Thanksgiving is all about the food, and nothing is more important than the turkey. Serve this classic turkey with some delectable sides such as homemade cranberry sauce, sausage stuffing, scalloped corn casserole, make ahead mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and bacon green bean bundles, then watch the rave reviews pour in. Don’t forget the Thanksgiving punch to drink! The best Thanksgiving turkey recipe is an integral part of a holiday meal, but the idea of turning out a perfect, golden brown bird can be daunting. This turkey recipe comes out delicious every time; the meat is infused with flavor and never dry. Add some fresh herbs and fruit such as grapes, apple, orange or lemon to your serving dish as a garnish, and your turkey will look like it came off the cover of a magazine. Need more Thanksgiving recipe inspiration? Check out of list of amazing Thanksgiving appetizer recipes!
How To Prep A Turkey
To prepare a turkey for the oven, you’ll need to do the following steps:
Remove the neck from the turkey cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Fold the ends of the turkey wings under your bird. Remove the giblets which is usually found inside the turkey cavity near the neck hole.
Thanksgiving Turkey Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need turkey brine, a turkey, butter, garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Thanksgiving Turkey?
To make a really juicy and tender bird the secret is to wet brine the turkey. Make a flavorful turkey brine recipe. Be sure thaw your turkey before you brine it. After the turkey absorbs the brine, remove it from the liquid and pat it dry with paper towels. Let it rest for a few minutes on the counter. Prepare the turkey for roasting by tying the drumsticks together and tucking the wings. The next step is to coat the turkey in butter, herbs and spices. When the turkey is ready to roast, put it in a roasting pan on a roasting rack. Roast it for a half an hour at high heat. Let the turkey finish roasting at a lower heat, basting every half hour while the turkey cooks. When the turkey is done and golden brown, let it rest for a few minutes, serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
If the turkey starts to get dark on top but the meat is not done yet, place foil on top while it finishes cooking. When figuring out what size turkey you need, make sure you have a pound of turkey per person. For extra flavor, you can put some large chopped pieces of onions, carrots and celery in the turkey’s cavity. Discard the veggies before you serve the bird. Place your meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh or the base of the turkey breast meat near where the turkey breast meets the thigh. When basting your turkey, if there are any parts of the turkey that are not browning as quickly, coat those areas with the melted butter and pan drippings.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can easily customize the flavors to your tastes.
Meat: You can make this recipe with a whole chicken or a turkey breast, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. A chicken or turkey breast will also need to brine for just 12 hours and it will retain plenty of moisture in that time. Seasonings: Feel free to swap out the herbs in the butter mixture for other spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, turkey rub, or even Cajun seasoning.
The perfect turkey for Thanksgiving is one that is easy and cooks up delicious every time. Whether you are roasting a turkey for the first time or you are just looking for some new ideas, this recipe will help you cook that perfect turkey to will impress your family.
