These Roasting Pans Will Save Your Thanksgiving, No Matter Your Budget

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Now that fall is in full swing, we can't help but daydream about tasty pumpkin recipes, steaming bowls of chili, toasty PSLs, and perhaps the most important meal of them all, Thanksgiving dinner. The bird is the star of the show, so you'll need a good turkey roasting pan.

“A turkey roasting pan is different than a standard pan in that it’s much deeper (more than three inches deep) with high sides and a wire rack that fits easily inside,” says Delish assistant food editor Taylor Ann Spencer. “The basic idea is that you will place aromatics and vegetables (onion, carrots, herbs, etc.) on the bottom of the pan, under the rack, and the turkey sits cradled in the rack.”

And don't be fooled—these pans can be used for much more than just roasting a turkey. They're great for making roasted veggies or prime rib to complete any weeknight meal, too. Ahead, discover the eight best turkey roasting pans you’ll want to put to use throughout the entire year.

How we picked these products

To find the best turkey roasting pans, we consulted Spencer, Delish food editor Brooke Caison, and chefs Adrienne Cheatham and Matthew Accarrino for their top picks. We also tapped Nicole Papantoniou, the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab, and her team of on-staff experts, including engineers, data analysts, and registered dietitians. They rigorously put a range of roasting pans to the test in their New York City-based labs to determine which ones you can trust, assessing each on factors like their materials, size, and price. Based on all of our experts’ insights, we’ve determined that these are the best turkey roasting pans to buy in 2023.

14.5-Inch Classic Clad Roaster with Rack

Take our experts’ word for it: The Hestan Culinary roasting pan is a top-tier pick for making your holiday bird, as well as other oversized dishes like racks of lamb. Chef Matt Accarrino says its premium stainless-steel build makes it “durable” and “resistant to the effects of acid, heat, and constant use.” And since it has an aluminum core, which offers high thermal conductivity, the Good Housekeeping Institute mentions the pan heats “like a champ.”

The “high” and “well-placed” ergonomic handles are another selling point, Accarrino adds. "They make it easier to maneuver the pan full with roasting juices in and out of the oven," he says. The pan is also compatible with induction cooktops, so you can use it to easily whip up sauces and gravy, too.

Hestan’s roasting pan comes in two sizes: 14.5 and 16.5 inches. Accarrino says that the smaller version can fit in “nearly all ovens” and accommodate most mid-size turkeys, beef roasts and chickens. He recommends the 16.5-inch pan if you have a full-size oven and want to cook a larger bird (up to 20 pounds) or crown roast. Each model has a bent lip to help with cleaner pours, and the flush rivets should make cleanup simpler.

• Material: Stainless steel

• Oven-safe: Up to 600°F

• Stovetop safe: Yes

• Includes rack: Yes

• Dishwasher safe: Yes

18-Inch Non-Stick Roasting Pan

With its high sides and deep profile, KitchenAid’s nonstick roaster is Cheatham’s pick for braises or any cook method that needs “a little more liquid.” Plus, the rack allows enough space for heat to circulate underneath anything from turkey to short ribs.

Cheatham says the five-ply pan is thick enough to prevent warping at high heat. And, the stainless steel roaster has an aluminum core that delivers even heat distribution for stovetop tasks. Cheatham starts this pan on a burner to reduce liquids like stock or wine. From there, she adds her protein to the rack and aromatics underneath to finish off the braise in the oven.

Additionally, she notes the black stainless steel handles are “well built” with dual rivets, which help provide strength and stability when moving the pan from oven to table.

• Material: Stainless steel, aluminum

• Oven-safe: Up to to 500°F

• Stovetop safe: Yes

• Includes rack: Yes

• Dishwasher safe: Yes

17-Inch Quick Roaster Pan

Say goodbye to precariously tilting your pan to gather juices thanks to Goodcook's roasting pan. It earned The Good Housekeeping Institute's 2021 Kitchen Gear Award for its raised center design that guides drippings to the edges of the pan for easier basting.

The lightweight, affordable model is sturdy enough to hold up to a 25-pound turkey. Still, it has a low, 4-inch profile, folding rack, and no handles, so its “compact enough to store in cramped kitchens,” the Good Housekeeping Institute says. Not to mention, it's reusable.

Even though the roasting pan doesn’t have handles, its oversized rim makes it easy to move in and out of the oven. The Good Housekeeping Institute pros say the nonstick coating is “handy for roasting veggies,” but keep in mind the coating makes the pan less durable and unsafe to use on your stove.

• Material: Aluminum

• Oven-safe: Yes

• Stovetop safe: No

• Includes rack: Yes

• Dishwasher safe: Yes

16-Inch All-Clad Stainless-Steel Flared Roasting Pan

Cheatham uses this pan when she’s making a drier roast chicken or turkey, since its sloped sides allow for “great evaporation of liquids.” The low-profile design with flared sides and a flat stainless steel rack also promote even browning and cooking.

Like the KitchenAid model, Cheatham calls this roasting pan “incredibly sturdy,” thanks to its three-ply stainless steel and aluminum core construction that heats evenly. She also notes that it's easy to transport via the stainless-steel, riveted handles that feel “solid” in the hand.

• Material: Stainless steel

• Oven-safe: Up to 500°F

• Stovetop safe: Not induction

• Includes rack: Yes

• Dishwasher safe: Yes

18-Inch Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan

Whether you want to make a spatchcocked Peruvian roast chicken or a classic turkey recipe, this Made In roasting pan is here to lend a hand. It has a low, wide profile and a flat rack that’ll allow you to “splay out your bird,” says the Good Housekeeping Institute. Plus, it's made of durable, long-lasting carbon steel that's lightweight and heats well at high temperatures. After you roast your turkey, you can transfer the pan onto your stove (including induction) for “easy deglazing and gravy-making,” the Good Housekeeping Institute pros say.

Similar to a cast iron pan, this turkey roasting pan must be seasoned on first use and will become “more seasoned” and “more nonstick” with each use, the experts add.

Note: Since the included rack doesn’t have handles, it may be hard to lift the bird out of the pan. However, the pan itself has angled stainless-steel handles that make it simpler to maneuver. This pan also has a straight-cut edge, so you may experience dribbling when pouring out pan juices.

• Material: Blue carbon steel

• Oven-safe: Up to 1200°F

• Stovetop safe: Yes

• Includes rack: Yes

• Dishwasher safe: No

16-Inch Specialty Stainless Steel Roaster and Nonstick Rack

This sturdy stainless steel All-Clad pan is Caison’s go-to roasting pan. Its upright handles are large enough to fit oven mitts through and secure for safely “taking large roasts out of the oven," she says. She also likes that this pan has a U-shaped rack, which combines “the best qualities of V-shaped and flat racks” to prevent the turkey from falling apart and encourage proper airflow for even cooking results.

Additionally, this pan has high sides to prevent splatters and a nonstick coating. It's available in three sizes; the small version can hold a 15-pound turkey, while the largest option can fit a 25-pounder.

• Material: Stainless steel

• Oven-safe: Rack: Up to 375°F; Pan: Up to 600°F

• Stovetop safe: Not induction

• Includes rack: Yes

• Dishwasher safe: No

Cuisinart Chef's Classic 16-Inch Roaster with Rack

The Cuisinart Chef's Classic 16-Inch Roaster is a favorite for its price and ease of use. This affordable pick has a spacious interior, as well as riveted handles that make it easier to handle. The U-shaped rack provides air circulation and allows fat to drain off food.

While it’s constructed out of stainless steel, the Good Housekeeping Institute says that this pan’s material is thin and lightweight, so it could be a challenge to “control the hot spots” on some stovetops. However, it heats nicely up to 500°F in the oven to leave roasted turkey with “golden brown skin.”

Don’t skip over this feature: The pan’s slightly raised center allows for drippings to catch and pool around the perimeter. The Good Housekeeping Institute says that this will make it “easy to baste” your turkey, but be mindful that it could be harder to make gravy unless you move “pan drippings to a saucepan.” You can lean on the pan's rolled edges for easier pouring.

• Material: Stainless steel

• Oven-safe: Up to 500°F

• Stovetop safe: Yes

• Includes rack: Yes

• Dishwasher safe: Yes

All-Clad 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Roasting Pan with Rack

The All-Clad Stainless-Steel Roasting Pan with Rack has easy-to-grip upright handles and high sides to prevent splatters. This roaster is also made of durable stainless steel, which Caison says can provide “the proper level of heat conduction,” while still being “relatively lightweight, which is key when dealing with such a heavy piece of meat.”

Prop your turkey on the included nonstick V-shaped rack for even cooking. It's available in two sizes — the small can hold a 12-pound turkey, while the large can fit a 20-pounder.

• Material: Stainless steel

• Oven-safe: Up to 600°F

• Stovetop safe: Yes, but not with induction stovetops

• Includes rack: Yes

• Dishwasher safe: Yes

All-Clad Stainless-Steel Flared Roasting Pan

While it's a pricier option, the All-Clad Stainless-Steel Flared Roasting Pan is an excellent choice. It has a three-ply construction of aluminum in-between stainless steel, which means it'll heat up fast and distribute heat evenly. The flared sides also help with uniform browning.

Granite Ware Covered Oval Roaster

Constructed out of steel, the Granite Ware Covered Oval Roaster has a dark a nonstick porcelain enamel surface for fast and even cooking. It also comes with a lid and is available in three different sizes, so you can pick the best one to fit your turkey.

Circulon Nonstick Roasting Pan with Rack

The Circulon Nonstick Roasting Pan with can fit up to a 24-pound turkey and distributes heat evenly with its steel construction. Plus, with its nonstick surface, it's super easy to clean.

What To Look For When Shopping For The Best Turkey Roasting Pans

Material: Turkey roasting pans are often made of stainless steel, aluminum, carbon steel, or a combination of these. The Good Housekeeping Institute recommends tri-ply pans, or versions with an aluminum core between layers of stainless steel, as they offer “performance, ease of use, and durability.”

• Tri-ply: The stainless steel layers on these are non-reactive to acidic foods, while the aluminum core allows for strong heat conductivity. Tri-ply roasting pans are also great to use on the stove for tasks like making gravy and searing since heat distributes “evenly” and “prevents buckling,” the Good Housekeeping Institute says.

• Stainless steel: The Good Housekeeping Institute says stainless steel pans brown in “some spots more than others,” since the material doesn’t heat as evenly. While it does tend to discolor, this shiny material can help you keep a closer eye on the food as it browns.

• Aluminum: This metal is lightweight and browns food fast and evenly. Do remember that it’s reactive to acids, so it could leave foods with a metallic flavor, and it’s typically not dishwasher safe.

• Carbon steel: Like cast iron, this material needs to be seasoned and dried thoroughly to prevent rusting. It's super durable and can withstand high heat, while still being lightweight enough to carry from the oven to the table. Similar to aluminum, this material can give food a metallic flavor, and isn’t dishwasher safe.

Price: Quality turkey roasting pans can start as low as $25, and we’re not talking the disposable foil kind! However, if you want an heirloom-quality pan, the Good Housekeeping Institute says there are stylish, sear-friendly versions available for up to $160.

Racks: Most turkey roasters come with a rack that's used to lift meat above the pan for added heat circulation underneath. The best kinds should tuck nicely inside the pan so they don’t slide around during cooking. Don’t want a rack at all? No worries! Cheatham recommends placing your turkey right on top of aromatics like carrots, celery, and whole heads of garlic to soften veggies and prevent the meat from getting deep rack marks.

• V-shaped: This shape raises a bird 1 to 2 inches above the bottom of the pan. The Good Housekeeping Institute explains that this shape “can be limiting” since it’s only designed to hold a roast. However, “since it’s cradling the protein, it also effectively prevents the protein from slipping or sliding when you’re moving it in and out of the oven,” says Spencer.

• Flat shape: Here, you’ll have a flat, wide surface to spread out a spatchcocked bird or other types of meat like whole fish.

• U-shaped: This rack has sloped sides and a flat bottom. Caison notes that you’ll get the best of both worlds with this shape, as you’ll get the uniform presentation provided by a V-shaped rack and the peak circulation of a flat rack.

Shape: Between rectangular and oval-shaped roasting pans, experts recommend the former since you get more cooking area for meat and aromatics. Plus, the rectangular shape allows you to fit more than one pan in the oven at a time.

• Sides: The shorter the walls, the better the browning, Papantoniou shares. Pans with higher walls will boost steaming, "which is a safe bet for the normal consumer because the turkey’s less likely to get dry," she adds.

• Bottom: For stovetop cooking, ensure the bottom of your roaster is flat. The Good Housekeeping Institute notes that some “have a hump” in the middle so liquids move to the outers of the pan, which can make it “difficult to reduce on the stove.” It also means the center of the pan will be dry and more likely to scorch.

Handles: Roasting pans should have large handles that angle upwards so they’re easier to maneuver, “especially when the pan is hot and/or filled with a heavy load,” the Good Housekeeping Institute says. Cheatham adds that the best handles also usually have rivets for a “safer” and “more secure” grip in the hand.

Accessories: Some roasting pans come with lids, but Good Housekeeping Institute testers don't usually use them since "they limit the size of the turkey you can fit inside your pan,” says Papantoniou. "Plus, they don't let the skin get nice and crispy.” Instead, Papantoniou recommends a turkey roasting pan with straight sides, which helps keep moisture at the bottom of the pan and provides heat circulation at the top.

Bent lip: A rolled lip will allow you to have cleaner pours, whereas straight-cut edges usually create dribble.

Cleaning: While many roasting pans are technically dishwasher safe, some manufacturers still recommend hand washing them to preserve their quality. The Good Housekeeping Institute says that nonstick version are the easiest to clean, followed by tri-ply pans since they usually don’t scorch. Nonstick pans aren't dishwasher safe, however, and shouldn't be used with abrasive cleaners that can damage the coating. Carbon steel also isn't dishwasher-safe, and it needs to be re-seasoned and dried with care.

The Best Turkey Roasting Pan Sizes to Shop

Roasting pans usually come in 14-inch, 16-inch, and 18-inch lengths, says Spencer. “For most people, the medium size should work just fine (it will easily accommodate a 15-pound turkey), but if they’re planning to roast anything larger (20 pounds or more), you might want to consider the largest size,” she adds. For best air circulation, the Good Housekeeping Institute says there should be 1 to 3 inches of space between the turkey and sides of the pan.

Meet The Experts

Taylor Ann Spencer is the assistant food editor at Delish.

Brooke Caison is the food editor at Delish.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab.

Adrienne Cheatham is a James Beard-nominated chef, former Top Chef finalist, and author of Sunday Best: Cooking Up the Weekend Spirit Every Day: A Cookbook.

Matthew Accarrino is a chef and author of SPQR: Modern Italian Food and Wine [A Cookbook].

Why Trust Delish

Allison Arnold is the associate SEO editor at Delish, where she writes about kitchen gadgets and food and culture.

Nashia Baker is a commerce editor at Hearst covering the latest and greatest products across the home and lifestyle categories. Throughout her career, she has interviewed chefs and food experts to learn about top trends in the culinary world. For this story, she interviewed two chefs, two Delish editors, and experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute to find the best turkey roasting pans and what to look for when shopping.

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