To achieve that balance, the ideal is to let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered: We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out, then removing the cover for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the skin to crisp.

Is it better to cook a turkey covered or uncovered?

Q: Should I roast the bird covered or uncovered? A: The Butterball folks recommend cooking the turkey uncovered in a roasting pan. ... If you put foil on the breast, remove it about 30-45 minutes before the turkey is done to allow the breast to brown.

Should you roast a turkey with the lid on?

Keep the lid on the turkey during the roasting time. There is no need to baste the turkey to ensure that the breast will be evenly brown. The roasting pan recirculates the juices from the meat during the cooking time. By keeping the pan covered you'll maintain an even cooking temperature throughout the cooking time.