Helpful Tools
Some of the following are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission if you click on these links and purchase something. You don’t pay any extra, but it will help us keep the lights on.
For the best results, use an instant-read meat thermometer and check the meat intermittently or use a leave-in meat thermometer so you don’t have to open the oven frequently. The above links are affiliate links from ThermoWorks . They make the best thermometers we have ever used and we highly recommend them.
More Recipes You Will Love
It seems like healthy veggies get lost among all the Thanksgiving sides but our roasted root vegetables, and glazed rainbow carrots stand out with their bright colors.
We love leftover turkey and always put it to use with recipes like turkey tetrazzini, baked turkey burrito casserole, and turkey noodle soup.
Don’t forget dessert. Our no bake pumpkin cheesecake bars and pumpkin pie are always a hit but if you prefer cake, try our pumpkin cake roll.
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Dry Brined Herb Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey 14 to 16 pounds
Herbed Garlic Butter Rub
- 12 tablespoons butter softened
- 6 cloves garlic minced (or 2 teaspoons dried garlic)
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary fresh or dried
- 1 tablespoon chopped sage fresh or dried
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves fresh or dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Aromatics to Stuff the Turkey
- 2 onions slice in quarters
- 2 whole garlic bulbs sliced in half
- 2 stalks of celery roughly chopped
- 1 apple quartered
- 3 sprigs each of sage rosemary, and thyme
For the Brown Bag
- ⅓ cup canola oil or peanut oil
- 1 large brown paper bag the kind you get at the grocery store
For the Gravy
- 1-½ cups of the drippings from the roasting pan
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Instructions
Prep the Turkey and the Bag
- Place the oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Remove the neck and the packet of giblets from the cavity of the turkey. Use a spoon to loosen the skin over the turkey breast. Dry the turkey with a paper towel so the herbed garlic butter will stick to the turkey.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Rub the turkey with the herbed garlic butter. Get under the skin, inside the cavity, and all over the outside of the turkey. If you have a leave-in meat thermometer, stick it into the thickest part of the turkey breast (push down until you hit the bone, then pull it back a bit).
- Pour half of the canola oil into the paper bag. Use your hands to smear the oil all around the inside of the bag. Let the bag sit for a minute or two, so the oil has a chance to soak through the paper bag. If there are dry spots, add a bit more oil until the inside of the bag is thoroughly saturated in oil.
- Slide the turkey into the bag and staple the opening closed (if you are using a leave-in meat thermometer, leave a small gap for the wire to come out of the bag).
Roast the Turkey
- Transfer the turkey to a roasting pan. Cover the outside of the bag with additional canola oil.
- Place the turkey into the oven and make sure the paper bag does not touch the heating element at the top of the oven.
- Roast the turkey for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer registers 165°F in the breast meat. Start checking the temperature at about 2-1/2 hours (We have had the turkey cook much faster on a few occasions. A meat thermometer will give you the best results).
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest in the bag for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the bag open, and be careful that the steam does not burst out and burn your hands. Discard the bag and transfer the turkey to a serving platter or cutting board.
For the Gravy
- Combine the butter and flour in a small bowl and mash the mixture together to create a thick paste (this is called a Beurre Manie, and it is a quick and easy way to thicken gravy without any lumps).
- Skim the fat off the top of the pan juices and pour them into a saucepan. Bring the drippings to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Add about half of the butter and flour mixture and whisk until it dissolves. Continue cooking, constantly stirring for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat the process if you want a thicker gravy.
- Stir in the Worcestershire and soy sauce. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- Oiling the paper bag will do several things: prevents the bag from sticking to the bird, seals some of the pores in the bag and helps hold steam in better
- If you have a different size turkey, calculate the estimated roasting time at 13 minutes per pound.
- We are able to fit a 14 to 16-pound turkey inside a large brown bag. If your turkey is much larger than that, you can staple two paper bags together. However smaller turkeys cook more evenly. Also, larger turkeys tend to be tougher so we always purchase two smaller turkeys when we have a large gathering.
- USDA recommends cooking turkey breast to a temperature of 165°F. For a moist, juicy turkey we cook our turkey until the breast meat reaches 157°F and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes. As it rests, the carry-over cook will bring the temperature in the breast to 165°F or higher.
- Will chemicals leech out of the paper bag? I’m not sure about the chemicals but this is a recipe that has been around for several generations. If you are concerned about it, you can make your own bag out of pink or brown butchers paper. Butchers paper is food safe and can withstand temperatures over 450°F.
- Will the paper bag burn in the oven? We have never had the paper bag catch fire, and we learned that paper ignites and burns at 480°F Since we are roasting the turkey at 350°F it isn’t hot enough to ignite. However, make sure the paper bag does not touch the heating element at the top of the oven. Direct contact with the heating element may ignite the paper bag.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 26, 2019.
