Drine Brine Roasted Turkey
Learn my favorite method for how to cook a turkey, including a super easy (and effective) dry brining technique. This flavorful bird will be the highlight of any holiday table!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 639kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 16 pound turkey
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt coarse, (or 1 tablespoon per 4 pounds)
- 1/4 cup sage fresh, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup rosemary fresh, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons thyme fresh, de-stemmed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion quartered
- 1 apple quartered
Instructions
- Remove any innards from the turkey. Dry the turkey with paper towels. Use 1 Tablespoon of coarse sea salt per 4 lbs of meat. This means for a 10 pound turkey, you’re using 2 1/2 tablespoons. For a 20 pound bird, use 5 tablespoons. Rub the salt into the skin and the cavity of the bird. I also loosen the skin over the breast and push some salt up onto the breast.
- Place the turkey in a plastic roasting bag and allow the turkey to brine overnight in the fridge. This tenderizes the meat and helps the seasonings flavor deeper into the bird.
- Preheat oven to 325º F.
- Into a small bowl, add butter, herbs, and black pepper. Combine the herbs into the softened butter. *No additional salt is required since the salt is already on the turkey.
- Coat the turkey skin with the softened herb butter. Gently pull the skin away from the turkey breasts, and place some of the herb butter directly onto the meat under the skin.
- Chop the apple, celery, and the onion, and place into the cavity of the turkey.
- Add the turkey breast-side up in a large roasting pan with a rack. Cover the pan with a lid. Roast the turkey at 325º F for 1 1/2-4 hours, depending on the weight of the turkey. See cooking time chart below. Remove the lid from the turkey and check the internal temperature. It needs to get above 165º F in the deepest part of the turkey breast. Leaving the lid off the pan, return the turkey to the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the skin is a deep golden brown.Tip: If your roasting pan does not have a lid, wrap the pan tightly in several layers of foil, or use a plastic roasting bag.
- Add the turkey breast-side up in a large roasting pan with a rack. Cover the pan with a lid. Roast the turkey at 325º F for 1 1/2-4 hours, depending on the weight of the turkey. See cooking time chart below.
- After the first 1-2 hours of cooking, baste the turkey with the released juices every 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the turkey and check the internal temperature. It needs to get above 165º F in the deepest part of the turkey breast. Leaving the lid off the pan, return the turkey to the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the skin is a deep golden brown.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition facts are for the whole turkey and include the skin and the fat surrounding the meat.
Tip: If your roasting pan does not have a lid, wrap the pan tightly in several layers of foil, or use a plastic roasting bag.
How Long to Cook a Turkey
I have found the ideal temperature for baking a turkey is 325º F. The following times are based on that temperature. Turkeys should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165º F. I remove the lid from my turkey when the thermometer probe reaches about 160º F, because it will continue to cook as it’s browning and then even more as it’s resting. The recommendations below are estimate times for an unstuffed turkey, and are not a replacement for using a thermometer.- 4-8 pounds (a breast): 1 1/2 to 3 hours
- 8-12 pounds: 2 3/4-3 hours
- 12-14 pounds: 3-3 3/4 hours
- 18-20 pounds: 4 1/4-4 1/2 hours
- 20-24 pounds: 4 1/2-5 hours
Nutrition
Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 93g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 314mg | Sodium: 2243mg | Potassium: 1010mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 417IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 4mg