How Often Should You Baste Your Turkey To Keep It Nice And Juicy?

Basting a turkey is a mood. That mouth-watering aroma that slowly blankets the kitchen in anticipation as you bathe the bird in its own golden juices is the stuff of a Norman Rockwell painting. But despite tradition, we recommend you stop basting altogether if you actually want a juicy, perfectly crisped turkey.

Conventional wisdom says that basting helps keep the meat moist, when in fact it can have the opposite effect. Opening the oven repeatedly lets the heat escape, prolonging your cook time and increasing the likelihood that you dry out the bird. Besides, the juice can't really penetrate the skin, and worse still, repeated basting risks a soggy crust.

If you must baste (either for tradition's sake or to mollify grandma who absolutely insists), do so conservatively. Baste only in the last hour of cooking — and go quickly. This way your bird has plenty of time to cook under optimal heat, and  the skin has a chance to crisp up. If you really, truly can't stand the thought of just a single baste, space them out at least 15 to 30 minutes apart to prevent oversaturation and cumulative heat loss.

Basting might be overrated, but there are several legitimate techniques for getting that perfectly juicy, oven-roasted turkey dinner. First and foremost is the super important step of brining, a simple technique in which you submerge the raw bird in a saltwater solution overnight. The salt breaks down and loosens the meat's protein structures, allowing it to absorb and retain more moisture (not to mention salty flavor!) as it cooks. 

Another tip is to use Gordon Ramsay's technique for perfect turkey: rubbing melted herbal butter both on top of and beneath the turkey's skin. Remember, skin is an effective moisture barrier, and it keeps moisture in as well as it keeps it out. Coating the outside imparts that delicious flavor, while coating the inside allows the butter to permeate the meat itself.

Finally, consider trading in the baster for a turkey injector. This is basically an oversized syringe that enables you to inject a turkey marinade directly into the meat. If you go this route, try using our turkey marinade recipe that's perfectly suited to the syringe method.