Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe

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Moist, juicy and herb rubbed turkey is easy to make with some simple tricks. Dry brining is one of the easiest ways for a moist turkey every time. Check out the rest of the tips below for the perfect holiday turkey.

Check out the farro stuffing, cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole for some side recipes.

Platter of carved juicy roast turkey decorated with fruits and greens.

Roast turkey is the centerpiece in Thanksgiving, Christmas and also Ramadan. It feeds a crowd and gives this luxurious look to your holiday dinner table.

Why This Recipe Works

It is so frustrating to cook a turkey and end up with dry, flavorless turkey breast. No matter how much butter you add or what technique you follow, people almost always end up with dry breast flesh.

Then came the brining evolution that changed the whole game. Brining a turkey is done by soaking it in a salty water with some herbs and spices. This method is called wet brining which yields a very tender meat but the problem was always in space.

Where can we find a space in the fridge big enough to hold a bucket filled with water and a turkey? When I lived in a small apartment with a small kitchen I used to leave it in the patio which scared me a lot.

Dry brining on the other hand does not require this big space and you get an even better flavorful turkey without the mess. For maximum flavor and browning, apply softened flavored butter both under and on top of the skin.

Recipe Ingredients

A collage of 8 photos showing Ingredients to make stuffed roasted turkey.

Recipe Instructions

A collage of 4 photos showing how to dry brine a tureky.

Wash the turkey perfectly and take out any giblets wash them as well. In this post I explain how my mom taught me to wash the birds. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Prepare the salt rub by mixing all ingredients together.
Sprinkle half salt mixture over the breast and rub all around. Turn turkey to the other side and rub with the remaining mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 day.
Turn the turkey to the other side cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another day minus 8 hours. In the last 8 hours uncover the turkey and refrigerate.

A collage of 3 photoes showing how to prepare the butter rub and the turkey stuffing.

Take the turkey out and leave it in room temperature for an hour. Then pat dry with a paper towel.
In a bowl, mix the stuffing veggies and the cut up giblets if using.
In another bowl, mix butter, olive oil, black pepper and parsley.

A collage of 4 photoes showing how to roast juicy turkey.

Take a square piece of foil and fold it in half to form a triangle. Brush one side with oil. Place your turkey on a v-rack and cover the breast with foil to form a mold with the foil. Take the foil out keeping its shape and set aside.
Carefully push your fingers to separate skin in the breast area from front and back. We need to separate the skin but not cut it completely.
Stuff 3/4 butter mixture under the skin then massage the skin with your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Rub the remaining butter on the outside. and stuff the bird's cavity with the onion mixture.
Preheat oven to 500F adjusting the rack in the lower part of your oven. Place the turkey in the oven and bake until breast is golden brown, takes about 20-30 minutes.Take the bird out, lower heat to 350F then put the foil back on the breast. bake until done.

Expert Tips

Turkey needs to be thawed in the fridge before proceeding with the recipe. According to the USDA you will need roughly 6 hours per 1 pound. This means an 8lb turkey will take 2 days and a 12 lb turkey will take 3 days and so on.
Another way to thaw a turkey, especially if you are tight on fridge space is called the cold water method. Make sure your turkey is placed in a bag with no cuts or holes, fill your sink with cold tap water and submerge your turkey in there changing the water every 30 minutes. For this method allow 30 minutes/ lb. This means that an 8lb turkey will take 4 hours and a 12lb turkey will take 6 hours to thaw. Note that a turkey thawed this way needs to be cooked right away.
You can dry brine partially frozen turkey if you are in a hurry. Although I prefer thawed turkey but at least make sure the skin has defrosted.
I've used kosher salt to dry brine my turkey. Kosher salt is coarser than table salt. If you are using regular table salt then use half the amount.
This is my favorite herbs and spices to use but you are welcome to use your favorite herbs and spice combination. Thyme and sage works great as well. You might also want to add a little amount of brown sugar to the brine mixture for a little sweetness.

Recipe FAQs

How do you get a golden brown turkey skin?

To avoid overcooking, hence dry, your turkey some methods start cooking the bird breast side down. I use Alton Brown method that has never failed me. It is simpler and produces a nice golden skin all over. A triangular tin foil piece is drizzled with some olive oil, molded over the breast then taken off. Place the turkey on high (500F) until the breast skin is golden then cover the breast with the tin foil and return the bird to now 350F oven.

How long do you cook a turkey in the oven?

Well, my 10lb turkey took about 2.5 hours. But, there are a lot of variables here, like oven accuracy and the size of your turkey. It is better to use meat thermometer, a perfectly cooked turkey should register 165F when inserted between the breast and thigh.

Juicy Roast turkeu placed on a serving platter with greens under it.

Here you have it, a centerpiece that is definitely a show stopper, bursting with butter with super crispy and perfectly browned skin. The flesh is juicy and moist with a delicious onion stuffing.