Holiday Turkey
Instructions
Brining turkey gives the bird a moist and wonderful flavor, and it's my favorite way of cooking turkey.
To start the turkey brine, I fill a clean, commercial 5-gallon plastic bucket halfway with cold water. To this, add all of the brine ingredients.
Mix the brine well. Slowly place the whole turkey into the brine, completely submerging it in the water. Place the turkey in the refrigerator overnight. This process is very important and will add moisture and flavor to your holiday turkey.
The next day, remove the fresh turkey from the brine (and any excess liquid) and set on a roasting rack.
How to Cook Turkey:
Preheat oven to 425 F. For the turkey stuffing, stuff the cavity of the turkey with the onion, celery, bay leaf, sage and parsley.
Next, with a pastry brush, brush the bird with the 1 stick of melted butter, paying close attention to the turkey breast and thighs.
Season the turkey meat and skin with the mixture of dried marjoram, sage and thyme.
Place in 425 F oven, breast side down, for the first 40 minutes. This will help keep the turkey breast moist by allowing the juice to flow down into the breast. Next, turn the roast turkey breast side up and continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes.
When roasting turkey, add chicken broth to the pan as needed if the pan becomes dry.
Remove roasted turkey from oven when turkey meat reaches about 150 F internal temperature. Let it rest for 30 minutes and the temperature should carry over to 165 F, the safe temperature for eating turkey.
Carve and serve this Thanksgiving turkey recipe with your favorite mashed potatoes, stuffing, and accompaniments. It's one of the best turkey recipes we've ever found.
Chef Jason's Notes: When cooking a turkey, plan on roasting turkey about 15-17 minutes per pound. This roast turkey recipe is made exceptionally moist and flavorful thanks to an overnight turkey brine. Trust me it's worth the effort. This video also includes turkey tips and turkey cooking times. We hope you enjoy it at your next holiday meal!
