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Golden-brown roast turkey with crispy skin resting on a wooden carving board with herbs

Cousin Mike's Perfect Roast Turkey

A juicy, golden roast turkey with shatter-crisp skin, built around one simple trick: an overnight dry brine. No giant pot of water, no spills, just seasoned meat and crackling skin every time.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dry brine (1-2 days ahead)
  • 1 (12-14 lb) whole turkey thawed, giblets and neck removed, patted very dry
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt Diamond Crystal; use 2 tbsp if using Morton
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder aluminum-free, for extra-crisp skin
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
For roasting
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 1 yellow onion quartered
  • 1 head garlic halved crosswise
  • 2 carrots cut in chunks
  • 2 stalks celery cut in chunks
  • 1 small bunch fresh herbs thyme, rosemary and sage
  • 2 cups chicken or turkey stock low-sodium, for the pan

Method
 

Dry brine (1-2 days ahead)
  1. Pat the turkey completely dry, inside and out. Mix the kosher salt, baking powder, and black pepper in a small bowl.
  2. Season the bird all over with the salt mix - on top of the skin, inside the cavity, and gently under the breast skin where you can reach. Use most of it on the breast and thighs, the thickest parts.
  3. Set the turkey breast-up on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate UNCOVERED for 24 to 48 hours. This is the trick: the salt seasons deep and the dry air pulls moisture off the skin so it crisps.
Roast
  1. Pull the turkey out about 1 hour before roasting to take the chill off. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F (300 on convection). Do NOT rinse the bird.
  2. Rub the softened butter all over the skin and under it where you can. Tuck a few herb sprigs in the cavity. Scatter the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and remaining herbs in a roasting pan and set the turkey on top (or on a rack). Pour the stock into the bottom of the pan.
  3. Roast about 13 minutes per pound. If the breast browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil. There is no need to baste - the dry brine already did the work.
  4. Start checking the temperature around the 2.5-hour mark. Pull the turkey when the thickest part of the breast reads 157 degrees F and the thighs read 170 degrees F. Carryover heat will bring the breast up to a juicy 160-165 while it rests.
  5. Rest the turkey loosely tented with foil for at least 30-45 minutes before carving. Skipping the rest is how all that juice ends up on the cutting board instead of in the meat. Save the pan drippings for gravy.

Notes

Dry brine, don't wet brine: salting the bird a day or two ahead seasons it all the way through and dries the skin for maximum crackle - no giant bucket of saltwater to wrestle. Skip the brine step if you bought a kosher or pre-brined/self-basting turkey (it's already salted). A good instant-read thermometer is the difference between juicy and dry - don't roast by time alone. Turn those pan drippings into gravy and serve with cornbread dressing and make-ahead mashed potatoes for the full spread.