Face-off. It’s just you and that beast of a bird. You have some thoughts: To brine or not to brine? Slow-roast overnight? Make it simple, friend, with this five-star turkey recipe designed to ensure a moist bird. Our test kitchen spends ages testing this sort of thing, and with this recipe, they’ve nailed it.
Below are a few reasons why it works so well, plus the recipe itself. Make yours the T Day meal people remember beyond the pie.
1. Dry Brine, then Fridge
Team Dry Brine! For this recipe, it’s what we recommend. And the time in the fridge is key both for flavoring and drying out the bird. (Think: crispy skin!)
2. Room Temperature, Please
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: Meat tastes better when you temper it. It’s as true of a fat steak as it is a plump bird. So get this huge bad boy to room temperature before you cook it. That can take a minute… or several.
3. Butter Is Life
Break out the basting bulb, baby! Tons of butter all over and underneath the skin is key. Think: Glistening skin *plus* moist meat underneath, yum, yum. We’d argue that it also makes for a tastier gravy.
4. No Truss, No Fuss
Free bird! No need to tie yours up in knots with twine, buddy. Tying up its legs prevents hot air from circulating around the legs, which results in uneven cooking. (It also might result in less crispy skin, which no one wants!)
5. Liquid Courage
Yes, you want to rinse and dry that bird before putting it in the oven. (If you skip this step, due to how salty the brine was, your turkey might be too salty.) But definitely add liquid to the roasting pan! It’s like putting a humidifier in a baby’s room; everything you want to stay moist stays moist this way. We prefer to add chicken broth (to the roasting pan, not the baby).
6. Take Its Temperature
Guesswork is not your friend when it comes to turkey. The USDA says your bird is safe at 165°. We don’t like going much past that at all, and we always keep in mind that the bird’s temperature will continue to rise as it rests. We take its temperature in its thigh, pull it at 167, and take it out.
7. Give It a Rest!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, your guests are hungry. Hey, guys, that’s what appetizers are for. Don’t cut into this bird for 30 minutes before carving it. Not even for a wing, or a neck, or an oyster. (That means, you, Dad!) Waiting allows the juices to redistribute, guaranteeing a moist, succulent, bird that will be easy to carve into beautiful slices.
Got it? Good. Now let’s cook. This is gonna be the best Thanksgiving yet.
Never-Dry Roast Turkey
Ingredients:
For the dry brine:
Leaves from 10 fresh thyme sprigs
Leaves from 6 fresh sage sprigs
Leaves from 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbs. celery seeds
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 cup (8 oz./250 g) kosher salt
3 Tbs. sugar
1 turkey, 12 to 14 lb. (6 to 7 kg), neck and giblets removed
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh sage
1 bunch fresh rosemary
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) (6 oz./185 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
Directions:
To make the dry brine, in a food processor, combine the thyme, sage, rosemary, garlic, celery seeds and peppercorns and pulse until a coarse paste forms. Add the salt and sugar and pulse until blended, about 30 seconds.
Rub the dry brine all over the turkey. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
Rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
Stuff the turkey cavity with the onion, garlic, thyme, sage and rosemary. Working from the neck end of the turkey, use your fingers to loosen the skin from the breasts. Rub the butter under the skin and all over the outside of the turkey. Pour the broth into the bottom of the pan. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C). Continue roasting, basting the turkey with the pan juices every 30 to 40 minutes and adding more broth as needed to maintain some liquid in the pan, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 167°F (75°C), 2 1/2 to 3 hours more. If the skin begins to brown too quickly, tent the turkey with aluminum foil.
Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Serves 8 to 10.