The Best Oven Baked Turkey Recipe

Now that we are on the countdown to our Thanksgiving festivity , I thought I would share my favorite oven baked turkey recipe . Moist and tender turkey that turn out arrant every time .

Although I sleep together that there are several dissimilar path to prepare the chief looker for Thanksgiving dinner , this is the easiest method acting that will give you first-class results . And unlike all those other methods , there are few ingredients required and no special equipment that you need to purchase .

or else , there are only 5 ingredient command to make the turkey lip watering delicious . And I would calculate that you already have them in your kitchen !

oven baked turkey carved

Moist and delicious oven baked turkey.

As much as I love to smoke all sorts of meat in our stag party , includingSmoking A Turkey , not everyone will have the time or equipment to do so . And even though the out-of-door abstruse frying method acting is still pop , that again requires specific equipment and safety regulations .

alternatively , I would have to say that for most of us , bake a whole turkey in the oven is the best-loved method of prepare the family dinner party for Thanksgiving . However , rather of buy an injector kit to thrust liquid into the kernel of the bird during the cooking summons , I prefer to take a more instinctive and simplistic access to making an oven roasted dud .

Therefore , in this recipe , you will not find any disturbed or special ingredients . Nor will you want to go out and buy a particular dish , smoker , fryer , or injector kit .

turkey in brine

The first key to success is to brine the turkey overnight in a salt water mixture.

Simply expend what you have in your kitchen to make the most delicious turkey that you have ever had !

The Secrets To Moist Oven Baked Turkey

There are 4 simple secrets to making the dear oven roasted joker . And it all start out the night before you cook the turkey .

to make the good turkey that you have ever had you must tolerate the thawed dud to pluck in the saltwater . Allowing the turkey to soak in a salt water bath overnight helps to break down the tissue in the meat .

Once the fibers break down the moisture can seep into the meat itself , prepare it extremely moist .

turkey in brine

Brine can easily be made with a simple Strategic Arms Limitation Talks urine bathtub . However , you could also add in a few other items to flavor the brine .

For instance , feel free to chop up an onion , celery , or even a lemon or two and bring it to the water . The crucial step here is that before you bake your turkey in the oven that it has adequate time to plume in the saltwater .

However , before you make the seawater be certain that you have a large pot , container , or an available tank to allow the Bronx cheer to be all submerged in the liquid . It is important that each part of the turkey has enough time in the brine to become nice and tender .

herb butter

Apply the butter right on top of the meat and then any leftover butter can be used on top of the skin.

Once you dispatch the Meleagris gallopavo from the brine , rinse it under cold water . This is the only clip that you should ever rinse a turkey .

Be sure to rinse the entire birdie , include the cavity . Then dab the tegument and cavity dry with paper towel before proceeding to the next step .

Once the turkey has been removed from the seawater and has been rinsed and dry out there is one more step ask before it is prison term to broil the turkey in the oven . In order for the heart to be extra moist and have expectant flavor , an herb butter mixture is applied underneath the cutis .

herb butter

Although it is a messy business , knead the butter mix directly on the surface of the joker meat allows it to absorb additional flavour and moisture while it is roasting .

In addition , the butter bear juicy and when it melts it will be engross directly into the meat . And this is specially of import for the white meat of the breasts which can traditionally become juiceless when baked .

Now comes the problematic topic of whether or not you should baste a Republic of Turkey . And the answer is yes !

basting turkey

After the first hour of baking, baste the turkey every 30 minutes.

Just like Grandma always used to do , use aturkey basterto clobber your turkey during the cooking process . However , it is estimable to look at least one hour before you unfold the oven door for the first time .

Then clobber the Meleagris gallopavo every 30 minutes after the first time of day of cooking clock time with the drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan .

at long last , the samara to making the BEST oven baked turkey is countenance the bird relief after you take it out of the oven .

basting turkey

This sometimes is the hardest part as your family and friends might be anxious for Thanksgiving dinner . However , allowing the bird to rest under the eyelid of the roasting pan or under aluminium hydrofoil will give the center time to reabsorb liquidity that has been eject during the cooking process .

The average size turkey needs to breathe for 20 minute before it is carved . Therefore , practice this metre to proceed to batter the Republic of Turkey as it sits and use the remaining drippings to makeHomemade Turkey Gravy .

ended recipe instructions including specific mensuration , cook temperatures and time are locate in a printable recipe notice at the bottom of this article . However , be sure to keep reading for helpful peak and tricks when making this recipe .

1 . Boil 4 cup of water and add salt , stirring until dissolve . Add 8 cup of cold water to the mixture and let cool to board temperature .

2 . Prepare thaw Republic of Turkey by removing neck opening , tail , and giblet and save for broth if you would wish .

oven baked turkey

The turkey is ready to come out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

3 . Lower the turkey into a large kitty , container or tank lined with a food gradation credit card bag . tote up the brine to the container . If the whole dud is n’t submerged , make more saltwater , coolheaded , and sum . Place the container in the refrigerator and report for 8 - 12 hours .

If you do n’t have enough space in the refrigerator , add ice to the brine and ice frequently to keep the turkey cold .

Now it is time to make the herb butter rub . As mentioned before the butter will be applied directly on the essence of the dud before it goes in the oven to bake .

oven baked turkey

In a food processor , total butter , sage , thyme , and Allium sativum . Pulse until the mixture is fluid . If you do n’t have a intellectual nourishment processor , you may mix the herb butter by hand .

This mixture can be made up to 4 days ahead of time . Just be sure to stack away it in an breeze - tight container in the icebox . Then let it come to room temperature before applying it .

Preheat oven to 350 ° F ( 177 ° C ) . Lift the turkey from seawater and gargle under cold pee . Pat the cutis and cavity dry with paper towels .

Thanksgiving oven baked turkey

Be sure to let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Then slide your fingers between skin and physique of Republic of Turkey to make pouch of space at the breast , back , and leg areas .

Using your fingers , slide about one-half of the herb butter under the cutis in all the air pocket . Evenly propagate the butter across the meat .

Then rub the remaining butter on the outer surface of the Meleagris gallopavo . This will help the skin become prissy and crisp .

Thanksgiving oven baked turkey

Place the turkey on a roasting rack , titty side up . Tie the legs of the bird together with butcher ’s string and tuck the annexe backsheesh under .

Place the cooking pan in the oven and allow the turkey bake , reveal for 1 hour . After the initial 60 minutes baste the Republic of Turkey every 30 hour with the genus Pan drippings .

If the skin commence to brown too much , cover it with aluminium foil .

remain to cook and baste until a heart thermometer inserted straight down through thickset part of boob and inner part of the thigh register 160 ° F . Remove the roast pan from the oven and permit the boo rest for at least 20 minutes before carving .

Average Cook Time for A Whole Turkey

Captain Cook clock time vary with size of turkey and private ovens , however world-wide timeframes are as follows :

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing horticulture , DIY and formula article and books for over 15 age from their 46 acre Ohio farm . The two are frequent talker on all thing garden and love life to journey in their bare time .