How to Roast a Perfect Turkey in a Nesco Electric Roaster Oven
In this article, you can learn how to roast a perfect turkey in a Nesco or other electric roaster oven. In addition, you can get tips about how and why to brine the turkey. Finally, use the handy chart showing how long to cook a turkey in a roaster oven, depending on size and stuffing.
This is part of our series on Six Methods of Cooking a Perfect Turkey.
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There is a lot more information in the book, all about options for defrosting, cooking methods, and timetables to help you in your planning.
How to Get Moist Turkey
The bain of turkey cooks everywhere is how to keep the breast from drying out and not have undercooked thighs and legs. Some people cut the bird up, cook the pieces separately then put them back together at serving time. Other people put a foil hat on the breast, hoping to shield it, but it doesn’t work that well. Spatchcocking is a good idea because it makes the parts about the same height. If I didn’t have a Nesco, that’s the road I would take.
Turkey Nesco FAQ
How big of a turkey can I put in a Nesco?
The largest would probably be 18 pounds – mine is usually 12-13 pounds. There should be ample airflow around the bird, and it should not be touching the sides of the oven.
How Long Do I Roast a Turkey in a Nesco?
Remember, the Nesco takes about 30% off the cooking time of conventional ovens, so the Nesco Roaster will cook your bird sooner than expected. You can use this chart to estimate cooking times.
| Weight | Not Stuffed | Nesco Unstuffed | Stuffed | Nesco Stuffed |
| 4½-7 lbs. | 2 to 2½ hrs. | 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hrs | 2¼ to 2¾ hrs. | 1 ½ to 2 hrs |
| 7-9 lbs. | 2½ to 3 hrs. | 1 ¾ to 2 hrs | 2¾ to 4½ hrs. | 2 to 3 ¼ hrs |
| 9-18 lbs. | 3 to 3 ½ hrs. | 2 ¼ to 2 ¾ hrs | 3 ¼ to 4 ½ hrs. | 2 ¼ to 3 ¼ hrs |
Why Roast Turkey in a Nesco?
The Nesco makes such a delectable bird because of the patented circle of heat. That circle of heat means that the parts of the turkey that take the longest to cook, the thighs are right by that circle of heat. So they cook as quickly as the breast that doesn’t have a chance to dry out.
It’s also great because it frees your oven for casseroles and desserts. It also doesn’t heat your kitchen as much as a conventional oven. One caveat, don’t try to put a 30-pound turkey in an 18-quart Nesco.
The Process with a Nesco
Dry brine the bird the day before. I used sea salt and Herbs de Provence. Cover the outside and inside of the bird, as well as under the breast. Dry brining helps crisp up the skin and keep the meat moist.
- Preheat the Nesco to 325.
- Inject the bird with an injection. I used turkey stock and white wine. Inject all over, especially the breast.
- I never stuff my turkey with anything other than the vegetable ends. I use onion and celery.
- Roast your bird according to the following timetable.
- When the bird reaches 160 F/ 71.1 C on an instant-read thermometer, turn the heat off on the Nesco. Remove the bird from the roaster oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes. If you need to keep it warm before carving, keep it in the roaster at 200.
- Let the bird rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. Have a great meal!
Recipe
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How to Roast a Perfect Turkey in a Nesco Roaster Oven
Equipment
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Ingredients
Dry Rub
- ½ cup sea salt
- 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
Injection Liquid
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 turkey neck
- 2 tsp *turkey or chicken base, or
- 2 cups turkey broth
- 2 tbsp white wine
Turkey
- 1 turkey, 12-19 pounds, cleaned
- 1 onion, skin, top and roots
- 1 bunch celery, leaves and root only
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
Instructions
- Mise en Place
For the Dry Rub
- 1/2 cup sea salt, 1 tbsp Herbs de ProvenceMix the salt and herbs together then thoroughly rub the turkey, including the inside and under the breast skin if possible. You may need more or less salt depending on the size of your bird.
- When you have finished, leave the bird uncovered in the refrigerator until time to cook, 24 to 36 hours.
For the Injection Liquid
- 2 cups hot water, 1 turkey neck, 2 tsp turkey or chicken base, 2 cups turkey broth, 2 tbsp white wineMix the injection ingredients together and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the neck and discard it. You can refrigerate the broth until you need it. You can also use homemade turkey broth instead of base and water.
For the Turkey
- 1 turkeyWhen you are ready to cook the bird, remove the cooking well from an 18-quart Nesco and preheat the roaster to 325.
- Use a paper towel to rub off any excess dry brine. Most of it will have been absorbed.
- 1 onion, 1 bunch celery, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepperSalt and pepper the cavity and put the vegetables inside the cavity as well. Tuck the wing tips under the bird.
- Use butcher's twine to wrap the legs and secure the bird.
- Put the turkey on the rack in the cooking well of the Nesco roaster.
- Strain the injection liquid if needed. Fill your injection needle with some of the juice and start injecting the bird all over, especially in the breast and thighs.
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp Herbs de ProvenceUsing your hands, rub the body of the bird with the butter, then sprinkle on the herbs de Provence and rub that in as well.
- Carefully place the cooking well inside the Nesco roaster and roast the bird until it reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size.
- Turn off the roaster and let the bird rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. You can put the carved turkey back in the Nesco at 200 to keep warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Leftover Turkey Ideas
There are many dishes you can make from leftover turkey, and we’re going to list some of them here. However, if you get tired of eating turkey, don’t throw it away. Instead, make packets of servings of turkey and freeze them. Cut the turkey into bite-size pieces, and remove the bones, gristle, or other nasty parts. Put them in vacuum-sealed bags, and write on the weight of the package and whether it’s dark or light meat. You will then have access to easy meals later in the year.
You could make Turkey Taquitos, Turkey Tetrazzini, Turkey Stroganoff, or a variety of other dishes you might put the leftover chicken in, turkey salad, etc.
Alternative Methods
The Moist Brine Method
Every Thanksgiving, The Good Plate gets very busy with people wanting to know how to roast a perfect turkey in a Nesco oven. Since I wrote the first article in 2009, I have made some significant changes to the preparation of the bird. Primarily to cut down on time, but also to increase the flavor and crispness of the skin. In 2015, my bird was genuinely perfect, and everyone exclaimed about how much they don’t like breast meat. After all, it’s too dry, but I loved mine because it was nice and moist. If you want the older recipe with the liquid brine, please visit How to Make a Perfect Turkey in a Nesco Roaster Oven.
Debone and Roll It Up!
In 2017, a friend called me and said that a friend gave her a 25-pound turkey, but she had a 40-pound and wanted to know if I wanted to 25-pound turkey. I was surprised; I didn’t even know the turkeys got that big. Smiling, I told her I would be happy to have her extra turkey.
But then, when I brought it into the kitchen, I realized it would not fit in my Nesco Roaster, so I had to do some creative thinking. I had recently watched Chef John of Food Wishes debone stuff and roll up a whole turkey. If I deboned this turkey, it would fit nicely into the Nesco. I deboned it, then put a dry brine, rolled it up, injected it, and roasted it. You know what? It was great! Maybe the best part was I could make the most flavorful stock out of that carcass, freeze it, and use it to make risotto. Watch my method if you want to see how to debone a turkey.
I decided that I was going to roll up the turkey from now on. If you do it right, you get an even roll, so no having to worry about the breast getting done before the legs are. Of course, with a Nesco, that’s not a problem because of the unique circle of heat. Carving a rolled-up turkey is child’s play – just put the roll on a cutting board, get a sharp carving knife, and cut slices; I cut mine about a half-inch thick. Then, if you have any leftovers, the next day, when it’s cold, it’s even easier to slice thinly for sandwiches.
Video Transcript – Turkey in a Nesco Electric Roaster
Transcript
Good afternoon and
Welcome to Thanksgiving and we’re going to be making a turkey in a Nesco oven. Okay, we have a turkey that we brined last night in the refrigerator, so it’s
been in the brine for twenty-four hours. so it’s all ready to go. And we’re going to be injecting the bird with some wine and some broth that we made last night.
And here’s a bowl. We’re going to take some of this broth. put it into the bowl. Don’t need that much. Put the wine in there. Yes, you can have a little for yourself if you want some wine it is that kind of you definitely want wine. We’re going to put a little bit of olive oil, not too much. Okay,
okay. The first thing we’re going to do, we’re going to take our bird and we’re going to wipe off any of the extra dry brine. Most of it has already been absorbed so we’re just
gonna wipe off the excess. Okay, cause we don’t want it to be a salt lick.
Then we’re going to take these vegetable ends and we are going to stuff the inside. This will give it more flavor and does not going to add any extra cooking time and is easily taken apart. All right. We have our trusty butcher’s twine. That’s enough. And now we have our trusty injection needle. Now our girl can into our trusty Nesco oven. Stick her right here. There we go.
There she is. Get rid of this. Wash your hands. Start injecting. Take this, this. Started injecting at the breast. If you notice some coming out that’s okay. Inject into the leg. Inject into
the wing. Squirt! Into the thigh a little bit. Poultry seasoning, and we’re going to take
some herbs de Provence ♫ Snapped together and some more olive oil. If you don’t like getting your hands dirty you can always use gloves. Okay, put that all over the bird the wings, especially that breast. And now, our Girl is ready to go and start getting cooked!
And we’ll see you later and see how she was. Okay, thanks. And here she is out of the oven and ready to carve. Now you see our holiday table just waiting for guests. And here’s the star of our show, the turkey that has been carved. It’s moist and delicious. Next, Twice Baked Potato Casserole from my adopted mother number one. Then we have Sweet Potato with caramel and pineapple and cashews from adopted mother two. Finally, we have Oyster Cornbread dressing, the recipe from my grandmother. And then, there’s the green bean and toasted garlic almond – that’s my recipe! Okay? And finally, we have a spicy cranberry sauce. No canned sauce at my table! Okay!
Thank you for watching! Okay, see you next time. Ingredients.
cooking times and directions are on the website. Links for the side dishes are below Happy holidays to all.
Thank you for this recipe. Cooking a turkey in an electric roaster was perfect for saving oven space, especially during the holidays when every inch of the kitchen was in use. Our turkey turned out perfectly.
My aunt gave me a Nesco electric roaster and I didn’t know what to do with it until I found your recipe. I was amazed at how good our turkey turned out. An electric roaster helps keep the turkey moist and juicy since it maintains a consistent temperature throughout the cooking process. No more dry turkey!
Just came here to say that I love using an electric roaster because it cooks the turkey faster than a conventional oven, so you can enjoy your meal without the long wait! I’ve been using your recipe for years, and it’s consistently moist and tasty.
I received a Nesco electric oven as a gift and have been looking for ways to use it. This looks like an excellent recipe. I’ll be making this!
So, I had to plan a party this summer with a big crowd, and I decided to make a turkey. It feeds a lot of people, and it’s relatively easy to make – but you have to heat up your kitchen. Then, I looked at my Nesco electric roaster. I took it outside and plugged it in. I cooked the turkey outside and it turned out perfectly. Thanks for this recipe.
I came across your recipe a while ago and decided to try it with a chicken. We loved it. The chicken cooked quicker than a conventional oven. The chicken stayed moist and the skin was crisp. It was perfect! I can’t wait to try it with a turkey this year.
I absolutely love this recipe. My Thanksgiving was really good all because of you. I’m sorry I didn’t write this up sooner, but you know how it goes. Anyway, I was looking for something for a summer party I’m having and remembered what a great recipe this one was for me. I decided to try your potato salad since I just bought a new Instant Pot. I’m sure it will be good.
But, I thought as long as I was here, I should leave you a note about this. It was wonderful. The skin was crisp and the turkey wasn’t dried out at all. That injection you put in there really makes a difference. Happy summer!
I have been making this turkey since 2015 when you first published the recipe. It never fails. Anyone reading this comment, I highly recommend making your turkey this way. Thank you~
You have mentioned putting butter and oil in the injection. I tried it with olive oil one year and it was very good, but I liked it better with melted butter. Regardless, it’s an excellent turkey.
I enjoyed using the Nesco for cooking turkey with an injection and rub because it delivered moist and flavorful results with minimal effort. The Nesco’s even heat distribution ensured the turkey was cooked perfectly throughout, while the injection added depth of flavor, and the rub created a deliciously crispy skin. The convenience of the Nesco made the cooking process hassle-free, allowing me to focus on other tasks. However, I found that the size of the Nesco was somewhat limiting for larger turkeys, and I’m giving it 4 stars because cleaning the unit required a bit of extra time and effort due to its design. Overall, it was a reliable and effective option for a tasty and tender turkey.
Great goods from you. This turkey is too wonderful. That’s a good thing and a bad thing. I didn’t have any leftovers because everyone ate all the turkey! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
This is the right recipe for anyone who wants to find out how to make a great turkey that stays moist but has a crisp skin. I tried so many other methods and recipes, and they were dried out, the skin was nasty, or it was greasy. This turkey is perfect every time. You definitely put a new spin on a topic that has been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
I loved how easy your instructions were. The video was very helpful since I has questions about where to put the injection needle. Thanks!
I can’t wait to try this. I have a turkey in my freezer for Easter and I’m going to use this method. It looks great!
Do you put water in the bottom part of the NEsco? I usually cook my Turkey in a bag inside the top pan inside the Nesco. I need to know if I put water in the bottom container?
You can put some aromatic liquid in the bottom, but you really don’t need to. The turkey should have enough of its own juices to self-baste as much as needed. If you are going to put liquid, I would put stock or water mixed with white wine, and only like 1/2 inch at most.
Wow! That was the best turkey I’ve ever had! I like the new updated version of this post, with the dry brine. It’s even easier and makes a perfect turkey. Where’s the recipe for ham? Christmas is coming!
I bought a Nesco last year to use for the holidays. This is a great recipe. Thanks.
It’s fantastic! That’s all I have to say. That was one fantastic bird. And prep was simple, too. Thanks!