How to Cook a Perfect Turkey
How to cook a turkey. The perfect Thanksgiving Turkey recipe. Step-by-step instructions for a perfectly cooked bird with moist and tender meat, a ton of flavor, and a golden, crispy skin! This fool proof recipe will mean your turkey dinner is perfect, no matter how experienced of a cook you are.
Servings: 14
Calories: 536kcal
Ingredients
Turkey
- 14 lbs Turkey
Turkey Brine
- 1 recipe Brine
Herb Butter
- 1/2 cup Salted butter
- 1/2 cup Fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
Herby Steeped Aromatics
- 1 Granny smith apple
- 6 Sage leaves
- 1 Yellow onion sliced
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 cups Apple juice
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
Instructions
Thaw Turkey
- Thaw Your Turkey: To thaw, place your turkey in the fridge, let it defrost for approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey. See How to Thaw a Turkey.
Brine Turkey
- Brine Your Turkey: Make your turkey brine, and place turkey in brine for a minimum of 8 hours. This produces a bird that is perfectly moist, beautifully seasoned, and has equally tender and flavorful dark and white meat. It is a thing of beauty. You should plan on 24 hours for brining. However, it can be done faster. Give yourself at least 8 hours for best results. Or use a Dry Brine
Preheat Oven
- Move oven rack down so your bird will fit, and preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Make Herb Butter
- Mix together butter, parsley, and salt, until it is combined.
Apply Herb Butter to Turkey
- Place your bird on the rack of your roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck the wings in. Now, go to the back of the bird, and lift the skin. There you will find a place where you can use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the meat. You will need to gently pry the skin up from the meat, starting at the back, and working your way up to the neck. When you have done so, apply the herb butter to the turkey meat, over the turkey breast, into the area you just created, and gently rub it all over the bird. When you have finished, rub your buttery hands on the outside as well. If your bird is cold and the butter won't spread, or you don’t have enough butter to rub the outside, rub with canola oil or an oil with a high smoke point to help crisp the skin. *You can customize your herb butter with other flavors as well, or use the ingredients above for the recipe from Tangled with Taste
Steep Aromatics and Put in Turkey
- Take your aromatics, and put them in a microwave safe dish, and microwave for five minutes to allow them to steep. Then fill that bird cavity with the steeped herby aromatics. It will flavor the bird from the inside, and slightly sweeten the savory meat. Don't have apple juice? See other options at Tangled with Taste
Roast Turkey
- Roast for 30 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit
Foil Hat Turkey and Finish Cooking
- Create A Foil Hat for the breast, place it on your turkey breast, and turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.
- Let it cook until it reaches 161 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Approximately 13 minutes per pound. Typically a 14-16 pound turkey cooked with this method takes about 3 hours in all, including the first 30 minutes at 500 degrees. Use an instant read meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing to cook to the right temperature. Do not rely on the indicator that may come with your turkey.
Rest Turkey
- Rest your Turkey: Pull that beautifully golden brown turkey out of the oven, and cover it with foil. Then let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Check that it has reached 165 degrees before serving. Use this time to make Turkey Gravy
- Enjoy!
Notes
Adjust the herbs you use to your preference.
Adjust the brine as well. You pull the turkey out at 161 degrees, and it will continue to cook and reach 165 degrees during the 30 minute rest time. This is for a 14 pound turkey, which means it serves 14 people, the nutrition info will change based on the size of turkey you purchase.
Adjust the brine as well. You pull the turkey out at 161 degrees, and it will continue to cook and reach 165 degrees during the 30 minute rest time. This is for a 14 pound turkey, which means it serves 14 people, the nutrition info will change based on the size of turkey you purchase.
Nutrition
Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 249mg | Sodium: 584mg | Potassium: 789mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 572IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg