Are There Tricks for Cooking Turkey in a Convection Oven?

By Julia Moskin
November 23, 2011 4:07 pm

I have a new oven with a "true convection" setting. Should I roast the turkey using convection? Tips? — E., California

I will be cooking turkey (stuffed) for the first time in my new convection oven. What are the tricks to get crispy skin and moist meat? (Thinking of a fresh Butterball.) — Joyce White, Philadelphia

"True" convection differs slightly from an oven with a convection setting. A true convection oven has a fan with its own dedicated heating unit; in a regular oven, the convection setting is just a fan that moves the hot air around. For most home cooking, this doesn't make much difference, but for a large stuffed bird, you'll want to go very slowly. Here is specific advice from Molly Stevens, author of "All About Roasting."

Yes, I would definitely use the convection setting. It will help the turkey cook more evenly, brown more readily and give you plenty of crisp skin. With such a big turkey (and because it's stuffed), you'll have best results with lower to moderate oven heat — no higher than 325 degrees convection, even 300 degrees convection if you have the time — otherwise you risk drying out the exterior before the interior (and the stuffing) cooks through. For even more browning, you may want to rub some butter or oil on the skin before roasting. Expect the turkey to take 3 to 4 hours, but always test with an instant read thermometer (the stuffing should register 165 degrees)

Another hint on getting crisp skin is to let the turkey sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a day before Thanksgiving (which means today). This dries the skin, making it quicker to brown and crisp.

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