Dry Brined Roast Heirloom Turkey
A dry brine allows for delicious flavor and crispy skin in this garlic and herb recipe. This is the roast turkey recipe we've used for years! It's also great for roast chicken.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt ratio is ½ teaspoon per pound of meat for 11.5 pound turkey we’ll use 6 teaspoons.
- 11-14 pounds whole fresh or frozen turkey, thawed neck reserved for gravy, giblets discarded, patted dry
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature, divided
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh herbs rosemary, sage, thyme
- 6 garlic cloves grated or minced
- Zest of 1 orange and 2 lemons
Instructions
Prep Turkey for Dry Brine
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the kosher salt, fresh herbs, garlic and citrus zest.
- Place defrosted turkey on a rimmed baking sheet skin side down. Remove neck and giblets from inside the turkey, if present. Pat turkey dry then liberally apply dry brine all over the top of the skin of the turkey. Cover every part possible.
- Once turkey is coated with the dry brine, place uncovered in the refrigerator. Brine for up to 3 days.
Roast Turkey
- Line a roasting pan with foil or parchment paper. Preheat your oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place oven rack in the lowest position of oven.
- Place turkey on roasting rack or pan breast side up. Using your fingers, separate skin from the flesh to create a pocket for your butter. Take the cubes of unsalted butter and lift skin to place the butter cubes under the skin for the large breasts.
- Using the zested citrus, quarter the orange and lemons and insert them into the cavity of the turkey. Use kitchen twine to tie the ends of the turkey legs together to keep the citrus from falling out during the roast.
- Roast turkey for 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of your bird. Smaller birds will require less roast time. Larger birds will require a longer cook time. To check for doneness, use a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to check the thickest part of the thigh. Internal temperature should read about 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once internal temperature is 165 degrees, you can remove the turkey from the oven to rest under a tent of foil. This allows the juices to settle into the meat leaving a moist and flavor-rich turkey.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!