Really Easy Dry Brine Turkey
This Really Easy Dry Brine Turkey is something anyone can do! Just a few simple ingredients and you'll have a delicious turkey feast!
Equipment
- roasting pan with rack
- kitchen twine
Ingredients
- 11.5 lb turkey whole, heritage or organic if possible
- 2 tbsp kosher salt reduce the amount by half if using table salt
- 2 tbsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 whole onion white, yellow or sweet. Cut in half, paper peel removed
- 2 whole lemons cut in half
- 1 head garlic top cut off but paper peel remaining on
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 sprigs fresh oregano
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter softened to room temperature
Instructions
- Begin by removing turkey from packaging. Remove the giblets and any packaging that may be in the cavity. Pat turkey dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, onto roasting rack inside roasting pan. *Double check before beginning that there is room in your fridge for the turkey and roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together salt and dried spices: sage, oregano, parsley, thyme, and garlic powder.
- Using your hands, gently separate the skin from the meat of the turkey. Spread the spice rub all under the skin of the breast and legs. Concentrating slightly more spice rub on the breasts since there is more meat there. Rub remaining spices all inside the cavity.
- Place turkey, uncovered, inside fridge. Let turkey sit for at the very minimum one hour but up to three days. Overnight will also produce excellent results but the longer the turkey is left to sit in the fridge the more crispy the skin will be and the juicer the meat.
- Once ready to begin cooking, preheat the oven to 450°.
- Using your hands, spread room temperature butter under skin of turkey. Rub butter all on the outside of skin too.
- Next, stuff the garlic and fresh thyme and oregano inside the cavity first so that none is sticking out. This will prevent burning. Then stuff the onion and lemon. If some of the lemon or onion is sticking out, this is ok. Lightly truss, or tie back, the legs of the turkey with kitchen twine. This will hold the aromatics inside as the turkey cooks.
- Place the turkey into the oven and roast for 20 minutes at 450°. After 20 minutes, remove turkey from oven, and cover wing tips with foil. Place a piece of foil on top of the breast. Do not press it down, just gently lay it over. The foil will prevent the tips and breast meat from overcooking. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue cooking for 90 minutes. If using convection (fan) setting (which I recommend if your oven has it) begin checking for doneness after 90 minutes. If using a conventional oven, begin checking for doneness at 120 minutes. The breast should be 165° at the thickest point and the leg at 185°.
- Let turkey rest for 15 minutes before cutting. This will allow the meat to reabsorb any juices. Remove the twine and aromatics from the cavity and discard. Carefully transfer the turkey to serving dish or cutting board to prepare for serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 32gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 1330mgPotassium: 347mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 363IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 2mg
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