When it comes to cooking your bird, there are billions of hacks out there…and then there are the ones that actually work. We’re cutting through the B.S. to make your turkey day that much easier.

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1. Try: Roasting Your Bird In Cheesecloth

Basting is kind of a pain—and opening your oven every half hour slows down cooking time. There’s a much easier way to get that crispy skin and moist meat: cheesecloth. Pick up a swath from the grocery store, cut a large square and fold it in fourths, making sure the square is large enough to cover the whole bird. Soak it in melted butter and herbs, then drape it over your bird while it cooks. So long, basting.

2. Skip: Brining In the Drawer of Your Fridge

A few years ago, we saw this hack going viral. But logistically, it doesn’t really make sense. Most refrigerator doors aren’t large enough to fit a turkey. And if your drawer is even slightly misaligned or cracked, it could leak. Plus, we foresee a major spill happening when you try to remove a 20-pound drawer of sloshing bacteria-filled water. Instead, if you’re trying to save fridge space, you can actually brine your turkey in a cooler with ice. Just add the turkey to a sanitized cooler along with brine and enough ice to submerge the bird.

3. Try: Baking Powder for the Crispiest Skin

Fun fact: Baking powder’s alkaline properties speed up browning and cause protein to break down quickly, producing crispier results. Combine 1 teaspoon of baking powder with 1½ teaspoons of olive oil and rub the mixture over its skin right before baking. You’ll be amazed by the miraculous crispiness.

4. Skip: Saving Oven Space By Grilling or Deep Frying

We love the idea of saving oven space, but each of these techniques poses its unique challenges unless you’ve truly perfected it. Grilling a large piece of meat in blustery weather can be tricky because you’ll need to re-stock the coals several times—and your turkey will most likely cook more slowly than it would in the oven. And deep frying…well, imagine trying to slide a ten-pound bird *gracefully* into boiling oil. (So not worth it.)

5. Try: Slow-Cooking Your Turkey

Now here’s a good way to save oven space. We love this technique because you don’t have to babysit your turk; in fact, you can cook it overnight. Plus, it’s a foolproof technique for moist meat. For the full recipe, check out our Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast with Orange and Herbs.

6. Skip: The Self-Basting Turkey

Sure, they’re manufactured to come out incredibly moist. That’s because they’ve been injected with salt and fat. But they also don’t have as much flavor as natural birds, and can sometimes taste mushy, not juicy (gross).

7. Try: Dry Brining

Dunking a turkey in gallons of water is no fun. But don’t forego brining altogether; it makes a world of difference in terms of flavor and moistness. Instead, mix some kosher salt and spices together (about ½ teaspoon of salt per pound of meat) and rub it all over and inside your turkey. Let the turkey rest uncovered in your refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours. The turkey skin dries also out in the process (double whammy), which means crispy results. 

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