How to Cook a Turkey Without a Roasting Pan

If you find yourself needing to cook a turkey without a roasting pan (perhaps you forgot to purchase one), don't run to the store for a last-minute purchase that you may only use once a year. Instead, try one of these roasting pan alternatives for cooking that Thanksgiving bird. These simple, stress-reducing Thanksgiving turkey hacks will guarantee you serve a flawlessly juicy, golden turkey every time.

Cook Turkey in a Bundt Pan

Create the perfect vertical turkey roaster using a bundt pan that ensures even heat distribution and crispy skin all around your bird. Here's how to cook your turkey using a bundt pan:

1. Fill the cavity of the pan. Add your favorite vegetables to the pan's cavity (carrots, potatoes, onions, and beets are all great options) and season generously.
2. Cover the opening. Place a layer of aluminum foil over the center opening of the bundt pan to prevent messy drippings from getting all over your oven.
3. Position the turkey. Place your whole turkey, wing side up, vertically over the center of the pan. (The middle of the pan will hold the turkey upright.)
4. Season and cook. Coat the turkey's skin with oil, and season to your liking. As your turkey cooks, the rendered fat and juices will season the bed of vegetables, resulting in a foolproof, flavorful gravy base.

Grill the Turkey

Reserve the limited space in your oven for the equally important Thanksgiving side dishes that need to keep warm until dinner. With this method, you'll cook your turkey on the grill for a smoky, charred bird.

1. Prepare the grill. Place a disposable pan with 3 cups of water in the center of a charcoal grill to prevent flare-ups from turkey drippings and to control the internal grill temperature. Then, place lit charcoal briquettes on the sides of the pan and top with unlit coals to ensure a slower burn rate.
2. Prepare the turkey. Season the turkey to your liking. For perfectly crisp skin, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder and rub it onto the turkey's skin before grilling.
3. Cook the turkey. Place the whole turkey (breast side up) on the grill grate over the drip pan and close the grill. Consider leaving the vents open while cooking. Check if charcoal briquettes need replacing.
4. Use a meat thermometer. Cook your turkey until the internal temperature reaches 180° F in the thigh.

Bake in a Cast-Iron Skillet

A cast-iron skillet is perfect for cooking a small turkey. If you already own one, here's what to do.

1. Create a layer on the bottom. Evenly distribute a layer of peeled and sliced seasoned russet potato rounds in your cast-iron skillet.
2. Place the turkey. Add your whole turkey to the skillet, placing it on top of the potato layer. Fill the turkey with aromatics, and coat the inside and outside of the skin with an herb-butter mixture.
3. Cook the turkey. Bake the bird until golden and the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 165° F. If needed, cover the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning while roasting.

Use a Baking Sheet

Try Julia Child's famed turkey-making method and deconstruct your turkey for quicker cooking and effortless carving.

1. Deconstruct the turkey. Ask your butcher to deconstruct your bird ahead of time at the store. Or, follow our instructions for cutting a whole turkey before cooking.
2. Prep the turkey. Detach the leg quarters, truss the thighs, and remove the backbone (if not already done). Season the turkey pieces to your liking.
3. Brown turkey breasts. Place the turkey breasts, skin side down, in an oven-safe, nonstick skillet. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes to get a head start on browning the skin.
4. Prep the baking sheet. While the breasts brown, lay a bed of seasoned veggies with two cups of water on a sturdy, rimmed baking sheet and cover with an oven-proof rack. Place your browned turkey breasts and leg quarters on the rack and roast until fully cooked.

Create a Disposable DIY Foil Rack

The key to an evenly cooked turkey is creating separation from the cooking surface to let the oven's heat circulate below. But if you don't have an oven-safe rack on hand, don't worry: you can easily create a rack using aluminum foil.

Scrunch up a long piece of foil into a thick rope and sculpt it into a spiral or a figure eight, high enough to lift the bird away from the cooking surface. You can use this makeshift rack on any rimmed cookware (like a skillet or baking sheet).