Seeking a juicy Thanksgiving turkey recipe: butter, no sugar

[aristocatz]

We just bought our Thanksgiving turkey-got a very good deal on a 14 pound frozen turkey from Whole Foods.

I've actually never cooked a turkey before, but I figured between my DH & I, we will be able to follow a recipe & figure it out. I'm seeking a recipe for a very juicy Thanksgiving turkey.

I cannot have any sugar in the brine or on the turkey, due to having gestational diabetes.

I am a fan of using butter on the turkey-I think it adds a nice flavor.

I would love to add root vegetables

Any recipes or links to recipes you could share?

Thanks!

 

[gottaluvPluto]

Is white wine okay? The best turkeys I ever made was with cheese cloth to help with the basting. I soaked the cheesecloth in whatever I wanted to baste the turkey with and covered the turkey up. Look up cheesecloths for turkeys and see what you like.

 

[Hisgirl]

Here is one of mine:
Amazingly Moist Roasted Turkey
I have a recipe for a 12-14-pound*roast turkey that comes out as moist as ham. Everyone has always taken the first bite, then asked, "HOW did you get a turkey to be this moist?"

There is no soaking in salty brine, no deep-frying, no injections…just an unusual secret trick in the oven!

The different equipment you'll need is a tightly wadded up ball of tinfoil about the size of a big baseball.
The night before, set out a stick of pure butter so it will be room temperature the next morning. This is important!

* In the morning, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, mash that butter up with 1 teaspoon salt and 1to 2 teaspoons of pepper and rub all over the turkey.* Place the buttered turkey in a tinfoiled lined turkey pan and roast uncovered at 425 for 30 minutes. I like to place the turkey on a cookie rack so it's not sitting on the bottom of the pan.

Now here's the tricky part.* Turn the oven down to 325 and turn the turkey on its side.* That's right.* On its side. It is actually a bit awkward to turn the turkey and I find it is easiest to dedicate a clean pair of pot holders and plan to wash them after lunch.

* Prop it up with the tinfoil ball.* This will keep the turkey from falling back flat. If you have a turkey pan with a designated rack, feel free to use this, but I have yet to find a rack that doesn't have reviews stating the nonstick coating flakes off onto the turkey.

You will most likely need an oven rack removed to make room because it is going to be taller than when it is on its back. Baste it with the buttery juices at every 30-minute mark and roast for one hour on its side at 325 degrees.

After one hour, baste again and turn on its other side. Prop with the tinfoil ball. Roast for one hour on this side, basting every thirty minutes.

After the hour, check for doneness, 165 degrees in deepest part of breast. It has cooked for 2 1/2 hours and if it is not done, finish upright for a few minutes…but mine has always been done. Your turkey will be perfectly brown all over and the juices will have run down into the breast, keeping all the white meat moist and tender. (Remember to let it sit for 15 minutes before you carve it to let the juices resettle into the meat!)

 

[Hisgirl]

While I normally do the side sitting turkey, this year I am trying a SpatchCocked Turkey.

Here is a link to show and tell how to do this much faster cooking bird:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/...-thanksgiving-fast-easy-way-spatchcocked.html

 

[EMom]

Can you have champagne? I don't even like turkey, but good "best turkey recipe + champagne" and the most amazing recipe will come up. I couldn't stop eating it. Fantastic and so moist.

 

[Michblue]

I think I got my tips from Martha Stewart. I loosen the skin from the breasts. You kind of slide your hands under the skin all over the breast, loosening the skin from the meat. Then smush half a stick butter under skin all over turky. The rest of the stick of butter on top of skin. Then salt and pepper. I do stuff my turky too. Then in a 400-450 degree oven for 15-30 minutes, convection roast if you have a convection oven, this kind of sears the bird supposedly to seal in juices. Then drop temperature down to 325. I also add half a can of chicken broth to the pan, it's a great juices starter and makes great gravy. I have been doing this for years and always get tons of compliments about jucy great tasting turky.

 

[Nolcrest]

Is white wine okay? The best turkeys I ever made was with cheese cloth to help with the basting. I soaked the cheese cloth in whatever I wanted to baste the turkey with and covered the turkey up. Look up cheese cloths for turkeys and see what you like.

I agree. I follow Martha Stewarts recipe for her cheesecloth roasted turkey. I think it's fail proof. I don't stuff my turkey so you can omit that step.

http://www.marthastewart.com/353184/perfect-roast-turkey

 

[Briarmom]

I agree. I follow Martha Stewarts recipe for her cheesecloth roasted turkey. I think it's fail proof. I don't stuff my turkey so you can omit that step.

http://www.marthastewart.com/353184/perfect-roast-turkey

This.
I've used this recipe for several years.

 

[scrapquitler]

We just bought our Thanksgiving turkey-got a very good deal on a 14 pound frozen turkey from Whole Foods.

I've actually never cooked a turkey before, but I figured between my DH & I, we will be able to follow a recipe & figure it out. I'm seeking a recipe for a very juicy Thanksgiving turkey.

I cannot have any sugar in the brine or on the turkey, due to having gestational diabetes.

I am a fan of using butter on the turkey-I think it adds a nice flavor.

I would love to add root vegetables

Any recipes or links to recipes you could share?

Thanks!

Use one of the Reynolds Oven Roasting Bags for turkey. It keeps the turkey nice and juicy.

 

[Poohforyou]

I follow my grandmother's technique and roast breast down for all but the last hour. I butter the breast and lay a piece of foil over it before putting in the pan. That ensures the breast doesn't stick to the pan when I have to flip the bird.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

I agree. I follow Martha Stewarts recipe for her cheesecloth roasted turkey. I think it's fail proof. I don't stuff my turkey so you can omit that step.

http://www.marthastewart.com/353184/perfect-roast-turkey

That is the recipe I use. It is so yummy! I also don't stuff my turkey and that also makes the turkey juicy.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

I follow my grandmother's technique and roast breast down for all but the last hour. I butter the breast and lay a piece of foil over it before putting in the pan. That ensures the breast doesn't stick to the pan when I have to flip the bird.

I tried that one year and had a hard time flipping the bird. LOL!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We inadvertently cooked ours upside down in a turkey roasted. Very very juicy.

I'm guessing we buttered the wrong side.

(**16 years of marriage and 19 together and that turkey was I only the second time we had our own Thanksgiving and cooked our own turkey. I think the first one, we hosted but my mom may have made it. We prefer to outsource and visit relatives.)

 

[pigletto]

I follow my grandmother's technique and roast breast down for all but the last hour. I butter the breast and lay a piece of foil over it before putting in the pan. That ensures the breast doesn't stick to the pan when I have to flip the bird.

This!!!!!!!
I cooked the turkey breast side down for the first time 5 years ago and I will never do it another way. The juice runs into the breast and it keeps it moist. It comes out perfect every time!!

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I use Alton brown's recipe from good eats. Plus there is a video! I coat it in olive oil with fresh rosemary and sage. I then take an apple, cinnamon stick and onion and microwave for 30 ish seconds in a bit of water then stuff the bird with the apple, onion and cinnamon stick. Cook on 500 for 30 minutes uncovered. Then Cover the breast with a foil triangle and cook at 350 until 161 degrees. It will keep cooking while it rests. Biggest tip is NOT to baste it. (Crazy I know but it still stays super moist) I cooked the turkey this way about 5 years ago for our family of 40 and was elected to continue doing it ever since.

 

[barkley]

we do something very simple to ensure the bird is moist all the way through-we take a couple of oranges and cut them in half. we place the cut halves inside the cavity of the bird (we don't do stuffing cooked inside the bird). as the bird cooks the oranges heat up and steam the inside of the bird. there's no real taste of orange that results but as a result of external heat and internal steam heat it ends up nice and moist.

 

[Jedana]

Alton Brown's brine

Then I cook it in an oil-less fryer. Cooks a little quicker than in the oven, and all the skin browns.

 

[anniemae]

I love these ideas! I may try Martha's recipe.

 

[cabanafrau]

I tried that one year and had a hard time flipping the bird. LOL!

If ever there were a response calling out to the tag fairy . . .

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We've never brined our turkey and have always been happy with how it turns out.