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!
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
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!!!
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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)
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!).
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).
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. 🙂
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!
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!
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
Christmas sides for Turkey
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
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
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:
* 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
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!
Life of Dozer
That turkey leg is the size of his head!
Hi Nagi,
Should I roast at 390 degrees for a convection oven and then turn down to 300 degrees
only if I’m using a convection oven correct ?
Nope! Please turn oven down whatever type you are using: To 165C/325F (standard) or 150C/300F (fan). N x
I am dry brining. Do I rinse it when I begin to roast?
No definitely not!!! Pat dry if it’s wet (but if yours was properly thawed the skin should just be a tad moist not wet in which case don’t pat dry) then roast! N x
Hi Nagi,
I’m sort of freaking out here .. today is Day 2 so when I came to flip over the turkey it was bloody inside the cling wrap .. it wasnt 100% defrosted when I rubbed it with the salt but I read here that it’s okay .. do I rinse it off tomorrow before roasting? Please help
It just occurred to me that it could be paprika with moisture from the turkey .. not necessarily blood? I’m confused :/
Hi Farah! It’s probably blood, from the inside of the turkey. It’s the thawing. But honestly, DON’T WORRY! It’s fine, it will not affect the end result at all. It just looks a bit messy during the brining process. Trust me, it’s exactly what happens to me when I dry brine when still partially frozen inside. 🙂 N x
It’s ok! Don’t freak out that’s just the liquid from the thawing from the inside 🙂 Definitely DO NOT rinse before roasting but instead, shake out all that water and then pat dry with paper towels. You’ll be all good. It’s just coming from the inside of the turkey and the recipe only requires a bit of salt to go on the inside. N x
Thank you so much Nagi! Ur a lifesaver 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!!
Hi Nagi,
I love your recipes!, and I was excited to read this post, however I just realized the turkey I bought was “ self-saucing “… sigh… is there any way to enhance the flavor of this super market bought frozen turkey? Appreciate any tips.
Thanks!
H
Hi H! No problems – just skip the brining because it’s already done. Then use the garlic herb butter in this recipe https://salesdock.info/garlic-herb-slow-cooker-turkey-breast/%3C/a%3E Scale the recipe (click on servings and slide) to your turkey weight – ingredients will change. BUT reduce the salt by about 75% (because your turkey is already salted all through). Then, slather the butter under the skin and some on the underside (watch the video in the Garlic Herb Turkey Breast recipe for how to do this). Hold back about 1/3 of the butter for later. Turn the turkey upside down and roast for 30 minutes per this recipe. Then flip, use most of the remaining butter to slather the skin, roast again for 45 minutes per this recipe. Then baste again with remaining butter and continue roasting. 🙂 Hope that helps! N x
Thank you Nagi, you are truly a lifesaver! So reduce the salt of garlic butter recipe, right? My turkey is thawing in fridge at the moment and I have 2 days till I need to cook. Would it be worth dry brining without the salt, ie, only with paprika and herbs and wrap it with plastic films? Thanks!
Hi H! Yes that’s right, reduce the salt in the garlic butter by about 75% ie only use 1/4 of the salt. Without salt, it’s not brining so there’s no need to do the paprika etc – salt is how flavour is carried into the flesh. If you want to get ahead, you can slather the butter under the skin at anytime between now and turkey day. 🙂 N x
So, I have started the brining process, but my turkey was not thawed all the way. The outside was soft enough, but now a day later there is a lot of moisture in the bottom of my pan. So much for patting the turkey dry. Should start the process over? There just seems to be too much moisture. Not sure how dry “dry” should be.
I’m sure you’ve already answered this question, but I can’t find it. Sorry.
How long do you cover the bird during the baking process? And uncovered time? Thank you!
P.S. Nagi, we’re having your carnitas for dinner tonight (two days before Thanksgiving). Lots of yummy leftovers. Yea!
Hi Ellen! No covered time at all 🙂 Though thank you for the reminder to add that tip in case your turkey browns too much. YUM to Carnitas!!! N xx
Omg, I think I really messed up my turkey with the dry brine! I didn’t see your notes until this morning and I dry brined it yesterday. I think it was brined already, I didn’t check the package before I threw it out- it never occurred to me that they ore-brine turkeys for you. I also used Table salt and didn’t realize it should be reduced. I am freaking out! I cannot serve over salty turkey. If I go get another turkey today it won’t be thawed in time. What can I do? Can I tinse it?
PS And after that, pop the turkey back in the fridge and make the Garlic Herb Butter from this recipe -> https://salesdock.info/garlic-herb-butter-roasted-turkey-breast/%3C/a%3E Scale the butter recipe up to your turkey weight (click on servings then slide) BUT only use 25% of the salt called for in the garlic butter. Just before roasting, slather 2/3 butter under the skin and a bit on the underside, then roast it per this recipe ie upside first then right side up (your pre brined turkey will also benefit from this method). Then flip, slather most of the remaining butter on top of the skin, roast 45 min per recipe, then baste again with remaining butter. YUM!! N x
Nagi, should we still use the salt in the butter if this has happened.
Hi Ana! Only use 1/4 of the salt in the garlic-herb-butter recipe. There’s a box under the recipe card called “HOW TO COOK PRE-BRINED TURKEY” where I detail the steps. 🙂 I hope you find it useful! N x
I rinsed it and then after I calmed down (teehee), I used a small amount of the correct kosher salt and some aromatics, Spatchcocked it and put it in the refrigerator like that. I did the butter rub under skin and rubbed olive oil on skin right before I put in the oven. Girl, best turkey I’ve ever made! It came out better than perfect! So juicy and tender! It was delicious! I also made your macaroni and cheese and OhhhhhMmmmmmGeeeeeee, it was sinfully good! So creamy and delicious! Love your recipes!
Hi Jen – it’s ok, don’t stress! Quick – go give it a quick rinse and pat it dry really well. It will be totally fine!
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for being there to answer questions!
I have a 14.5 pound frozen turkey that I’ve been thawing since Saturday night.
I am going to dry brine it on Tuesday. I’m a little confused about some things. Here are my questions:
Q1. I am using a 14.5 pound frozen Butterball turkey. Can I dry brine this type of turkey? (I googled this but it refers to “wet brining”). If yes, please answer my other questions)
Q2. When I am brining the turkey, am I using the salt mixture (kosher salt, thyme, etc.) on the inside as well as underneath and on top? I ask because you say to salt the inside with “salt,” not salt mixture. I just want to confirm whether I am using plain salt for the inside or the salt mixture. Salt mixture (not plain salt) everywhere, right?
Q3. Can I substitute wine with water? Chicken broth?
Q4. Roasting time. OK, so I roast at 425° breast-side down for 30 minutes. Then, flip breast-side up, turn temp down to 325° and roast for 45 minutes. Then Baste. Then another 30 minutes. This is where I get stuck.
How much longer do I cook it for a 14.5 pound turkey? You mentioned that the first 30 minutes are included in the TOTAL cooking time. So according to your instructions, for a “14 pound” turkey, you said to roast for 2hr 30 mins. So that first 30 minutes is part of the 2.5 hrs OR is that in addition to the 2.5 hrs for a total of 3 hrs?
Here’s the thing though…you also mentioned that the turkey should roast about 12 minutes per pound. For a 14.5 pound turkey, that comes out to exactly 174 minutes, or 2.9 hours. Is that my total cooking time (initial 30 + 45 + 30 + 69 = 174 mins)??? Ps- I can’t totally rely on my meat thermometer because it’s a crappy one.
Please help! Thank youuuu. And have a very happy Thanksgiving 😊
Hi Cynthia! Happy to help 🙂 So, I googled and Butterball is a brand of turkey that is pre-brined. So no, you do not want to use this recipe for your turkey because it will make it too salty. The good news is the brining has already been done for you, so all you need to do is rub with flavour then roast. What I would do is as follows: DO NOT use the salt rub in this recipe, use a garlic herb butter slather instead. So, go to my Garlic Herb Butter ROAST Turkey Breast recipe. Click on servings and slide to scale up the recipe until the breast weight is 14.5 lb. It will change all the other ingredients for you. But Do NOT use the salt in the butter (your turkey will end up too salty). Use the butter, herbs and garlic per the recipe. Then slather it under the skin all over the whole turkey, then on the underside of the turkey. Hold back 1/2 cup of butter or so for the upper side for later. Stuff the turkey with garlic and herbs per this Roast Turkey recipe. Then cook it per this recipe. So I’ll answer Q3 onwards now: Q3) Don’t sub with chicken broth, use water. Broth might make your pan drippings too salty for gravy. If you aren’t making gravy, then definitely don’t use broth, it’s a waste! Q4) For a 14.5 lb turkey, roast as follows: 30 minutes at 425F breast side down. Then flip and use some of the reserved butter on the skin. Turn oven down to 325F and roast for a further 2 hours in total (2.5 hours including initial 30 minutes). Baste it twice during this time with the reserved butter or, if you run out, use the liquid in the pan. The 12 minutes per pound is a rough guide, it’s not a straight line formula. Typically, the larger the turkey gets, the less time it takes per pound. That’s why the formula comes out at 2.9 hours, but my cook time guide is 2.5 hours. If you can’t trust your thermometer, the safest way to check is to cut between the leg and breast, pry it open and check – that’s the thickest / deepest part, if it’s cooked there, then everything else is cooked. And don’t worry, Butterball Turkey is pre brined so it will come out juicy even if it goes a bit over. Once cooked, follow my recipe for the turkey gravy! N x
Thank you so much for your speedy reply, Nagi. And it’s a good thing you did because I would’ve had a very salty turkey!
I am still curious about Q2 and the salt/salt mixture question. I have a second turkey (not Butterball) that I am going to make on another day and I want to be prepared. You mean the salt mixture, not plain salt, throughout, right?
Sorry about making you repeat yourself regarding Q3. I knew I read somewhere in your instructions that you can, in fact, use water (and not broth) instead of wine! I wrote my post after finishing all the wine and that’s why I need to use water 😉
Regarding Q4 and roasting times… does the 2.5 hr time frame still pertain to my pre-brined turkey? OR are you referring to your dry brine recipe? I have to ask because according to Butterball’s instructions, I’m supposed to roast an unstuffed turkey (10-18 lbs) for 3.75-4.5 hrs. This is what I have done in the past for this type of turkey.
A new question about dry brining, Q5: if the turkey is still frozen on the day I dry brine… and I can’t get the bag of “insides” out of the cavity, should I force-defrost in water or just leave until day of roasting? I ask because I know you want the inside rubbed with salt mixture and that’s part of the whole process, right? So can I skip the inside of the bird if it isn’t accessible at the moment or is that a critical part of the dry brining process?
Thanks again 🙏🏻 😊
Hi Cynthia! Yes I mean the salt mixture as per this recipe 🙂 For the pre brined turkey, the 2.5 hr cook time is for a home brined turkey so possibly store bought is different but to be honest, in my experience, store bought always tends to err on the side of caution with cook times which can lead to overcooked turkey. They can afford to do that because their turkey is brined! I would start checking the internal temp early – always 🙂 New question Q5: That’s fine to leave the insides in the cavity, I only use a small amount of salt inside the turkey because the inside flesh of the turkey is the juiciest because it cooks last. So it’s fine if you don’t salt the inside, the most important are the thick plump breasts! So then remove the giblets when you can, and tip the turkey on it’s side to drain out thawing liquid from inside the turkey before you roast. 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi! So I made my Butterball turkey. I had my sister take out the innards and neck from the bird because I’m too “chicken” to do it. After buttering and seasoning the bird, I proceeded with the roasting. I took it out of the oven when it registered between 165 and 170° but when I set it on the cutting board to rest, there were clear juices coming out on one side and pink juices coming out on the other side. So I put it back in the oven for another 25+ minutes but I had the same problem when I took it out again. Now the temperature was reading 180°. I didn’t want to dry out the breast anymore so I took it out and let it rest with tented foil over it. Finally, I began to carve. Then guess what I found? Another bag of innards in the rear end! I looked at my sister who assured me she got everything out but apparently she hadn’t (I will leave out the expletives). Anyway, that was the reason there were still pink juices coming out of one side (gross!). The funny thing is, this seems to happen every year (is this a tradition now??). Remember folks, they stuff the cavity AND the rear end with the extra parts so be sure to get that out before roasting. And by the way, you were right…it didn’t take the almost 4 hours that Butterball suggested… more like 2.75-3.0 hrs.
All that aside, your amazing turkey gravy recipe saved the day. Hope you and your family had a good one!
PS – looking forward to your ideas for Christmas dinner!
Te he he! I’m sorry, I HAD to giggle! I remember that happened to me for one of the first turkeys I ever made!! I’m so glad it worked out though. I should add a reminder to shove your hand RIGHT UP that turkey, eh…?? 😜
Hi Nagi,
For the herbs used in the roasting part (referring to Note 3), is it 2 tsp total of dried thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage…or is it 2 tsp of each dried herb?
This recipe sounds wonderful, I am so looking forward to this turkey dinner!!
HI Karen! It’s 1 tbsp in total 🙂 Doesn’t sound like much and it’s not – it just adds a subtle fragrance. Any more and it makes the butter too thick for basting. Thanks for the question, will clarify in the recipe! N x
Brilliant! LOVE the recipe scaler… So ‘high tech’ Nagi! I have always been a fan of the dry brine. I FINALLY brined my turkey a couple years ago and I wasn’t that impressed. I guess I expected a big difference, didn’t get it. Can’t wait to try the dry brine method!
Hello Nagi,
I’m picking up our turkey tomorrow, and it will be in the 16-20 lb. range. Will I need to adjust the quantities in your recipe since yours is for a 10 lb. turkey? And if I apply the dry brine rub 3 days ahead of roasting, how should I split the brining time in terms of positioning the turkey?
Thank you!
Hi Ann! For an extra day of brining, just flip it one more time 🙂 Use the recipe scaler to increase the rub based on the turkey size – click or tap on servings, then slide until the turkey weight changes to your turkey. Hope that helps! N x
But other than the rub, do I need to change quantities for the roasting and gravy? I just want it to turn out right! Thanks!
Hi Ann! When you use the recipe scaler, it will also change the gravy ingredients for you 🙂 In terms of roasting time, please see Note 9 as a guide but it’s really important with Turkey to rely on your thermometer, not recipe cook times because people’s ovens vary so drastically, it depends how cold the inside of the turkey is etc etc! N x
Hi, I made this recipe for a work party, it was beautiful and delicious! I plan to do it again for Thanksgiving, along with the maple glazed ham. Thank you for an excellent recipe, and clear instructuions.
Me again. Just need to make sure I get this right. I’ve never made a turkey and have 16 coming for dinner so need to get it right 🙂 I have a few pending questions on the slow cooker turkey – posted there by mistake.
What setting on the oven do we use? The one with bar on the top and bottom ? Or just the conventional. Also what is better fan or no fan? Thanks Heidy
Hi Heidi! If you have a fan setting for the oven then definitely use that, it circulates the hot air around the oven for more even browning 🙂 Don’t get, you will nail it! N x
For the dried herbs , is it 2 tsp in all or 2 tsp of each herb?
For the Rub, it is 2 tsp of thyme in total 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi
This looks delicious.
I’m picking up a fresh turkey on Wednesday and would love to try the recipe. Do you need to brine the turkey for as long or would I get away with ~24 hours?
I’ve never brined my turkey before, it’s just slathered with butter, topped with bacon and stuffed with carrots, onion and herbs.
As always, thanks for being the great recipes, just made the mushroom sauce and raved about to my running buddy who made it the next day and love it too!
Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁
Hi Irene! Even 24 hours will be juicier than not doing it at all 🙂 It makes such a difference. I did one for 24 hours last year and it was still amazing!! When you slather with butter, be sure to use unsalted otherwise it might be too salty 🙂 N x
Thanks Nagi, I’ll let you know how it goes.
PS. Love the “Thanksgiving Hotline “
Since I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving I still might keep these tips for Xmas 😉
I’ll be doing menus and collections for Christmas too, this is definitely on the list!!
ARE YOU SERIOUS WITH DOZER OR YET ANOTHER THEATRE PLAY….. PHOTOS ARE EXCELENT BUT HOW ABOUT I DROP IN FOR FEAST? Re: planting corn it’s not hard, good soil, sunny position, bit water that’s all. Enjoy week.
The best thing about cooking a gigantic bird for Christmas is all the delicious things you can do with the meat after the event. I usually do a wet brine for 4 days for my Anglo hubby’s family (since I haven’t convinced them yet that curry IS a Christmas food :)) but I’m excited to try the ry brine this year! So informative as always, thank you for doing all the hard work for us and making a somewhat stressful time of the year less so!
Xxx
Hi Nagi! This is perfect timing since we are celebrating our Thanksgiving this Sunday, 11/18 instead of the traditional US holiday date. I’ll be brining tomorrow – using your recipe of course. We have a Traeger grill and I’m going to “experiment” cooking this bird on that. Wish me luck! 🙂
You don’t need luck! This is perfect for grilling 🙂 A brined turkey is the only way I would grill it. Happy Thanksgiving!!! N xx
Thank you Nagi. Never got my turkey brined – going to do that now. Our plans changed due to a family emergency. I’m going to transport all the cooked food tomorrow – cooking today. Would “brining” the bird even for a few hours help?
Love the Thanksgiving Hotline! 🙂
Hi Christianne! Any length of time that the turkey can sit with the rub on it helps make it a bit juicier! N x
We are having a Goose for Christmas (in Ireland this year) and I wondered if I could do the same brine. Cheers
Hi John! I haven’t tried but instinct tells me it’s not required because goose is so much fattier?? N x