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Home Collections Thanksgiving Recipes

Juicy Roast Turkey

By Nagi Maehashi
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Published14 Nov '18 Updated24 Jun '25
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Recipe

This is the only way I roast a whole turkey – dry brined with a seasoned salt. The flesh is juicy, the skin is golden, it’s simple, practical and foolproof. You can even start it while the turkey is still frozen – it brines as it thaws. Forget buckets of liquid brine!

Juicy Roast Turkey being carved, ready for serving

2024 Roast Turkey timetable

Sunday 24 November – Thaw: Place frozen turkey in fridge to start thawing.

Tuesday 26 November – Rub: Apply the rub in the morning (or evening, if you’re doing Thanksgiving dinner). Don’t worry if the turkey is still partially frozen inside, it will brine/finish thawing at the same time. Brine 48 hours.

Wednesday 27 November – Flip turkey.

Thursday 28 November (🍁Thanksgiving🍁) – Roast and enjoy!

What you need to know

10 years ago, dry brining was still relatively unknown but these days it’s a pretty broadly known fact that dry brining yields superior results to wet brining as well as being far more practical.

Because I want to arm you with everything you need to make the ultimate perfect roast turkey, this is a fairly long post, covering off on (hopefully!) all your questions. So starting off with a summary:

Summary:

  • Brining is the path to moist turkey flesh

  • Dry brining is far more practical and easier than wet brining (ie buckets of salty liquid)

  • It’s superior in flavour because the flesh doesn’t get bloated with water

  • Partially thawed turkey can be dry brined – handy!

  • Brine time:

    • 1 day (bare minimum, emergency situation. Much better than not brining)

    • 2 days (ideal)

    • 3 days – meat is a little more salted

    • 4 days (extra day adds nothing and I worry about food safety)

  • Works with turkey breast (2 days)

  • Start turkey roast upside down for extra juicy breast

  • Roast turkey cook time 12 minutes per 500g / 1 lb (brined turkey cooks faster)

  • Cooked internal temperature – 75°C / 165°F using a meat thermometer inserted between leg and thigh

  • Served with turkey gravy or Cranberry Sauce

Close up of slices of carved turkey

Platter of carved Juicy Roast Turkey, decorated platter ready for serving

Juicy Roast Turkey Guide!

This is a long post, to arm those who are new to roasting turkey with all the information they need. For the experienced, you can skip straight to the recipe or the section you are interested in!

  • What you Need To Know
  • Brining is the path to JUICY Roast Turkey!
  • Why Dry Brining is best
  • Thawing times & methods
  • Cook times
  • Internal temperature of cooked turkey (and how to do it)
  • How to make dry brined Juicy Roast Turkey
  • How I Style the Turkey Platter
  • How to Carve Turkey
  • To Stuff or Not to Stuff?
  • Cranberry Sauce or Gravy?
  • Jump to Recipe

Brining = JUICY Roast Turkey

I think we can all agree that there is nothing more devastating than labouring for hours over the Thanksgiving or Christmas table centrepiece only to find that it’s dry – especially the breast meat. Even drowning it in gravy can’t completely compensate.

And in this day and age, there’s pretty much full consensus amongst all the greatest food authorities of the world that brining is the path to Juicy Roast Turkey. It doesn’t matter how much butter you use, whether you roast upside down, spin it around, baste 50 times – if you don’t brine, your turkey won’t be as moist.

Full stop. End of story!!

Take a close look at the turkey slice below – look how juicy it is!!!

Genius Easy Juicy Roast Turkey (Dry Brined) - no bucket required, brine while turkey is defrosting AND the turkey is incredibly juicy! Far better than wet brining.

What is brining?

Brining is the method whereby meat (turkey, in this case) is soaked in a salty water mixed with aromatics like bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic for a couple of days. This has the effect of trapping moisture in the flesh while it roasts, yielding super juicy turkey.

The method of soaking turkey in a giant bucket of salty water is called wet brining. Dry brining has the same effect, but is done by rubbing the turkey with a seasoned salt then left to “marinate” for a couple of days before roasting.

Dry brining is easier, more effective and tastier than wet brining!

Wet versus dry turkey brine

Why dry brining is best

Wet Brining is more well known than Dry Brining. While both methods will yield a juicy roast turkey, there are a number of very important advantages of dry brining:

1. No mopping – I guarantee if you’re manhandling a bucket large enough for a 6 kg / 12 lb turkey AND bringing solution, there will be mopping involved at some stage…. Not to mention the question of whether your fridge has space for said bucket!! (Note: If you’re determined to wet brine, use your vegetable crisper! Genius idea from TheKitchn.)

2. The turkey tastes like turkey. Not water. One of the grievances of wet brining is that while the turkey is moist, the moisture tastes bland – not like turkey. Which makes sense, right? The turkey sucks in the brine and unless it is heavily flavoured with broth, the turkey is sucking in largely flavourless liquid. Whereas with dry brining, the turkey releases its own juices then sucks its own juices back in. Turkey on turkey flavour!

3. The roasting juices aren’t too salty to use for gravy. Another problem many people have with wet brined turkey is that the roasting juices can be too salty to use for gravy. You can compensate by plonking in raw potatoes into the gravy to suck out the salt, but….it’s just one more thing you can avoid by using dry brining!

4. You can start brining while the turkey is still partially frozen. It takes 3 days – yes, 3 WHOLE days – to defrost a 10 pound / 5kg turkey in the fridge. Whereas with this recipe I’m sharing, I accelerate the partial defrosting of the turkey in cold water then it finishes defrosting WHILE it is brining.

5. It roasts faster. It takes 1 hour 45 minutes to roast a 5.5 kg / 10 lb turkey. Compared to 2 1/2 hours for un-brined turkey.

Dry brined turkey

Before we roast, we brine. And before we brine, we must thaw!

Turkey THAWING

A frozen turkey is a formidable block of ice that takes days to thaw. So you must factor this into your turkey-feasting timeline!

  • Thaw in fridge (long thaw) – allow 24 hours for every 1.5 – 2 kg / 3 – 4 lb of turkey (my 5.5 kg/11 lb turkey took 3 days)

  • Fast thaw in water – 30 minutes per 500g / 1 lb. Turkey needs to be in a leak proof bag / wrapping. Submerge in large sink of water, keep it submerged. Change water every 30 minutes.

Partially frozen turkey can be brined!

DRY BRINE CAN BE APPLIED WITH PARTIALLY THAWED TURKEY. You just need the turkey skin to be thawed enough to rub the salt in. Then brining + thawing will occur at the same time.

Thawing frozen turkey

Cook times for turkey in the oven

How long to cook turkey in the oven:

  • 5kg / 10 lb: 1 hr 45 min – 2 hrs
  • 6 kg / 12 lb: 2 hrs 15 min
  • 7kg / 14 lb: 2 hrs 30 min
  • 8 kg / 16 lb: 2 hrs 45min

These are the cook times for a dry brined turkey (loosely stuffed with herbs and garlic) which cooks faster than un-brined turkey. Add an extra 15 – 20 minutes if your turkey is stuffed.

This is the total roasting time, including initial 30 minutes at high temperature. It works out at around 12 minutes per 500g / 1 lb.

Internal temperature of cooked turkey

Internal temperature of cooked turkey

75C / 165F using a meat thermometer inserted between the leg and the breast (see photo below for point to insert). This is the USDA recommended internal cooked temperature of turkey. 

How to take the internal temperature?

Take the temperature of the turkey straight out of the oven. Insert the thermometer between the leg and the breast. Insert straight down until you hit bone, then pull back a bit. Hold still until the temperature registers on your thermometer and stays at the internal temperatures specified above.

Internal temperature of cooked turkey

How to make juicy roast turkey

I promised you easy, and easy you shall have! Here’s a rundown on the recipe:

  • Rub with a simple seasoned salt mixture – salt, thyme, paprika, garlic powder and pepper;

  • Wrap like a mummy in cling wrap (holds in all those juices!) and refrigerate for 2 days;

  • Stuff with herbs, garlic and pour in a good slosh of butter;

  • Slather with butter then roast upside down for 30 minutes (get those juices pooling in the breast);

  • Roast right side up for 45 minutes;

  • Baste with Garlic Herb Butter then roast for a further 30 minutes. (I do this at this stage to avoid burnt garlic-herb bits on the turkey)

How to make juicy Roast Turkey

When the internal temperature is reached (see section above), the most important thing to do is to rest the turkey for 30 minutes. This gives the turkey a chance to relax the fibres (ie more tender meat) and even more importantly, the juices get sucked back into the flesh (equals even juicier meat!).

How to make juicy Roast Turkey

Styling the turkey platter

Even if the turkey is only on the platter for a fleeting moment before being whisked away to be carved, I still feel like it’s worth making a wee bit of an effort so the turkey can have it’s moment spotlight.

While many opt for herb garnishes, I have a thing about making everything on a platter edible. So I create a bed of green leafage – watercress in this case (cheap, right shape, nice to “fan out” around edges) – with pops of colour from orange wedges (also for those creatures who like fruit with meat) and cranberries (thawed frozen ones).

Juicy Roast Turkey decorated on platter

How to Carve Turkey

I had ambitions to include a video of how to carve turkey, but doing such a video by yourself proved to be somewhat of a challenge. Turkey juice squirting everywhere, greasy hands, the challenge of new cameras and most frustrating, the hot breath of a fur ball under the table panting with excitement at the mere experience of being so close to such a giant hunk of meat.

Said video was a total fail. Will attempt again next year. In the meantime – this video is a good tutorial. 🙂

Platter of carved Juicy Roast Turkey, decorated platter ready for serving

Close up of slices of carved turkey

To Stuff or Not to Stuff?

Stuffed turkey = overcooked turkey because in order for the stuffing inside the turkey to reach a safe eating internal temperature of 75C / 165F, the turkey meat around it needs to go to a higher temperature, meaning it is overcooked and dry.

This turkey is not stuffed with stuffing, just with garlic, herbs and a good slosh of melted butter (which does all sorts of good things to the breast when roasted upside down).

No thanks! Besides, stuffing baked separately SO much more delicious – here’s my all time favourite Stuffing recipe!

Close up of Sausage Stuffing recipe in a white baking dish, fresh out of the oven ready to be served
My favourite Sausage Apple Stuffing recipe. Always make it separately, never put it IN a turkey!

Easy Classic Cranberry Sauce
My classic Cranberry Sauce.

Cranberry Sauce or Gravy?

Why choose? Serve BOTH! Cranberry Sauce keeps for ages – make it well in advance.

As for gravy…. it’s not an option around these parts. My view is that it’s criminal to to waste those pan juices and NOT make a gravy! So this roast turkey recipe includes gravy!

Gravy being poured over Juicy Roast Turkey

What to serve with Turkey

A classic centrepiece for holiday occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas, here are my favourite sides to serve with turkey!

Thanksgiving sides for Turkey

Close up of Sausage Stuffing recipe in a white baking dish, fresh out of the oven ready to be served
Still the BEST Stuffing ever!
Close up of freshly made Baked Mac and Cheese
Baked Mac and Cheese
Close up of Green Bean Casserole in a casserole dish, fresh out of the oven
Green Bean Casserole perfection!
Close up of spoon serving Browned Butter Sweet Potato Casserole
Browned Butter Savoury Sweet Potato Casserole
Vinaigrette being poured over Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts and Cranberries
Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts and Cranberries
These No Knead Dinner Rolls are like magic! Astonishingly easy, no stand mixer, just mix the ingredients in a bowl! recipetineats.com
Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls
Pouring Maple Butter Sauce over Slow Roasted Fondant Sweet Potatoes
Fondant Sweet Potatoes (slow roasted)
Thanksgiving recipes on RecipeTin Eats
Thanksgiving Recipes

Christmas sides for Turkey

Close up of Duck Fat Potatoes fresh out of the oven
Duck Fat Potatoes – Crispiest, Best Roast Potatoes EVER!
Close up of Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots on a tray, fresh out of the oven
Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Close up of Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Feta in a white salad bowl, ready to be served
Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomato Feta
Close up of freshly made Baked Mac and Cheese
Baked Mac and Cheese
A simple white wine vinaigrette is the perfect Wild Rice Salad dressing. recipetineats.com
Christmas Sides: Light & Fresh
An epic Baked Mac and Cheese! Perfect in every way, the ultimate comfort food. recipetineats.com
Christmas Sides: Warm & Hearty

So here’s my recipe for the Juicy Roast Turkey made by dry brining. It is based on this recipe from the LA Times which has a cult following – with good reason! I’ve added extra tips and tricks to help make this a breeze for you.

I have a feeling this Thanksgiving is going to be your BEST EVER!!! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Here’s the recipe video for the Juicy Roast Turkey. See below for gravy!

And here’s the video for the turkey gravy:

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Juicy Roast Turkey fresh out of the oven with turkey gravy and cranberry

Juicy Roast Turkey

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 20 minutes mins
Cook: 2 hours hrs
Brining time: 2 days d
Total: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Christmas, Dinner, Thanksgiving
Western
4.96 from 130 votes
Servings10 -12
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 251
Recipe video above. This is still the only way I roast a whole turkey – dry brined with a seasoned salt. Start it in a hot oven upside down, then finish in a lower oven right side up. Brush with lots of butter, but only add minced garlic and fresh herbs towards the end else it burns.
The turkey flesh is juicy, the skin is crisply golden, it's simple, practical and foolproof. No buckets of liquid brine! You can even start it while the turkey is still partially frozen – it will brine as it thaws. Dry brined meats also cook faster – a 5kg/10lb turkey takes under 2 hours. Useful, when there's lots of oven demand!
Start this recipe two days before cooking. You can brine up to 3 days, but 4 days doesn't add anything and I worry about food safety. Use the RECIPE SCALER to change ingredients to the weight of your turkey (click/tap on servings and slide!).

Ingredients

  • 10 lb / 5kg whole turkey , thawed (plain not pre brined) (Note 1)

Dry Brine Salt Rub:

  • 2 1/2 tbsp kosher salt / cooking salt (Note 2)
  • 2 tsp dried thyme , or other herb of choice
  • 1 tsp paprika , sweet or ordinary
  • 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

For Roasting

  • 2 heads of garlic , halved horizontally (ie 4 halves)
  • 1 onion , halved – skin on is fine (brown, yellow, white)
  • 2 small bunch mixed herbs , sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley (optional, Note 3)
  • 10 tbsp (150g) unsalted butter , melted
  • 1 tbsp (in total) sage, rosemary and thyme , finely chopped – equal amounts of each (Note 3)
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 1/2 cups dry white wine , or water (Note 4)
  • Salt & pepper

Gravy (~ 4 cups/1L)

  • 4 cups chicken broth / stock , low sodium
  • 5 tbsp flour , plain / all purpose
  • Salt and pepper
Prevent screen from sleeping

Instructions

RECIPE SUMMARY:

  • Rub turkey with the Salt Rub, wrap mummy-like in cling wrap. Fridge 48 hrs, flipping halfway. Stuff, roast upside down 30min in hot 220°C/425°F (200°C fan) oven, flip, garlic-herb-butter baste, finish roasting in lower oven 165°C/325°F (150°C fan).

FULL RECIPE

    Dry Brining Preparation

    • Salt Rub: Mix together the Rub ingredients.
    • Prep Turkey: Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, inside and out. Remove giblets or anything else inside the turkey. (Note 5)
    • Sprinkle: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the Salt Rub inside the turkey and use you hand to spread it (roughly is fine). Turn the turkey upside down, then rub 1 teaspoon of the Salt Rub on the underside.
    • Turn the turkey upright and rub the remaining Salt Rub on the turkey, using most on the breast – even some under the skin if you can.
    • Wrap turkey mummy-like in lots of cling wrap (works best, I find) or place the turkey in a sealable plastic bag (Note 6).

    Brining (Note 7):

    • Place turkey upside down in baking pan. Refrigerate 2 days (minimum) up to 3 days (4 days adds nothing, I find).
    • 24 hours later: Flip turkey so it's right side up.
    • 24 (to 48 hours) later: unwrap turkey. The skin should be moist but not wet. If wet, pat dry. Leave out for 30 min before roasting.

    Prepare for roasting:

    • Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan-forced)
    • Prep for roasting: Place the onions and garlic in a roasting pan. Place a roasting rack on top – if you have one (Note 8 for sub).
    • Stuff bunch of herbs + 2 garlic halves + 3 tbsp butter (45g) inside the turkey. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine (optional). 
    • Place turkey UPSIDE DOWN on the rack. Twist the wings so they are on top – see video. Brush with a bit of melted butter. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and pepper.
    • Wine – Pour wine in roasting pan.

    Roasting:

    • Roast for 30 minutes.
    • Flip & brush – Use a tea towel to turn the turkey over so it's right side up. Brush with butter, sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and pepper.
    • Turn oven down to 165°C/325°F (150°C fan).
    • Roast turkey 45 minutes.
    • Garlic herb butter: Mix remaining butter with garlic and herbs. Brush turkey generously with butter.
    • Roast turkey for a further 30 minutes or until a) the thermometer that comes with the turkey pops up; or b) a thermometer inserted between the breast and leg reads 165°F/75°C. (Notes 9, 10). Cover loosely with foil if browning too much.
    • Rest: Remove turkey onto serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 30 minutes before transferring to platter for presentation and carving (see in post for styling idea).
    • Serve turkey with gravy and/or Cranberry Sauce.

    Turkey Gravy

    • Place roasting pan (with garlic, onion etc still in it) on the stove over medium high heat. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes.
    • Add broth and use a potato masher to mash the onion and garlic into the mixture. Use a wooden spoon to scrap the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened.
    • Strain into a bowl, pressing down to extract all the flavour out of the onion and garlic. Transfer to gravy boat.

    Recipe Notes:

    1. TURKEY needs to be thawed.
    * Thaw in fridge (long thaw) – allow 24 hours for every 1.5 – 2 kg / 3 – 4 lb of turkey (my 5.5 kg/11 lb turkey took 3 days)
    * Fast thaw in water – 30 minutes per 500g / 1 lb. Turkey needs to be in a leak proof bag / wrapping. Submerge in large sink of water, keep it submerged. Change water every 30 minutes.
    Rub can be applied to partially thawed turkey as long as skin is pliable enough to rub salt in. I usually apply the rub after the turkey has been thawing in the fridge for 24 hours. Expect lots of juices from the thaw/brining process – ensure turkey is patted dry before roasting. As it brines, liquid may be red from blood from the inside of the turkey thawing – do not worry. Won’t affect end result at all. Do not rinse, just pat dry with paper towels.
    DO NOT:
    * Use this recipe for “self basting” or pre marinated turkeys, will be too salty. Check ingredients or nutrition – if there’s salt or flavourings, the turkey has already been brined. Typically these include boxed and frozen turkeys at the supermarkets in Australia.
    **See HOW TO COOK PRE-BRINED TURKEY box below recipe.**
    2. SALT – Use 1 tbsp salt for every 2 kg / 4 lb turkey. Use kosher / cooking salt. If using fine grain table salt, reduce by 1/4 tsp PER 1 tbsp of salt called for in the recipe. Do not use salt flakes (too hard to measure equivalent).
    3. HERBS – I used an equal mix of sage, rosemary and thyme to make up 1 tbsp in total for basting partway through cooking. Can also use dried herbs of choice – use 2 tsp. Doesn’t sound like much but we don’t want to put herbs on the skin until partway though cooking otherwise it just burns. So by the time we baste with the herb butter, there’s not much butter left. Just imparts a subtle fragrance more than anything, could even be skipped.
    Need one bunch to stuff inside the turkey, the other for the pan.
    4. WINE – I use sauvignon blanc, pinot gris (I get discount wine for cooking). Any white wine is fine as long as it’s not too sweet or woody / oaky.
    5. Giblets are a parcel of turkey offcuts that are usually stuffed inside the turkey and are used to make the gravy. It usually comprises of: neck, heart and liver. Use the neck and heart for turkey gravy.
    6. BAG  – you can get resealable bags in America that are big enough for turkey. But I’ve found that cling wrap is the most effective – keeps the brine right up against the turkey skin.
    7. BRINE TIME: 48 hours (2 days) is my base recipe, 3 days also great (a bit more seasoned). Even overnight is better than not brining at all! I even did 4 days last year and it not any different to 3 days, from what I could tell.
    8. RACK SUB: Need to keep turkey skin elevated out of liquid in pan. Get a long strip of foil, scrunch to make a thick “rope”. Loop to make a circle and secure. Place on top of onion, place turkey on top. Just need something to keep turkey a bit elevated off base of pan and the onion. If skin is in contact with onion when upside down, the skin will brown unevenly once you flip.
    9. ROASTING TIME:
    • 5kg / 10 lb: 1 hr 45 min – 2 hrs
    • 6 kg / 12 lb: 2 hrs 15 min
    • 7kg / 14 lb: 2 hrs 30 min
    • 8 kg / 16 lb: 2 hrs 45min
    Works out at 12 minutes per 500g / 1 lb.
    10. INTERNAL TEMP: Insert thermometer between breast and leg. Push straight down, hit bone, then pull back slightly. 
     If you don’t have a thermometer (get one! Even a cheap one!), pierce the meat between the leg and breast and if the juices run clear, the turkey is cooked.
    Remember, this turkey is brined so there is a bit of leeway with the cooking time even if you overcook it slightly, it will still be moist.
    11. Got turkey leftovers? Use it up in White Turkey Enchilada Soup,  Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Pot Pie or Muffulettas!
    12. Source: Adapted from this recipe from the LA Times.
    Keywords: Roast Turkey, turkey brine
    Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

    How to cook pre-brined turkey

    If you went to use this recipe only to realise you have a pre-brined turkey (see Note 1 in recipe), do not use this recipe as the brining will make your turkey too salty. Instead, make this recipe as follows:

    • Add better flavour – Make the Herb Garlic Butter in this Roasted Turkey Breast but only use 1/4 of the salt.  Scale the recipe to your turkey weight – click on servings and slide until the turkey weight changes to the weight of your turkey. (Yeah, it’ll be a lot of butter! You can scale down if you want 🙂 ).  Watch the video to see how I loosen the skin, then slather about 2/3 of the butter under the skin.
    • Flip turkey then rub just a bit of butter on the underside sprinkle with salt and pepper,. Roast per this recipe for 30 minutes on higher temp.
    • Flip turkey right side up then slather skin with 1/2 of the remaining butter sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast per this recipe for 45 min, then slather with remaining butter. Roast to finish cooking per this recipe. ,Voila!

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    Dozer Thanksgiving turkey leg

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    649 Comments

    1. Dennis says

      December 27, 2019 at 1:04 pm

      This turkey was a great hit. Wish I could send the photo.very proud, thanks to you.

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        December 27, 2019 at 6:14 pm

        You can if you’re on Instagram! Just tag me or message me the photo – I would love to see it! N xx

        Reply
    2. Nancy says

      December 26, 2019 at 10:29 pm

      5 stars
      I grew up with turkey stuffed and cooked in the big black roaster. I took a leap and tried this and it was the best turkey EVER! I didn’t think turkey could be that moist – thank you!

      Reply
    3. Anna says

      December 26, 2019 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Nagi, I used your recipe for my first ever Christmas turkey dinner. Of course… you didn’t let me down. Although I had butterflies in my stomach all day, it came out moist and delicious – and the gravy was brilliant. Thank you and look forward to many more Nagi recipe successes in 2020.

      Reply
    4. Patrice says

      December 26, 2019 at 2:58 pm

      Thank you Karen for the recipe, for the first time I’m satisfied with the turkey, not dry at all and very easy to prepare.

      Reply
    5. Michele says

      December 26, 2019 at 6:34 am

      5 stars
      This is my second year using your turkey rub, ham glaze and strawberry cheesecake, my whole family has raved about how simple the preparation was and that the food was absolutely delicious. Thank you for the wonderful recipes, they are now a firm favourite in my house.

      Reply
    6. Karen says

      December 23, 2019 at 9:44 am

      Hello Nagi, I have a cooking time question. I’ve bought a Coles fresh turkey that’s pre brined so I’m following the herb garlic butter roast turkey recipe. My turkey is almost 6kg & Coles packaging states it serves 16-20 and takes 3hrs 30 mins to cook at 160c fan forced. Your recipe states 30 mins at 220c fanforced then 165c after turning bird over and basting. Your chart advises that 6kg bird will take 2hr 15 mins. Dry brining cuts down cooking time so will my pre brined turkey take 2hr 15 mins or longer? Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, Karen xo

      Reply
      • Christine Roberts says

        December 24, 2019 at 6:41 am

        Hi Karen

        I bought the Coles pre marinated turkey as well so am also confused. I’m thinking of covering bird in the butter as per the recipe, cooking breast down first the turning (as per the other turkey recipe) , but am contemplating the timing as per coles as not to dry out the bird. Hoping Nagi will get back you you, as I’m curious to know too!

        Merry Xmas to you and Nagi!

        Reply
        • Karen says

          January 2, 2020 at 4:04 pm

          Hi Christine, hope all went well with your Christmas turkey. I followed Navi’s oven temperatures and cooking times and found that my 5.6kg turkey reached 75c in just 2.5 hours!! The turkey was rested as instructed and was juicy and delicious. Will definitely do this again next Xmas. Cheers, Karen

          Reply
    7. Heather Stockall says

      December 22, 2019 at 4:57 am

      We’ll be doing turkey with your dry brine, glazed carrots, roasted potatoes and some sort of salad. There’s only 4 of us so I’ll be looking for leftover recipes! Thank you, Nagi!

      Reply
    8. Margaret says

      December 22, 2019 at 12:12 am

      I love your recipes! Made your slow cooker lemon garlic chicken…amazing, shared the recipe with my daughter, she loved it too! I am going to make your dry brine turkey for Christmas dinner, I have to transport it to my SIL house and eat a few hours later. Question for you: What would you recommend? I could keep the turkey intact, reheat and the carve before serving. Or carve and put in slow cooker to stay warm? Or? Thank you very much and happy holidays.

      Reply
    9. Angela says

      December 21, 2019 at 9:25 pm

      Hi, your 5kg is 30min, 45mins, 30mins
      If 6kg is it 30mins, 75mins, 30mins?
      Within that 75mins do I need to brush butter one more time?
      Use (fan) oven is it better than not use it? Thanks!

      Reply
    10. Jessica says

      December 19, 2019 at 8:25 am

      Hi Nagi! I can’t seem to find a frozen turkey that is not pre-brined. Can I use a fresh turkey? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        December 19, 2019 at 7:40 pm

        Yes, fresh is better Jessica!

        Reply
    11. Sima Sadoughi says

      December 19, 2019 at 2:54 am

      I have been hosting thanksgiving dinner for past 14 years . This year I used your recipe for my turkey and by far it was the BEST ever . I am recipe junky but youR recipes are my favorite ones .

      Reply
    12. Doris Saiki says

      December 19, 2019 at 1:20 am

      Hi, Nagi👋 Our Christmas dinner is really special because I live (until recently) in Hawaii and am Japanese! Our main include always include Kalua pork (pork butt seasoned with Hawaiian salt, wrapped first in lau lau and ti leaves, then finally bananas leaves which is baked (in a modern kitchen) in a 350° oven. Second main usual is a roast Turkey or/and baked ham with guava jelly glaze. From the Japanese side we always have either maki sushi rolls or chirashi sushi. Sides include lomi lomi salmon (salted, shredded salmon with chopped tomatoes and sweet Maui onion), namasu (Japanese vinegared cucumber, daikon and seaweed salad), potato salad, local style with just potatoes, hard boiled eggs and mayo. Can’t forget the local macaroni salad…we eat that here in Hawaii with EVERYTHING!! Of course we must have poi and plain white rice! Let’s see, what else?! Mochiko chicken, shrimp and vegetables tempura, squid (Hawaiian for tako…octopus😋) luau, stew with lau lau leaves and coconut milk, kimchee, various tsuke mono (salted vegetables Japanese style), and desserts like passion fruit cheesecake, fruit salads, guava cake. A really special diverse holiday meal between two, sometimes more, cultures 😁!!! Only in Hawaii🤙🌴, Merry Christmas, ALOHA 🌺

      Reply
    13. Behn says

      December 19, 2019 at 1:16 am

      Help. I’m brining today and need to know the salt conversion. Recipe says cooking salt. And then note says 1/4 tsp table salt for 1 tbsp cooking salt. I have Costco sea salt. Is there a conversion or am I good as per recipe?

      Reply
    14. Barbara von Normann says

      December 18, 2019 at 6:29 pm

      We so love your recipes, Nagi! You have literally changed our way of thinking and cooking! For Christmas, we will be cooking a turkey, following your recipe of course. Our family members will be providing the side dishes.
      Sending you and Dozer much love from Estonia! Barbara and family

      Reply
    15. Arthur Buie says

      December 17, 2019 at 2:02 am

      Fried Turkey with Ham, Green beans, Mac and Cheese, Corn Bread Dressing, Gravy, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Pecan Potato Pie.

      Reply
    16. Phoebe says

      December 14, 2019 at 10:27 am

      Hello 🙂
      Love to try this recipe but have a couple questions.
      We’re going to be out of the house (at church) for 2.5hrs before lunch. Should i cook it 1/2hr before we leave, flip it, then a lower temp while we’re out?
      Then rest it as soon as we get home.
      Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        December 16, 2019 at 9:37 am

        Hi Phoebe, how big is the turkey that you’re using?

        Reply
        • Phoebe says

          December 16, 2019 at 9:51 am

          5kg max 🙂
          Thanks for ur speedy response during silly season

          Reply
    17. Mary says

      December 9, 2019 at 2:14 pm

      So using the drippings wont make the gravy too salty? I am cooking an 18 pound turkey.

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        December 9, 2019 at 8:28 pm

        Hi Mary! That’s correct – if you use this dry brine recipe, then the drippings will NOT make the gravy too salty. If you use a wet brine, then it probably will be. 🙂 N x

        Reply
    18. Jay Wadams says

      December 8, 2019 at 7:22 pm

      Nagi, you are actually a Christmas angel! We’ve got the whole family coming for Christmas this year and this beautifully detailed recipe is a lifesaver. Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes!

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        December 9, 2019 at 8:29 am

        You’ll nail it Jay!!!!

        Reply
    19. Suzy says

      December 3, 2019 at 7:40 pm

      I made your dry brined, juicy turkey recipe for Thanksgiving. I was a bit nervous as my bird was 20 lbs., so I had to wing it on the time factors of how long to bake upside down, etc. But it worked out just fine. The rub made it such a beautiful color, and really flavored the drippings for the gravy. We all loved this juicy bird and the gravy. Delicious. I made a home made stock to make the gravy–so good and lots of it. I think this is the first time we had enough gravy for hot turkey sandwiches for everyone the next day, and still had extra. Your savory sweet potatoes with brown butter and fried sage were a huge hit with everyone also. Thanks, Nagi. You rock!

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        December 4, 2019 at 5:51 am

        Wahoo! That’s great Suzy!!

        Reply
    20. Michelle Wood says

      November 30, 2019 at 2:35 am

      5 stars
      First time making a Thanksgiving turkey. 17lb. Just adjusted a little not much. Dry brine wasn’t that hard. Just follow directions.
      Nervous, I followed directions, watched the video. It was so amazing! Not only juicy, but so flavorful. Incredibly flavored! I have tasted turkey for years at holiday gatherings and literally had to pour tons of gravy. But this one was so tender and juicy. Did I mention the incredible flavor? The gravy was so delicious. I got worried because I read the temp wrong, put it on 375 after the 475 time. But then turned it down to the proper 325 after 30 minutes, but it didn’t hurt it. Another thing I did was when pouring the butter in the cavity, I goofed and turned the turkey over, some of the butter spilled out lol! But that just added taste to the gravy! So, even though I ran into my own hiccups It still turned out perfect. Thank you so much Nagi. You gave such easy directions, you provided every little “troubleshooting and tips”. What I thought would be ruined, became the most beautiful and tasty turkey. I didn’t use the beautiful presentation but my family was ready to dig in lol. So now, I am in charge of the turkey every year! 🙂

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        November 30, 2019 at 5:48 am

        This is the best Michelle! I’m so so so happy it worked out for you!!! – N x

        Reply
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