Selecting a Roasting Pan

The proper pan ensures that
your turkey cooks up moist
and golden brown.

When buying a roasting pan, choose a shallow, heavy-weight pan with good heat conducting qualities. Lightweight, disposable aluminum roasting pans should not be used for cooking turkey; those pans are simply not heavy enough to support the weight of the bird, and could spill or break, and cause serious burns, when you try to remove it from the oven.

Look for a perfect fit. The pan should just hold the turkey with no part of the bird extending beyond the pan or the meat juices will drip into the oven. On the other hand, if the pan is too large for the turkey, the juices in the pan will burn.

Be sure your pan has a rack or trivet to hold the bird out of the drippings and to allow the heat to reach the underside of the bird.

Many roasting pans have handles. These are especially helpful when pulling the hot pan from the oven.

If you aren't looking to invest in a roasting pan, you can use your broiler pan. Place a wire rack in the bottom of the broiler pan to keep the turkey out of the drippings.