A few days ago the folks at Jennie-O sent us one of their Oven-Ready freezer to oven turkeys. According to their website these turkeys — which have been around for the last four years — require, "No Thawing. No Mess. No Prep. No Apron." That's right, no thawing. You literally take it out of the freezer and you stick it in the oven. In fact, you don't have to touch the bird ever.
I must admit, upon learning how it works — cooked in "Fool-Proof" bag — I was more than just a little skeptical. However, in the name of tasty eats, I knew I had to try it.
So how did it turn out? Was it really "fool-proof" and was it tasty? To find out the answer to these questions and more, read more
When I opened the outside container, I was met with an 11.8 pound turkey vacuum sealed inside of a translucent yellow bag. I followed the directions and cut a few slits in the plastic in order to break the vacuum seal. I then pulled the plastic away from the bird, placed it in a roasting pan and tossed in to a preheated 350F oven. That was it; my hands never once made contact with the actual bird.
Fast forward several hours and I was cutting into a succulent and juicy turkey. The skin was a little on the salty side, but the flavor was classic and not overpowering. It was also tender and juicy on the inside. As someone who loves to cook, I found it to be a little bit odd; there were a few seasonings I would have liked to use. However, I know quite a few people who don't love cooking and just want to have a nice bird on Thanksgiving. If you're one of those folks, then I would recommend you give it a try.
The experience is absolutely effortless, but not totally flawless. I didn't wait for the popup button to pop up — I find that by that time, the birds are usually overcooked — so I went with the thermometer method instead. Unfortunately, due to the plastic bag that the turkey is roasting — or is it steaming? — in, it was really difficult to see exactly where you were sticking the thermometer. I also found that gravy made from the drippings was too salty with a hint of artificial flavor to it. You also can't make any stuffing in it, and it does not come with the giblets/innards pack like most turkeys.
Overall I'd say, if you love cooking, then go ahead and skip out on this one, but if you're looking for a simple way to get a pretty good Thanksgiving bird on the table, then rush out and pick one up. The turkey will come out juicy and you won't have to worry about defrosting. The price on Jennie-O's website says $57, however I saw them at my local Safeway for under $25.
Have you tried it? If so, what did you think?






Rosato
6ixty 8ight
Killah
Interesting! I have never officially been the one to cook the bird.I think that when I am I would want the whole experience.
1Wow. Sounds like a good backup plan.
2I like it the old fashion way.
3Thanks for sharing your experience. It's very detailed and helpful. From the sounds of it, I wouldn't personally cook turkey this way. I don't like to be limited in cooking my food. However, for someone who hates to cook or touch meat, this is a great alternative. If someone made this for me, I wouldn't turn it down.
4curious, but doesn't that release terrible carcinogens?
5I wonder how long it takes to cook usually, 3 hours? 4 hours?
6I love cooking it myself but i will recommend this to my sister who is a cooking disaster.
7i used this a couple of years ago. i'm no cook and i am so super grossed out at that pack of guts inside the turkey that i was THRILLED not to have to bother with it. (who's job is it to bundle that up?) as for not being able to make gravy with the drippings
i couldn't make gravy
with gourmet drippings! the turkey was very juicy and looked beautiful
8Haven't tried it but the commercials crack me up every time, with the chick dropping it on the floor then hurling it through the window at her husband.
9Interesting but I'd rather make my own!
10I will stick to my pre sliced smoked turkey from Heavenly Ham.
11Kaciegrrl: the commercials totally crack me up too! That turkey is the biggest turkey I've ever seen, it's go to be like a 30 pounder.
12Eh, I'm sure it's good, but I like to cook. I like putting in the effort in making a big meal and having it come out yummy. Besides, I don't really trust those premade meals because I dunno what kind of spices or other ingredients used in them. Did this one come with a listing? I wonder if they take common food allergies into consideration.
I am very particular about my food.
13Well, my family and friends say I'm a great cook but I have yet to make the Thanksgiving turkey... to be honest I've always been nervous. I've seen the Jennie O turkeys in the grocery store and always wondered how good or not they were. So this review was very helpful to me. I will attempt the turkey the old fashioned way but it's good to know that if I don't have the time or energy to do it the traditional way there is a good back up plan in the freezer at Safeway : )
14That is a really neat idea. I'll have to hop that is still around for when I decide to move out and make my own Thanksgiving dinner! I am a terrible cook!
15Yeah, I don't cook too well myself. I can do smaller dishes like the green bean casserole or mashed potatoes but since we're hosting at my house this year, having a fool-proof turkey would do a lot for my sanity!
16This sounds like a great option for beginners, and it looks really tasty.
17This is a great idea not only for novices, but also for those who love cooking but get grossed out by dealing with the bird, or who want to focus on making complicated sides and desserts.
I totally agree that the commercial for this is hilarious.
18Sounds easy enough, too bad I can't stand turkey lol. Never could.
19Thanks for the heads up!!
20good to know as I haven't decided if I'm cooking yet or not. I'll have to remember this in case it's all they have left in the stores... lol
21I bought one last year, had the oven at the right temperature and followed their instructions to the letter. When it came time to take it out, the turkey wasn't completely cooked! We let it rest before trying to carve it so unfortunately, everything else was ready by the time we realized it wasn't cooked. My husband was able to carve off enough pieces for us to eat right then but we had to put the turkey back in the oven for at least another hour to fully cook. It tasted great when it was finished but I don't think I will ever try the Jenny-O turkeys again.
22I would not use this for my Thanksgiving meal.
23Seems kinda gross to me for some reason. Maybe the excessive saltiness or the "artificial" taste. Blech.
The thought of cooking food in plastic makes me feel nauseous.
24I've tried it. It was easy, but I thought a bit too salty (and I like salty) It's a lot less of a hassel
25I have never heard about this ???? looks like it could be a time saver.
26I have a friend who can't cook, but puts on a big Turkey dinner for all the 'homeless' friends (you know, all of the ones with no family to be with). She makes one of these every year, and although not my first choice it is pretty decent.
27I tried the Jennie-O Bone in Turkey Breast (same concept, just without the drumsticks and wings) last week, and agree with you completely. The turkey came out juicy and tasted good, but the gravy it came with tasted really artificial.
It was worth a try, and I'd make it for just my husband and myself, but if I'm putting out a spread for others, I'd prefer the amount of control (and tasty stuffing) that comes with cooking a turkey from scratch.
28Thanks for the review! I might have to try it someday!
29Thanks I may try it. I don't enjoy cooking.
30The idea of not have to touch the raw bird is appealing, but my husband grills a delicious brined turkey breast every year. We don't usually have enough guests who are fans of turkey to need a whole bird, anyway.
31DUDE! My roomate and I have an on-going joke about this Turkey but we have never tried it! I really want to! It is sort of like me and canned chicken! but I just tried that stuff and it was pretty good!!! So maybe this is too!!
32Looks like it is covered in toxic waste...
33Makes me wonder...
34So this is what that hilarious commercial was about? I cracked up so much at the husband being knocked down that I never paid attention to what they were actually selling. I'm so down with this. I have no intention of ever cooking a whole turkey or chicken or any of that. Grosses me out to much so this will be perfect!!!
35If I was too busy to cook for thanksgiving, or something horrid happened to my turkey i'd do it...but otherwise, I'd go for the old fashion way.
36No, the oven bag is not carcinogenic. The alarm warnings you get in emails are phony; check them out on Snopes.
One Thanksgiving when we went out to other people's houses for dinner, I decided I wanted my own turkey and my own leftovers. The Jennie-O Oven Ready was perfect for this; very easy and much quicker than all the fussing I usually do to cook a turkey. I did wait for the pop-up thermometer, and the bird was juicy, tender, and as good as any I've ever eaten.
37Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.