Tired of overdone, bone dry turkey? Now you can discover the secret to juicy, delicious turkey with our oven roasted turkey recipe! Brine overnight, then stuff with veggies and roast in the oven for tempting, tender turkey every time!
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About this Recipe
As we inch closer and closer to Thanksgiving, one of the most popular questions people ask us is, "How do I keep my turkey from drying out in the oven?" Well, through years of trial and error, and more than a few subpar turkeys, we've finally figured out the best way to cook and oven roasted turkey. And the results are delicious!
Start with an Organic Turkey
Today's turkey day adventure starts with an 18 lb. organic turkey. Why organic? Well, aside from the obvious benefits of organic meats, the vast majority of organic turkeys don't come pre-brined. We like to brine our own turkey. And, we've developed a brine that (in our humble opinion) is more balanced and effective than the ultra-salty brines that a mass producer like Butterball uses.
Mix the Brine
Our brine is very simple and uses 1 ½ cups sea salt, ½ cup brown sugar to balance out the salt, and 4 quarts of cold water. Combine the ingredients in a large stock pot and stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. If you don't have a stock pot that's big enough for your turkey, we've used a large cooler with great results. Just be sure to add plenty of ice and store the cooler in a cold location.
Brine for 12 Hours
Next, submerge the turkey completely and cover your stock pot and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Obviously, the brining process takes a while, so it's best to brine your turkey the evening before you plan to cook your bird.
When your brining time is up, remove the turkey from the brine and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pat dry the turkey with paper towels and place in a roasting pan. We won't need the brine anymore, so you can discard at this stage.
Preheat the Oven and Season your Turkey
Now, you can preheat your oven to 350 degrees and begin prepping the turkey. Melt ¼ cup of butter and brush the turkey inside and out, then season the cavity with freshly ground black pepper. (Don't forget to remove the neck and giblets from the cavity if present.)
Add Vegetables
Once the cavity is seasoned with pepper, begin stuffing with 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, 1 sprig of rosemary, the lemon quarters, and the halved garlic head. Then turn the turkey over, breast side down in the roasting pan. We like to use this method so the turkey juices continually drip down and essentially baste the turkey breast automatically.
Scatter the remaining onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary in the bottom of the roasting pan, adding in the bay leaf as well. Cover the veggies in the pan with white wine and place your turkey in the oven.
Cooking
A turkey this size will typically take 3 ½ to 4 hours in the oven at 350 degrees. A good rule of thumb is 13 minutes of cooking time for every pound of turkey. Hence, an 18 pound turkey would take just shy of 4 hours.
Use a meat thermometer to verify the internal temperature is 165 degrees. A great place to get an accurate temperature is in the thickest part of the thigh near the bone.
Let it Rest
Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a moist and flavorful turkey.
Carve the turkey with your sharpest knife and serve it on a platter, accompanied by the roasted vegetables from the pan.
What we like about this recipe!
Nicole - I remember when we first got married, we went to a 'freindsgiving' party a neighbor's house. The turkey was so dry, it was like chewing through shoe leather. I've never drank so much wine with dinner in my life, lol. Long story short, this recipe makes delicious, juicy, tender turkey every time. (I'll still have some wine though.)
Mike - Some years, we have dozens of people over for Thanksgiving. Some years, it's just us and the kids. Whatever the circumstance, I love cooking the Thanksgiving turkey. It's such a great tradition! And with this recipe, you're sure to satisfy everyone in attendance. The only problem will by prying grandpa off the couch after the tryptophan kicks in!
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (about 18 pounds), neck and giblets removed
- 1 ½ cups sea salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 quarts cold water
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 2 large onions, chopped, divided
- 4 carrots, coarsely chopped, divided
- 4 stalks celery, chopped, divided
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Tips and Tricks
- If your stock pot isn't big enough for brining your turkey, a large cooler can do the trick. Just make sure to pack in a lot of ice with the brine and keep the cooler in the coldest spot you can find.
- When you're cooking the turkey, aim for an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The USDA says this will kill off any harmful bacteria. The best spot to check the temperature is in the thickest part of the thigh, close to the bone.
- Also, remember to take out the neck and giblets from the turkey's cavity if they're there. If they're in plastic, that wrapping could melt and release harmful chemicals into your turkey.
- Once your turkey is cooked, let it rest for about 30 minutes before you start carving. This helps the juices spread out in the meat, making sure your turkey stays juicy and tasty.
FAQ
Brining is basically a process used to make the turkey juicier and more flavorful. The salty solution can also break down muscle fibers in the turkey, resulting in a much more tender bird.
A good rule of thumb is 13 minutes of cooking time for every pound of turkey. Hence, a 10 pound turkey would take approximately 130 minutes. When in doubt, use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.
You won't need the brine after 12 hours, so it's best to just discard it.
The options here a virtually endless, but a few ideas include, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, cobb salad, turkey chili, shepherd's pie and dozens of others.
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Pairing
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Oven Roasted Turkey Recipe (Best Way To Cook)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey about 18 pounds, neck and giblets removed
- 1 ½ cups sea salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 quarts cold water
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted, divided
- 2 large onions chopped, divided
- 4 carrots coarsely chopped, divided
- 4 stalks celery chopped, divided
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary divided
- 1 lemon quartered
- 1 head garlic halved horizontally
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, combine the sea salt, brown sugar, and cold water. Stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
- Submerge the turkey in the brine solution. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it thoroughly under cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the brine mixture.
- Brush the turkey inside and out with half of the melted butter.
- Season the cavity of the turkey with freshly ground black pepper.
- Stuff the cavity with 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, 1 sprig of rosemary, the lemon quarters, and the halved garlic head.
- Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan.
- Scatter the remaining onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary in the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the bay leaf.
- Pour the white wine over the vegetables in the pan.
- Roast the turkey in the preheated oven, uncovered, for about 3 ½ to 4 hours.
- About two-thirds of the way through the roasting time, carefully turn the turkey breast-side up and brush with the remaining melted butter.
- The turkey is done when the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a moist and flavorful turkey.
- Carve the turkey and serve it on a platter, accompanied by the roasted vegetables from the pan.
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