Best Turkey Recipe Ever
November 21, 2022
This is by far the best turkey I have ever had AND this year at Friendsgiving, everyone said the same thing! I will never mess with another method of flavoring a turkey again. The trick is dry brining and the special add on is the herb butter compote spread under and over the skin for a depth of flavor and moisture that you cannot believe. I didn’t even know turkey could BE this moist until now!
This recipe is for a 13-15 lb bird, so adjust as needed!
Ingredients
- 13-15 lb fresh turkey *not frozen
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2-3 tbsp fresh black pepper
- 2 lbs shallots, halved
- 3 garlic heads, halved
- 3 lemons, halved
- 1 bunch of fresh thyme, parsley, and sage
- 2 bunches of rosemary and oregano
- 1 stick grass fed butter
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- one 3-4 inch piece of kitchen twine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Unwrap fresh turkey, discard all the innards, and pat down with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Combine salt, sugar, pepper, and 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme in a bowl. Gently pat the salt mixture all over the outside of the bird, pressing into the skin. Allow the turkey to sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours. You may choose to let the turkey sit on a baking sheet or a roasting pan, whatever you have handy. This is the dry brine process.
- Remove turkey from the fridge about 2-3 hours before cook time to allow the bird to come closer to room temperature for an even bake. Dispose of the excess liquid in the bottom of the pan and either clean the pan out or transfer the bird to a new fresh one.
- In a large bowl, toss the lemons, shallots, and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil. Add a pinch of salt is desired. Dump the lemons, shallots, and garlic into the bottom of the roasting pan under the wire rack.
- In a food processor, blend the parsley, rosemary, oregano, butter, and about 2 tbsp EVOO until combined. Using your hands, very gently begin to separate the turkey skin from the meat and spread about half of the herb butter compote under the skin as well as you can without tearing through it. Spread the remainder of the butter all over the outside of the turkey including the back and sides. Sprinkle the remainder of the rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme with olive oil and stuff the inside of the bird along with a few lemon, garlic, and shallot halves. Using the kitchen twine, tie the legs together.
- Roast for 3 hours. Remove from oven, check, and baste with the juices from the bottom of the pan. Return to the oven for about 1 hour, depending on the size of your bird. Check for doneness (an internal temp of about 165 degrees). Once done, remove from oven and let rest for at least 30-40 minutes before carving! Enjoy!
With love,
Ashley Jo
