Best Roasted Turkey Recipe-No Brine

[aristocatz]

Making my first roasted turkey this year-first time ever!
I don't think I want to brine, but I'm looking for juicy & crisp skin.

Recipes please? No sugar or flour please.

Thanks!

 

[NotUrsula]

If you are not using a brine, you are asking more for a technique than a recipe. Mostly you need about 2 cps. of vegetable oil, plus a deep heavy roasting pan with a rack in it.

Assuming you are using a frozen bird, make sure it is completely defrosted and brought up to room temperature, with the giblets removed. Dry it thoroughly inside & out with paper towels to remove the excess meltwater. Stuff it if you care to, or if not, maybe place half an onion, a stick of celery, 2 carrots, and sprigs of fresh rosemary and sage inside the cavity and close it up. Now comes the important part: give it a massage. Wash your hands & arms thoroughly, then pour oil into your hands and start thoroughly rubbing down the bird so that it is lightly coated all over. Place it on the rack inside the pan, breast-side up, and then pull the tips of the wings up and back so that they lock behind the neck stem. Bake according to the package directions per lb., leaving the bird uncovered for the first 30 minutes to crisp the skin, then tented with foil for the rest of the time.

You really don't need to salt the bird; that will have been done in processing.

(Of course, if you want truly crispy skin and a very moist bird, I suggest deep-frying it, but you didn't ask about that.)

 

[easyas123]

Shove as much butter under the skin all over. If you are stuffing it, stuff it. If not, perhaps put some celery and onions inside the cavity. Salt, pepper, garlic, maybe some poultry seasoning over the whole thing. Maybe even baste w/ melted butter. Tent the whole thing and cook.

I've always wanted to try this, but hate to waste the champagne...
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/166160/juicy-thanksgiving-turkey/
There are a gazillion different how to recipes on line with plenty of ideas & tips, especially this time of year. Turkey - it's not terribly difficult (usually). Good luck and have fun cooking!!

 

[xlsm]

turkey is easy as long as it's fully thawed (or fresh), neck and giblets removed from the cavity, and given enough time to fully cook.

Mine always comes out perfectly, and all I do is stuff butter under the skin and coat it in olive oil and make sure I salt it liberally. I have done herb butters in the past, or shoved some onion/celery in the cavity, but the simple version is always the favorite.

Also - I always cook mine breast DOWN not up. This ensures that it stays juicy and does not dry out. In 12 years I have never had a dry bird.

Oh, and don't forget the roasting pan. I just use one of the disposable ones.

Good luck! The first time can feel intimidating, but you can do it!

 

[SteveH]

I've got to ask, why wouldn't you want to brine? It can really make all the difference, even if you cut back on the salt, the water and season can make a huge difference. I understand some want to avoid the salt, but unless you are getting a fresh turkey most have already had a fair amount of saline used in the processing and freezing.

 

[fla4fun]

I agree with fully thawing the Turkey and drying it with paper towels before you start. We usually get a bird around 23 pounds and put it in the refrigerator section the Saturday before Thanksgiving to start thawing. We just mix poultry seasoning in butter and rub it between the skin and meat. We stuff the bird with our favorite stuffing recipe and put it in a roasting pan. We baste occasionally with a mix of melted butter and chicken broth, replenished by roasting pan juices as necessary. When the skin is brown, we tent with foil. We do use a meat thermometer, and when the meat is the appropriate temp, we move the probe to the stuffing until it also comes up to temp. We always use a Butterball turkey and we have always had a good one.

I know what it’s like to feel nervous about your first bird. Mom passed away the week before Thanksgiving, and my sister and I had never done the turkey before. We were terrified. It came out just fine.

 

[_19disnA]

Typically, a frozen turkey is already treated with a solution at the time of processing and brining for those is not recommended. Check the label to be sure. On an already busy cooking day, brining in general just adds additional complications that aren't worth the effort and can also make an excessively salty result including the pan drippings for gravy. Simply wash the bird and discard the pieces/parts inside the cavity. Brushing the skin with some melted butter will help it to brown nicely. Toss some onion/carrot/celery pieces inside the cavity. If your roasting pan is large enough, place a small cooling rack under the bird so air can circulate while baking. I like to put some stuffing between the skin of the bird and the breast. Don't like stuffing the cavity since it tends to discolor during roasting and if you pack the stuffing too full in the cavity, the bird will tend to take much longer to cook or cook unevenly.

Add 2C chicken stock/broth (whichever you have) in the pan. Cover and roast at 350. Baste every hour or so. Use a meat thermometer to tell when done since each bird cooks differently and you can't reliably tell when it is done by looking at it. Dry turkey is most likely the result of cooking it too long, not because you didn't follow some complicated roasting method. Temperature will rise slowly at first, but do not try to rush it by boosting the oven temp. The last last hour or so remove the cover to help the skin brown.

Frozen whole turkey can take several DAYS to thaw in your refrigerator, so be sure to plan ahead. NEVER rush the thawing process by using hot water or letting the bird sit a room temperature for an excessive amount of time.

There are several good websites with information/tips from all of the major companies who sell turkeys.

 

[AustinTink]

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-turkey-recipe4-1943576

 

[NYCgrrl]

Making my first roasted turkey this year-first time ever!
I don't think I want to brine, but I'm looking for juicy & crisp skin.

Recipes please? No sugar or flour please.

Thanks!

Cut the back out of the turkey, tuck the wings under and cut of the legs. Why? So the meat cooks evenly (the breast is not higher thus subject to overcooking). Like stuffing? Place a mound under the turkey and roast them tiger on a sheet pan.

This is a variation on the technique I have used for at least one turkey for the past 10 years plus:

Julia Child’s Stuffed Turkey, Updated

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/re...extcode=MKSCZ00L0&ref=new_search_experience_1
HTH

 

[kwdw]

Joining the chorus here - get it thawed! If you don't, you can have trouble getting it done to an appropriate temperature evenly - and then you have to overcook some parts to get all parts safe to eat in the first place.

I think the technique of putting butter and spices between the skin and the meat is also a big plus in terms of flavoring the breast meat some - if you want that.

Like others have said - a bit of onion or celery or carrot in the cavity can help - but don't stuff it full. I really don't recommend "filling" the cavity full with either veggies or stuffing - it does mess up even cooking.

And I put maybe a cup of water in the pan (could be stock) when I am using a RACK in the pan.

I don't cover the bird until it is golden brown, but maybe needs a bit more time to get fully to temp - and then it's just a light foil tent, not tightened down to the side of the pan.

We've baked at both 325 and 350 - and had good and not so good luck at both temperatures. We've tried high heat or slow roast methods, too, and none of them are worth the thought process in my opinion.

But really: (1) thaw it. (2) thaw it. (3) thaw it. And it WILL take long than the package suggests!

 

[LuvOrlando]

I sort of cobble together a few techniques:

*First, pull out the bag of innards from whichever opening they put it. Don't forget this part, I like to put it aside and mix with the leftover bones for an amazing leftover soup, just drop whatever you want into the leftover soup a few days after Thanksgiving and then strain it, it's always different but always good. You can also freeze the leftover bones part in a ziplock and do this a month later, it's just soup.

I put stuff I won't use as I cook as aromatics in the main part and then just throw it all out after the cooking is over but before the soup, not supposed to eat anything in the middle because it might not be cooked through so stuffing is a separate effort. Stuff like an apple core, orange rind, maybe some lemon, some sage and thyme, some onion and celery scraps go in the main opening, it makes it smell lovely.

Love Tyler Florence's sage butter recipe, but I still haven't mastered not breaking the skin... still it's sooo yummy.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes...oasted-turkey-with-sage-butter-recipe-1946503
I use this guide to help me gauge the timing for the rest of the meal, its a really really old "Good Housekeeping" family cookbook I adore, has notes in it that I love. These days no-one will give a time, they want you to use a thermometer to avoid food poisoning. How anyone can make a feast without some sort of guess in time, I have no idea. I use this and a thermometer, if you want to be extra careful the Purdue turkeys come with a little pop up bit that lets you know when it's done to prevent ruining it.

 

[ronandannette]

If you are not using a brine, you are asking more for a technique than a recipe. Mostly you need about 2 cps. of vegetable oil, plus a deep heavy roasting pan with a rack in it.

Assuming you are using a frozen bird, make sure it is completely defrosted and brought up to room temperature, with the giblets removed. Dry it thoroughly inside & out with paper towels to remove the excess meltwater. Stuff it if you care to, or if not, maybe place half an onion, a stick of celery, 2 carrots, and sprigs of fresh rosemary and sage inside the cavity and close it up. Now comes the important part: give it a massage. Wash your hands & arms thoroughly, then pour oil into your hands and start thoroughly rubbing down the bird so that it is lightly coated all over. Place it on the rack inside the pan, breast-side up, and then pull the tips of the wings up and back so that they lock behind the neck stem. Bake according to the package directions per lb., leaving the bird uncovered for the first 30 minutes to crisp the skin, then tented with foil for the rest of the time.

You really don't need to salt the bird; that will have been done in processing.

(Of course, if you want truly crispy skin and a very moist bird, I suggest deep-frying it, but you didn't ask about that.)

Did you really mean 2 CUPS of oil? That's an awful lot to just rub the skin.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I have always followed the recipe in "Joy of Cooking", and get a flawless bird, every time. I don't use oil or butter--just salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.

Basically, you heat the oven to 450. Put in your bird, then immediately turn it down to 350. Cook 15 min/lb, basting after the first hour. The initial high temperature crisps up the skin nicely. I wind up with a well-cooked, juicy turkey. The only caveat is, the little pop-up timer will NOT indicate doneness--the initial high heat will cause it to pop early, Either remove it or ignore it. I always roast it breast-side up, and never had a problem with dry white meat.

P.S. I always cook the stuffing separately. And sometimes I put a cut lemon inside the cavity. Totally your choice of seasoning, though.

 

[NannyBeBe]

These are a lot of really good suggestions. I always take the pop-up thing out because it's worthless. And I always roast longer than the package says. I baste my bird a few times during the process. And I always have a man lift him out of the oven because it will be heavy and you don't want to lose him on the floor.

 

[tasha99]

2020 is the perfect year for a small turkey. You can remove the backbone and "spatchcock it." Do that a day ahead of time, and salt under the skin, then let it dry out in your fridge (clear a shelf). On Thanksgiving, take UNSALTED butter and herbs and rub them under the skin. Roast at 425-450 (you can look up how long it's expected to take. My bird last year was done in under an hour). I think salting a day ahead of time is well worth it, for both turkey and chicken, as it keeps the meat moist and helps with crispier skin. Definitely use a meat thermometer and don't just guess when it's done.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Adding myself to the “ thaw completely” choir,LOL.

Just a head’s up on thawing: 1/2 hour is needed to defrost 1 lb of meat. To simplify my life I just take the birds ( when hosting I generally roast three13 lbers ) out on the Saturday before T Day.

Also to end up with crispy skin whether brining or not and cut down on constantly opening the oven to burn my wrists and or hands, I ditched the turkey baster. The replacement is a double thickness of cheesecloth which is placed over the breast and it first soaked in whatever liquid I would baste in. When the cloth starts to dry out I soak it again about 45 minutes later.

 

[Rockbro]

Yes, it definitely has to be thawed. But give yourself a day at least to make sure it gets there. Keep it in the fridge. Put a latex glove on and scoop butter out of a tub and fit your hand under the skin and mash it around. Olive oil all over and season. I like Texas Roadhouse seasoning, but if you don't have one, salt pepper, and garlic powder. Season LIBERALLY. Use a roasting rack. Broil on very high heat for 10 minutes then switch to bake at 350 for however long it needs for the weight. Also, invest in a good internal thermometer that you can read from outside the oven. And DO NOT open that oven until the therm goes off. Take it out, tent it with tin foil for 20 minutes and then slice.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I have made turkeys so many ways.. my least favorite the one the elders did with all the checking and basting..
My favorite two are the brown paper bag method and the turkey roaster that goes on the counter..
That's the method I have used the last three years.
What I like best about the turkey roaster is it does not use the oven so I can use it for other things.
It was like $40 at target.
https://www.melaniecooks.com/best-t...pe-in-a-brown-paper-bag-easy-no-basting/2500/
On sale for 30.
https://www.target.com/p/oster-18qt...eH3m4m57MneF3HEmsbsaAqO3EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[NotUrsula]

Did you really mean 2 CUPS of oil? That's an awful lot to just rub the skin.

Yes, because less than half of it ends up staying on the bird; the rest drips away while you are rubbing it. Thoroughly massaging oil into the skin of an entire turkey is a messy business, so I'm allowing for lots of spillage.

PS: Throwing away the giblets found inside the turkey is a terrible waste. That is very flavorful meat, and makes extremely good turkey stock that you can use for all sorts of things. Even the liver (which tends to crumble if boiled for stock) is a very nice holiday treat for the family dog, as is the heart. (If you want to get fancy you can even dehydrate these to make pet treats.) I strip the meat off once I have made the stock, and freeze it for use in soup; normally I can get about 12 ounces of meat out of the neck and gizzard.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I have made turkeys so many ways.. my least favorite the one the elders did with all the checking and basting..
My favorite two are the brown paper bag method and the turkey roaster that goes on the counter..
That's the method I have used the last three years.
What I like best about the turkey roaster is it does not use the oven so I can use it for other things.
It was like $40 at target.
https://www.melaniecooks.com/best-t...pe-in-a-brown-paper-bag-easy-no-basting/2500/
On sale for 30.
https://www.target.com/p/oster-18qt...eH3m4m57MneF3HEmsbsaAqO3EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Your turkey roaster sounds like a great tool to maximize oven space. My kitchen is quite compact and counter space is at a premium so I opted for a convection microwave oven instead. My unit can fit up-to a 13 pound biird which explains why I buy smaller turkeys iin general . Nobody is advertising turkeys yet at my regular shopping places but since Im not doing a bird this year doesn’t matter.