The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

Perfectly Moist Turkey roasted with Turkey Brine recipe

The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dinner, holidays

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Prep and Resting Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Servings: people

Calories: 81kcal

Author: Katie Berry

Super easy method to roast a juicy, brined turkey while getting that gorgeous, crispy browned skin.

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Equipment

Roasting pan with rack
Kitchen twine
Aluminum foil

Ingredients

1 stick butter softened
1 15 pound brined turkey see my brine recipe above

Instructions

Remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry. (Discard brine.) Place a rack in the bottom of your roasting pan. Put the turkey on the rack and let it reach room temperature for about 20 minutes.
1 15 pound brined turkey
Preheat the oven to 325°F / 176°C / gas mark #4 while the turkey comes to room temperature.
Rub the turkey all over with the softened butter, making a thick layer to seal in the moisture. Cover the wing tips with foil. Cross the legs over each other use kitchen twine to secure them in place. (Tying a figure-8 around the end of the legs helps.)
1 stick butter
Now, put the turkey in the oven and close the door. Set a timer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. (See NOTE below to calculate the perfect time for your turkey.)
When the timer goes off, cover the turkey in the oven loosely with a tent of aluminum foil. Don't crimp the foil to the pan or tuck it down tightly, or you'll trap steam and the skin won't stay crisp.
An unstuffed turkey is ready when the temperature is 180°F/82°C in the thigh and 165°F/74°C in the breast.
If you stuffed the turkey, you must also insert the thermometer deep into the center stuffing to make sure it's reached 165°F/74°C, the temperature at which it's safe to eat.
If the turkey is ready before the stuffing reaches safe internal temperature, remove the stuffing to a baking dish and return it to the oven. Proceed with the next step to finish the turkey while the stuffing continues to cook.
When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the oven and tent it loosely with a single layer of foil. Do NOT seal the foil -- moisture trapped at this point ruins the skin's crispiness.
Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes (for unstuffed birds under 16 lbs.) to 40 minutes (for stuffed or larger birds) before carving.

Notes

Cooking Time Math: an unstuffed, brined turkey needs around 10 minutes per pound to cook, while a stuffed, brined turkey needs 15 minutes per pound. Figure out approximately how much time your turkey will need, and set a timer for halfway through cooking.

No Gravy. This recipe specifically calls for using a brined turkey. Brined turkey drippings are not suitable for use in gravy since they'll be very salty. If you want to make gravy to serve with your turkey, use a rich turkey or chicken stock instead.

Nutrition