Best Way Unbrined Turkey Recipes

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, lemon, onion, quartered, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey for 2 1/2 hours, basting from time to time with pan juices, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with foil; let it rest for 20 minutes. Slice the turkey and serve hot.

THE BEST BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, heat 4 cups of water; sdd sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add 16 cups cold water, cloves and bay leaves (2 cups of ice can be added to make sure water is cold). Stir to combine.
• Urwrap turkey; wash the turkey inside and out. Place breast side down in the stockpot with brine; water will just cover the turkey. Refrigerate 18-24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Take the turkey out of the stock pot; rinse the inside and out with cold water discarding brine. Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a wide low pan, blotting the turkey with a paper towel. Tuck back the wings and rub the skin of the turkey with the oil. Place a piece of foil just over the breast of the turkey to cover for even roasting. Roast on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Pour 1 cup of water into the pan and continue to roast for an additional hour.
• Remove the foil from the breast and cook another 15-30 minutes. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is iin thickest part of inside thigh and does not touch bone. Roast until thermometer reads 165°F and drumsticks move easily when lifted or twisted.
• Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes (this is an essential step to allow the juices to redistribute and settle). Serve.

PERFECT TURKEY

Steps:

• Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
• Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.
• Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for stock or gravy. Pat turkey and turkey neck dry with paper towel; rub turkey all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey, the pepper and the lemon zest, including the neck. Transfer to a 2-gallon (or larger) resealable plastic bag. Tuck herbs and 6 garlic cloves inside bag. Seal and refrigerate on a small rimmed baking sheet (or wrapped in another bag) for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, turning the bird over every day (or after 12 hours if brining for only 1 day).
• Remove turkey from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, uncovered, back on the baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours to dry out the skin (this helps crisp it).
• When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the cider and enough wine to fill the pan to a 1/4-inch depth. Add half the onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Stuff the remaining onion quarters and the lemon quarters into the turkey cavity. Brush the turkey skin generously with oil or melted butter.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Transfer pan to the oven and roast 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

BEST WAY UNBRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat a convection over to 375. If your oven has settings for baking or roasting, select roasting.
• Remove the turkey from the packaging; rinse and dry well. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter over the skin; sprinkle 4 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper over the skin and in the cavity. Tuck wing tips under and tie the legs together. Place bird breast side up in a V-shaped roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan.
• Roast for 45 minutes. Baste with 1 cup chicken stock.
• Return turkey to over and baste with pan drippings every 20 minutes or until internal thigh temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• A 12 to 16 pound turkey will cook in 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.
• Let turkey rest before carving for 20 to 30 minutes.

SMOKED TURKEY RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat Traeger grill to 250 degrees.
• Rinse turkey inside and out in cool water, pat dry.
• Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Melt 1 stick of butter in a bowl, then add in all of the spices/seasonings, whisk together.
• Rub the turkey all over with the butter mix, inside and out, and get it under the skin, too.
• Place the turkey in the roaster, UNCOVERED on the grill and close the lid. Set a timer for 2 hours. Do NOT open the lid during this time.
• When the timer goes off, add the second stick of butter to the bottom of the roaster, and cover the turkey.
• Turn the temperature up to 325 degrees, and roast for another 90 minutes. Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast, it will reach 165 degrees when it's done. If it hasn't reached that after 90 minutes, cover and continue roasting, checking every 20-30 minutes until it does.

BRINED AND ROASTED WHOLE TURKEY

Steps:

• Overnight Brine: Combine Morton®Kosher Salt and sugar in cool water in a large, clean stockpot until completely dissolved. Place the whole turkey in the brine until completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight, up to 14 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse inside and out under cool running water for several minutes to remove all traces of salt; pat dry with paper towel.
• 4-5 hour Brine: To brine your turkey in less time (4-5 hours), use 2 cups of Morton®Coarse Kosher Salt and two cups of sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.
• To Roast: Mix the softened butter with the pepper. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan. Rub the seasoned butter under the skin. Brush the skin with the melted butter. Pour the 1 cup liquid (wine, broth or water) over the pan bottom to prevent drippings from burning. Roast turkey at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes, baste and then rotate the roasting pan. Continue roasting until the skin turns golden brown, an additional 25 minutes; baste again. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F; continue to roast, basting and rotating the pan once about halfway through cooking, until the minimum internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.

BEST TURKEY EVER!! (BRINED)

Steps:

• Rinse turkey in cool water.
• In a very large clean container (non-corrosive pan or stockpot such as stainless steel or glass or a food-grade plastic container), mix salt and water together until salt dissolves. Stir in brown sugar and spices, mix well until sugar dissolves.
• Totally submerge poultry in solution and store, covered, in refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 8 hours. Since brining does not preserve meat, the turkey must be kept below 40 degrees F throughout the entire brining process. Ice packs may also be used to keep turkey at a safe temperature of below 40°F.
• Remove turkey from brine. Discard brine. Thoroughly rinse turkey under a slow stream of cool water, rubbing gently to release salt and sugar, both inside and out. Pat skin and both interior cavities dry.
• * NOTE: The ratio of water to salt is appropriate for a 15-pound turkey. If a larger or smaller turkey is brined, please calculate accordingly.
• * *NOTE: Other combinations of herbs may be added including 6-8 bay leaves, 3 cloves garlic and 2 teaspoons black peppercorns. Or a spicy flavor may be achieved by the addition of 1 cup small dried red chile peppers.
• In the cavity of turkey, place onion, carrot and celery.
• Brush turkey with melted butter.
• Roast turkey, breast side down, in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 2 hours. During this time, baste legs and back twice with melted butter.
• Remove turkey from oven and protecting your hands, grasp turkey with several layers of clean paper towels at both ends, and turn turkey, breast side up.
• Return turkey to oven and continue to roast, basting twice with pan dripping. Continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thigh. NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently.
• Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
• Transfer to a platter and garnish with fresh fruit.