I have been making this recipe for Brined and Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey for almost 20 years. A riff on Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey, this was the first recipe I followed for cooking a turkey. I had success with it, so it’s been a staple for us when we host Thanksgiving.
Are you in charge of cooking the turkey this year? Does that make you anxious or worried? If so, I have the perfect turkey recipe for you. And if you are a veteran of Thanksgiving turkey preparation, maybe this will give you .a new technique to try. I am going to outline how I have been preparing my Brined and Roasted Thanksgiving turkey for the big day for YEARS!
As far as Thanksgiving goes, the bird is generally the star of the show. No one wants to consume dry, tasteless turkey, especially on a day where all of the dishes have such nostalgic appeal. There are so many ways to prepare turkey. You can smoke it, fry it, grill it or cook it in a slow cooker or Insta-pot. All of these techniques can produce yummy meat, but nothing is as simple and as tasty as roasting a brined turkey.
‘I cooked my first Thanksgiving turkey about 20 years ago. Alton Brown showed me the ropes on the episode “Romancing the Bird–A Good Eats Thanksgiving.”
How big should my Brined and Roasted Thanksgiving turkey be?
If you have never cooked a turkey before, you may wonder how much bird will you need. The general rule of thumb is you should plan on 1 to 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. I generally like to go with 1.5 pounds per person so that I will have leftovers.
For a dinner for 8, pick a 12 pound bird and you will have plenty for your Thanksgiving meal, plus some great leftovers.
After you pick a turkey, you will want to make sure it is properly thawed before you start the brining process. Buy your bird well in advance. Then place it in the refrigerator to thaw. It will take about 24 hours for every five pounds of bird. You will want to brine your turkey for at least 12 hours, so plan your thawing time accordingly.
Why I brine my turkey
According to food scientists, brining lean meats enhance juiciness because muscle fibers absorb some of the salty liquid. The brine also helps break down proteins and collagen fibers in the meat. All of this helps your Brined and Roasted Thanksgiving turkey to turn out moist and juicy.
Equipment needed for this recipe:
- A cooler to keep the bird cool while brining
- Ice packs or a bag of ice
- A large plastic bag such as a roasting bag or unscented trash bag: This will hold the turkey and the liquid during the brining process.
- A roasting pan with a rack: A turkey is a rather big bird, so it’s important to have a large roasting pan
- Aluminum foil
- A good digital thermometer. I love having a thermometer that I can set and it will alarm me when the proper internal temp is reached. When cooking your turkey, you will want to make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 161°.
Here are the steps to brining a turkey:
- The day before you plan to roast your turkey make the brine let it cool to room temperature.
- Then remove the turkey from the packaging. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity. Place your bird in a large bag and place the bag inside a cooler or inside one of the drawers of your refrigerator.
- Pour the brine over the bird. Seal up the bag.
- If you are using a cooler, place ice packs or ice around the bag.
- Brine the turkey overnight.
- The next day, just before roasting the turkey, remove the bird from the brine, rinse it and pat dry.
- Place the bird on the rack of a roasting pan.
Some other recipes you might like for your Thanksgiving Feast:
- Maple Baked Acorn Squash completes your perfect side dish menu.
- Acorn Squash Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing is the best salad for Turkey Day!
- Citrus Salad, I love having a light salad option to go with all the heavy sides.
- Tangerine Spice Soda is a bright, refreshing mocktail that’s perfect for Turkey Day.
- Roasted Asparagus makes a fresh and quick veggie dish.
I hope you will give this Brined and Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey recipe a try. No matter what you make for your Turkey Day spread, I hope you get to enjoy the day with friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving!
Brined and Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
Ingredients
Ingredients for the brine:
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 gallon vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 TBSP whole peppercorns
- 1 gallon ice water
Ingredients for roasting the turkey:
- 1 14-16 lb turkey, thawed
- 1 apple, cored and quartered
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig sage leaves
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 onion, quartered
- Olive oil
Instructions
To brine the turkey
- In a large pot combine salt, honey, vegetable stock and peppercorns. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir to dissolve the salt and honey. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. The brine can be made a day or two ahead and then stored in the fridge.
- The day before cooking, remove the turkey from the packaging. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity. Place your bird in a large bag and place the bag inside a cooler or inside one of the drawers of your refrigerator. Pour the brine over the bird. Seal up the bag.If you are using a cooler, place ice packs or ice around the bag. Brine the turkey overnight.
To roast the turkey
- The next day, just before roasting the turkey, remove the bird from the brine, rinse it and pat dry. Place the bird breast side up on the rack of a roasting pan.
- Preheat oven to 500°.
- Rub the turkey liberally with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Place the apple, rosemary, sage, lemon and onion inside the cavity of the turkey.
- Tuck the wings under the body cavity. Tie the legs and tail together with kitchen twine. Add a cup of water to the roasting pan.
- Place the turkey in the oven on the lowest rack. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°. Continue to roast until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°. It will take approximately 3 hours for a 12 pound turkey. Be sure to use a thermometer to measure the internal temp. Use a piece of aluminum foil to cover the breast, if the skin appears to be browning quickly.
- Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.
