The Best Turkey Marinade Recipe

There are so many different ways to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey, whether it’s a smoked turkey, deep fried turkey, or this marinated turkey. A foolproof way to end up with a beautiful and delicious bird each and every time! Serve your turkey with my favorite Instant Pot cranberry sauce for a memorable meal.

I’ve made turkey dozens of different ways, but one of my favorite ways to flavor this classic holiday dish is with a turkey marinade. This blend of olive oil, herbs and spices gives the turkey a rich and complex flavor, and helps to prevent it from drying out in the oven.

How do you make turkey marinade?

Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, orange juice, fresh herbs, garlic and seasonings. Pour the mixture over a thawed turkey. Let the turkey sit in the marinade until you’re ready to cook it. Remove the turkey from the marinade, cook as desired, then slice and serve.

Turkey marinade ingredients

This recipe calls for simple ingredients that you may already have on hand.

Olive Oil: This forms the base of the marinade. Any type of olive oil will work just fine, although I typically use extra virgin olive oil. Soy Sauce: While soy sauce may seem like an unusual thing to add to turkey, it adds a complex, savory flavor, along with some needed salt. Citrus Juice: I use a combination of both lemon and orange juice, and fresh squeezed juices are best. Citrus Zest: Use a microplane or grater to remove the zest from one orange and one lemon. Herbs: I use an assortment of fresh herbs including chives, sage, parsley and thyme. While fresh herbs have the best flavor, in a pinch you can substitute 1/3 of the amount of dried herbs. Garlic: Add a generous amount of freshly minced garlic to accentuate the flavor of the turkey. Spices: I add salt, pepper, smoked paprika and sweet paprika to finish off the marinade.

Tips for the perfect marinated turkey

Be sure to rub the marinade all over the entire bird, including under the skin. You can store the turkey as it marinates in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap, a brining bag or a large pot. This is almost like a wet rub, so the marinade will sit on the skin and flesh of the turkey and penetrate it with flavor, but there’s not a lot of messy liquid to deal with. A marinade is not the same as a turkey brine. Turkey brine is a liquid solution of salt, sugar and water. You can use my turkey brine recipe if that’s the type of technique you’re looking for. This marinade can be prepared up to 2 days before you plan to use it. Store it in the fridge until you’re ready to coat your turkey. You can roast, smoke or grill your marinated turkey. However you choose to cook it, just be sure to use a thermometer so that you can gauge when the turkey is cooked through and ready to eat. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast or thigh should register 165 degrees F. This marinade makes enough to cover an average 12-14 pound turkey. If you’re using a larger turkey, you may need to double the marinade.

How long should you marinate turkey?

I recommend letting your turkey sit in the marinade for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours. It’s best to use a completely thawed turkey, as the marinade will not be able to infuse flavor into a frozen turkey.

Marinated turkey is the best way to turn out a great meal that is sure to get rave reviews!