This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy. How to make Perfect Roast Turkey! Includes a great brine recipe plus a method of roasting that prevents your turkey from drying out in the oven. PIN THIS RECIPE NOW!With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, we’ve been asked quite a few times recently to share our recipe for making Perfect Roast Turkey! We are firm believers that the very best way to ensure that your turkey is juicy and flavorful is by brining your turkey the day before roasting it. The salt in the brine initially pulls the liquids out of the turkey, but the process also pushes liquids back into the turkey along with other flavorings that have been added to the brine. Our method of roasting is also a little bit unconventional in that we remove the back bone from the turkey before roasting! The turkey is laid flat over a V-shaped roasting rack – and this allows the turkey to roast more evenly in the oven, preventing the breast meat of the turkey from becoming overcooked while the legs and thighs take longer to cook. (I should also point out that roasting your turkey stuffed is NEVER recommended! By the time the stuffing inside the turkey is cooked, the meat of the turkey will be very overcooked!)PIN THIS RECIPE NOW!The method we describe below also works if you want (or need to) prepare the turkey in advance of your family gathering. (You will warm the turkey again just before serving.) This is especially helpful for large family gatherings (like ours) where you might need to roast more than one turkey, or if you need the oven space for baking your Thanksgiving side dishes!PIN THIS RECIPE NOW!Also – tomorrow we’ll be sharing our Perfect Turkey Gravy recipe. As you are making this Perfect Roast Turkey, we will call out some steps in the recipe below where you’ll want to save parts of the turkey, or the juices from the cooked turkey for your gravy. Ingredients
Brine Ingredients
Roasting Ingredients
To Brine the Turkey
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. You may also like: Perfect Turkey Gravy Turkey Stock Turkey Pot Pie Martha is part of the husband-wife team that creates A Family Feast. She loves to cook and entertain for family and friends, and she believes that serving a great meal is one of the best ways to show someone that you care. Martha is a self-taught home cook, who loves to read cookbooks and try new recipes. After a decades-long career in business and online marketing, she now runs A Family Feast full-time. Her specialties are baking, desserts, vegetables and pasta dishes. Read more... Updated: 3/2/22 Reader InteractionsShould turkey be cooked on the bottom rack in the oven?However, if you're roasting a large ham or turkey, you may need to move the oven rack down a rung to prevent your main course from being too close to the upper heating element and to keep the food -- not the rack in the center. This allows for more even cooking.
Should I cook the turkey on a rack or directly on the pan?Whether we're talking a 20-pound turkey, a fryer chicken, or even something like a leg of lamb, a rack helps lift the roast away from direct heat of the pan and allows hot air to circulate underneath. The roast cooks more evenly and tends to develop a crispier skin.
Does it matter which side up to cook a turkey?The United States Department of Agriculture advises to cook a whole turkey breast side up during the entire cooking time. Turning over a large, hot bird can be dangerous and it's very easy to tear the skin, making the finished product less attractive.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?Roast the turkey uncovered at a temperature ranging from 325°F to 350°F. Higher temperatures may cause the meat to dry out, but this is preferable to temperatures that are too low which may not allow the interior of the turkey to cook to a safe temperature.
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