How To Cook A Turkey ~Herb Roasted Whole Turkey Recipe With Buttermilk Brine Recipe ~ Moist & Flavorful!!! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a moist turkey? ›

Brine your turkey for the best juicy bird.

In recent years, brining has become more popular and can be done with either a wet or dry brine. A wet brine involves immersing the turkey in a salt-water solution for 12-24 hours. Dry-brining is where salt is rubbed over the turkey skin for 24-48 hours before cooking.

No, dry brine does not need to be rinsed off of the turkey. It's another reason this dry-brined turkey recipe is easy! The salt you use for the brine will also flavor the turkey as it cooks.

You could theoretically rub on spices and seasonings at this point, too, but again, your best bet is waiting until after you've brined the turkey. Once the turkey is seasoned, place it on the rack set inside the rimmed baking sheet and put it in the refrigerator.

Rub the turkey with the olive oil, making sure to coat the entire bird, and season inside and out with pepper (no need for salt, the brine contains salt). Place the onion, carrot, celery, and lemon quarters inside the turkey cavity.

We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).

12. Do You Rinse a Turkey After Brining? You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.

What Temperature to Cook the Turkey? Cook your turkey at 325 degrees F for most of the cook time; in the final 45 minutes, remove the cover or foil tent from the turkey, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and baste the bird with butter. The initial lower oven temperature cooks the turkey through evenly.

While basting can have good results, it's not guaranteed to stop your turkey drying out and you can end up with slightly soft, streaky skin. Modern turkey recipes instead recommend dry brining, which is much more likely to result in a juicy turkey with crisp skin.

Remove turkey from brine and pat dry (inside and out) with paper towels. Fill turkey cavity with aromatics including fresh herbs (such as fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage), 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped, 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped, and 1 onion, coarsely chopped.

To ensure an exceptionally juicy and flavorful turkey, this recipe calls for brining the bird and also rubbing it with a compound butter.

How do you get crispy skin on turkey after brining? ›

Butterball whole turkeys are individually pre-brined for convenience and taste, but if you want even more flavor and juiciness, you can brine, marinate, or inject your turkey following our step-by-step instructions.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

Stick with salt and pepper, put herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to work, or take spicy Cajun seasoning for a spin for some kick. Whatever blend you choose, spread it all over the turkey—on top, underneath, between the body and wings and legs, under the skin, and even in the cavity of the bird.

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Impart rich flavor and add moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey by adding a layer of butter under the skin before roasting. Learn how to do this simple (but genius) technique for a delicious Thanksgiving turkey.