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Dry Brine Turkey with Herb Butter
5 from 4 votes

Dry Brine Turkey with Herb Butter

This dry brine turkey is the perfect recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Dry Brine Turkey
  • 10-15 lb turkey fresh or frozen
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt for every 2 lb of turkey
  • orange zest from 2, save the oranges after zesting
  • 1 yellow onion
  • fresh herbs tied together with a piece of butchers twine
Compound Herb Butter
  • 1 cup butter unsalted, 2 sticks, at room temperature
  • ½ cup parsley sage, rosemary and thyme, finely chopped; mix of fresh herbs
  • 2 cloves garlic finely grated
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. ** If turkey is frozen, defrost completely before starting dry brine. It will take 1 day for each 4-5lbs of turkey to defrost in the refrigerator. Prep turkey for dry brine 24 hours prior to cooking the turkey. 
  2. Remove any organs from the cavity of the turkey and pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Calculate the amount of kosher salt needed for the weight of the turkey. Zest both oranges and mix the salt with the orange zest.
  3. Sprinkle the salt and orange zest mixture over the entire turkey and spread some inside of the cavity. Place the turkey on a tray in the refrigerator for 24 hours - leaving the turkey completely uncovered results in crispier skin, but you can cover it if you’re more comfortable with that.
  4. Remove the brined turkey from the refrigerator and wipe off excess salt with damp paper towels. Preheat the oven to 400F and place the turkey in a rack in a roasting pan.
  5. Make the compound butter by mixing the softened butter with the finely chopped fresh herbs, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Spread the compound butter under the skin of all areas of the turkey.
  6. Cut the yellow onion and zested oranges into quarters. Place them into the cavity of the turkey along with the bundle of fresh herbs. Tie the legs of the turkey together with butchers twine.
  7. Place the turkey in the oven at 400F for just 30 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 325F and let the turkey continue to cook. Every 30 minutes, take the drippings from the bottom of the pan and baste the skin of the turkey with a cooking brush.
  8. Cook the turkey for about 13 minutes per pound at 325F checking the temperature each time you baste. Total time usually between 2.5 hours for a 10lb turkey and 3.5 hours for a 15lb turkey. Check both the breast and thigh for an internal temperature of 165F to ensure the turkey is fully cooked.
  9. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. I like to cut the breast and thigh off the turkey with the skin on it before cutting into slices.
  10. Reserve the drippings at the bottom of the pan for gravy.