I’ve been told this turkey is amazing! It looks so moist and smells great. Those in the know it tastes so moist and tastes great too! Plus, this recipe makes me feel very official and professional. I’m not sure why, maybe because as a vegetarian I just think that most of my meat dishes will turn out badly but this turns out exactly the opposite!
Brine first using equal parts sugar and salt. Use one cup of salt for a turkey under 18 lbs. and ¾ c under 12 lbs.
Pioneer Woman Turkey Brine
Prep time
Total time
Author: Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
- 3 c apple juice or apple cider
- 2 gallons cold water
- 4 T fresh rosemary leaves
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-½ c kosher salt
- 2 c brown sugar
- 3 T peppercorns
- 5 whole bay leaves
- peel of three large oranges
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover. Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.
- To Roast: After the turkey has slurped up all of the wonderful flavor of the brine for 16-24 hours remove it from the brining bag and rinse the turkey thoroughly again inside and out. Now tuck the legs and wings however you like to tuck them and place bird, breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover the turkey tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure it is entirely covered (cover over the bottom edges of the pan. Place in a pre-heated 275 degree oven and walk away. The rule of thumb now is to roast the turkey at 275 degrees for about 10 minutes per pound. So for a 20-pound turkey, roast it at 275 degrees for about 3 ½ hours. (For a 15-pound turkey, roast it for 2 ½ hours.) Note: there’ll still be more cooking time after this, but it’ll be at a different temperature).
- When it’s time to remove the turkey from the oven, melt one stick of butter in a bowl. Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees. Remove the aluminum foil and set aside. Brush ⅓ of the 1 c of butter all over the skin of the turkey. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint. Place the turkey uncovered back into the oven. Continue roasting the turkey, basting with butter every 30 minutes until the thermometer registers 170 degrees and until the juices are no longer pink.
- Remove from oven, cover with foil until you are ready to serve it. Let turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.
Photos and recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman
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