How to Cook Turkey With Sprite

By Athena Hessong

Things You’ll Need

1-10 to 12 lb. turkey, thawed
- How Long to Thaw a Turkey on One Easy-to-Use Chart
Roasting pan
Melted butter (optional)
Basting brush
1-12 oz can of lemon lime soda (Sprite, 7-up, etc)
Cooking bag
Meat thermometer

As a lean meat, turkey often suffers from dryness. Several methods to remedy this after cooking only mask the flavor. No matter how much gravy you pour over a dry turkey, it will still taste like dry meat. Give your next baked turkey a boost of flavor, moistness, and a healthy, golden glow. The secret? Cook your turkey with Sprite or any lemon-lime soda. The sugar, acid, and carbonation combine to create a perfect poultry marinade. Using the cooking bag for this lemon-lime soda turkey saves you from having to constantly baste the bird during cooking.

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2

Set the turkey into the cooking bag set the bag and bird in the roasting pan.

Step 3

Brush melted butter over the entire surface of the turkey.

Step 4

Pour the entire can of Sprite over the turkey and close the cooking bag.

Step 5

Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 3 to 3 ¾ hours for an unstuffed 10- to 12-lb turkey or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 F. (see reference 2)

Tip

Prepare stuffing in a separate dish from the turkey to ensure both the turkey and stuffing reach 165 F to prevent food poisoning and to decrease the cooking time for the turkey. (see reference 2)

Check out this related video from ExpertVillage on Youtube

References & Resources