Do You Need a Rack to Roast a Turkey?
You can roast a turkey without a rack. People do it every Thanksgiving. But a rack makes a real difference to how the bottom of the bird turns out, and to how easy it is to lift out. Here's what it does and what to use if you don't have one.
What a rack does
A roasting rack holds the turkey up off the bottom of the pan. That does three things:
- Hot air reaches the bottom. The underside browns instead of sitting in a puddle and steaming.
- The drippings stay clean. Juices and fat drip into the pan below, ready for gravy, instead of soaking back into the skin.
- Lifting is easier. You can lift the rack and the turkey out together, instead of wrestling a hot, slippery bird with forks.
Without a rack, the bottom of the turkey often comes out pale and soft. The breast and top still brown fine.
Kinds of racks
Racks come in a few shapes. Each one suits a different job.
V-shaped racks cradle a whole bird breast-up, with its back held off the pan. They're the classic turkey rack. The All-Clad roaster in our comparison comes with a V-shaped nonstick rack.
U-shaped racks work the same way, with a rounder curve. The Circulon roaster comes with one.
Flat racks are a raised grid. They suit a turkey breast, a roast or a chicken, and they're easy to store. The Farberware roaster comes with a flat rack, and the listing says it raises meat so fat drips away.
Oval racks sit inside oval roasters. The Granite Ware 19 inch roaster includes one with its lid.
What to use if you don't have a rack
No rack? You can still lift the bird a little:
- A bed of vegetables. Thick slices of onion, carrot and celery make a natural rack, and they flavor the drippings.
- Rolled foil. Roll a few sheets of foil into thick ropes and coil them in the bottom of the pan.
- A cooling rack. A metal baking cooling rack that is oven-safe and fits inside the pan can work. Check that it's oven-safe first.
These work, but they're less steady than a real rack. A big turkey can slide.
Does the rack's material matter?
Some racks are bare stainless steel; others are nonstick coated. Check the rack's own heat limit, which can be lower than the pan's. For example, the All-Clad pan is listed as oven safe to 600°F, but its nonstick rack is rated to 375°F. Most turkeys roast well below that, but it's worth knowing if you plan to finish at high heat.
Rack or lid?
A rack and a lid do different jobs. A rack helps the bottom brown. A lid traps steam and keeps the bird moist, but the skin browns less. Some covered roasters, like the Granite Ware oval roaster, give you both, so you can roast covered and take the lid off near the end.
The short answer
You don't strictly need a rack, but it gives you a browner bottom, cleaner drippings for gravy and an easier lift. All five pans in our best roasting pan for turkey comparison include one. Not sure your pan is big enough? See what size roasting pan you need for a turkey.