Dry-Brine Roasted Turkey
This dry-brined roasted turkey is the only turkey recipe you'll ever need! It's full of incredible flavor, it's super juicy, and it has the most beautiful crispy skin.
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 6 tablespoons coarse salt , Diamond Crystal or Morton Kosher preferred
- 3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
For the Turkey
- 12-15 lb turkey , neck and giblets removed
- 1 onion , peeled and quartered
- 1 lemon , halved
- 1 small bunch fresh herbs , such as rosemary, thyme and sage
- 6-8 tablespoons butter , as needed, softened to room temperature
Glaze
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- A few herb stems , such as rosemary, thyme and sage
Instructions
To apply dry brine rub:
- Place turkey on a sheet pan lined with a wire rack and pat dry.
- Combine salt, brown sugar, lemon zest and ground mustard in a small bowl. Use your hands to apply rub all over the bird. There should be plenty, and it's okay if some of it falls off onto the pan.
- Place in the fridge uncovered for about 24 hours, 12 hours minimum. If your turkey is larger (around 15lbs) you can leave it for up to 36 hours.
To roast the turkey:
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Lower the center rack so that the turkey will fit and rest in the middle of the oven. Pull the turkey out of the fridge while the oven preheats so it comes to room temperature a bit.
- Leave the turkey on the wire rack and sheet pan. Do not rinse the rub off. Rub the butter all over the turkey, working it under the skin and on top. The amount of butter needed will depend on the size of your bird. Stuff the cavity with the onion, lemon, and herbs.
- Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the breasts. Transfer the turkey to the oven and pour 1 cup of water into the pan to prevent the drippings from burning.
- Roast for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Add butter, honey, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and herbs to a saucepan. Cook over medium high heat for a few minutes until bubbling and thickened slightly. Keep warm.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast the turkey until a thermometer inserted into both the thickest part of the thigh and breast registers 160°F. (The temperature will continue to rise to 165°F as the bird rests.) This will take about 60-90 minutes. Skin should be golden brown, crisp, and shiny. If turkey browns too quickly and starts to burn, tent it with foil.
- While turkey is roasting, brush every 30 minutes all over with the glaze. Add more water to pan as needed to maintain an even level of water. If your turkey starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with foil to prevent burning. Continue to baste.
- When turkey has reached 160°F carefully remove it from the oven, making sure not to let the juices spill from the pan.
- Transfer turkey to a cutting board or serving platter and cover with foil. Let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- Make homemade turkey gravy from the drippings and serve!
Notes
- Make sure your turkey is not pre-salted! Such as for kosher turkeys or pre-brined turkeys. When in doubt, check the ingredient list on the packaging and make sure it does not include salt.
- To thaw turkey, place in fridge for 24 hours per 4-5lbs of turkey. Depending on the size of turkey you use, this could take 2-3 days. It's okay if turkey is not completely thawed when you start the dry brine (sometimes mine is still frozen a bit inside), but it should be mostly defrosted.
- If you want to roast a smaller turkey or turkey breast, you can still follow this recipe. For a 6lb turkey breast you will need 1 Tbsp salt, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1/4 tsp ground mustard.
- Recipe gratefully adapted from Bon Appetit.
Calories: 525kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 70g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 242mg, Sodium: 3901mg, Potassium: 804mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 699IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 3mg
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