Best Roast Thanksgiving Turkey
User Reviews
4.8
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Prep Time
8 hrs 10 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs 30 mins
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Total Time
11 hrs 40 mins
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Servings
1 whole turkey
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Calories
161 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Best Roast Thanksgiving Turkey
Description
This turkey recipe starts by patting a thawed 14-pound turkey dry, then applying a dry brine made from kosher salt, brown sugar, and freshly zested lemon, ensuring generous coverage inside and out. The turkey is refrigerated uncovered overnight for up to 18 hours to allow the brine to penetrate and dry the skin for a better roast.
Before roasting, the bird is brought to room temperature and stuffed inside the cavity with quartered apples, onion, garlic bulbs, and fresh herbs, which infuse subtle fruity and herbal aromas during cooking. The legs may be trussed for even roasting. A compound spread made by mixing mayonnaise with finely chopped herbs and lemon zest is spread all over the skin under and over the breast to add flavor and moisture, promoting browning and a crisp skin.
The turkey is roasted at 325°F until fully cooked, providing a moist interior and flavorful, golden skin. This method balances seasoning, moisture retention, and aroma for a classic roast turkey suited to Thanksgiving or other holiday meals.
Ingredients
- 1 turkey 14 pound, thawed with giblets and neck removed
Easy Dry Brine
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- lemon zest of 1
Aromatics
- 2 apple quartered, medium-sized
- 1 yellow onion quartered
- 3 garlic bulb halved horizontally, heads
- fresh herbs
Lemon Herb Mayo Compound Spread
- 1 cup mayonnaise Duke’s Real
- lemon peel peel of 1 lemon
- Leaves rosemary 2 sprigs
- Leaves thyme 3 sprigs
- 1 sage stalk
Instructions
- Put the turkey onto a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
- Brining
- Mix together the brining ingredients then pat the turkey completely dry, inside and out. Rub the mixture generously over the skin of the turkey and inside the cavity.
- Put the turkey bare into the fridge overnight and up to 18 hours to dry brine.
- Roasting Turkey
- An hour before you want to roast the turkey, take the brined turkey out of the fridge to rest on the counter.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place the turkey into a roasting pan with a rack or prepped with aluminum foil, then pat the turkey dry of any moisture that may be lurking on the skin or in crevices.
- Stuff the inside of the turkey with the aromatics until completely full. Truss the legs with butcher’s twine if they’re not already trussed.
- Chop the herbs and lemon zest for the compound spread finely, then mix into the mayonnaise well.
- Generously spread the compound mixture all over the dry skin of the turkey just before placing the turkey into the oven, every single part of the turkey. Use your fingers to pull the skin from the meat of the breasts and smooth some of the mixture under the skin. Tuck the wings under the turkey.
- Roast the turkey at 325 degrees F, at about 15 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer in the breast reads 160 degrees F.
- Check the turkey about halfway through cooking, and once the skin gets golden brown cover the turkey breasts with aluminum foil to protect it from overcooking and the skin getting burned.
- Let the turkey rest on the countertop for at least 25-30 minutes.
- Reserve the drippings from the roasting pan to make a pan gravy.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 1whole turkey
Amount Per Serving
Calories 161 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 161kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 8g | 47% |
| Cholesterol | 55mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 3829mg | 160% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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