If you want the most perfectly moist, flavorful, and juicy Thanksgiving Turkey, my dry brine turkey recipe is what you’re looking for. All you need to do is rub the turkey down with salt, seasonings, and fresh herbs. Then, place the turkey in the fridge and let the dry brine work its magic for the next 48 to 72 hours.
That’s all you need the prep you need to do, and you’re on your way to enjoying the best turkey you’ll ever eat!
When it comes to cooking a turkey, what you do before it goes into your oven makes all the difference in the world.
Don’t be intimidated by the thought of cooking a turkey. Because Iโm here to share my dry brining and roasting methods to make your holiday turkey the star of the holiday dinner
There are different thoughts on brining a turkey, with the choices being wet brine or dry brining. While both techniques will help you cook the most succulent turkey youโve ever had, the smartest, easiest way to achieve the best results every time is with a dry brine.
It doesnโt matter if this is your first Thanksgiving dinner, my dry-brine method will make you look like a seasoned veteran of Thanksgiving and turn out an impeccably juicy, flavorful bird.
If you’re looking for a non-traditional dessert for the holidays, my Tiramisu will be the perfect ending to your holiday meal.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to dry brine our turkey. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Citrus zest
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh Sage
Do I have to use specific herbs and spices to dry brine a turkey?
That’s a tricky question because if you want a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, the answer is yes.
But If you like specific flavorings and aren’t into traditional Thanksgiving flavors, then by all means, have fun substituting spices that you like.
Recipes should be used as guidelines, and in all honesty, the salt is the only ingredient you really need for dry brining; the rest are added for flavor.
Why Should I dry-brine my turkey?
When you’re dealing with a large piece of meat like a whole turkey, it’s easy to overcook it into a dry, flavorless disaster. Dry Brining gives the dry brine mixture time to penetrate into the meat.
Dry brining (dry rub) is a way to inject both flavor and moisture into a turkey, giving you a flavorful, moist, roasted turkey.
Rule #1 of Dry Brining
The larger the piece of meat, the more time is needed for the brine to be effective.
A dry brine, also called pre-salting, involves rubbing the salt, seasonings, and/or sugar directly onto the meat and skin and then letting the meat rest in the refrigerator for a period of time before cooking. During the process of dry brining, the salt draws out the juices through osmosis.
As the salt dissolves into the juices, it begins turning into a natural brine without any added liquid. This Natural brine is then reabsorbed into the meat and starts breaking down the tough muscle proteins. That is why this process needs up to 3 days to complete.
How to thaw a frozen turkey
The best way to thaw your turkey in the refrigerator in its original packaging. General defrosting times are 24 hours for every 4 pounds of Turkey.
If you have no choice and must thaw your turkey quickly, fill the kitchen sink with cold water and put the turkey in it, breast side down.
Make sure to completely submerge the turkey in water (in its original packaging) for the quick thaw method. Make sure to change the water every 30 minutes. This defrosting method will take 30 to 40 minutes per pound of turkey.
*When finished thawing the turkey, make sure to clean and disinfect the sink, spigots, and all surrounding surfaces.
*Don’t leave the turkey out to thaw on the countertop.
Chef Tips
- Don’t buy a preseasoned or kosher turkey (pre-salted) or self-basting turkeys. I always look for free-roaming or a heritage bird. But most importantly, no added salt.
- Make sure your turkey is thawed if you buy a frozen turkey. *Buy your turkey early enough so that itโs thawed and ready to brine on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
- It doesn’t have to be a whole turkey; you can dry brine a turkey breast.
- Getting under the skin of the turkey and applying the brine directly to the meat will make a tastier, moister turkey. If you’re only going to brine the skin, try and brine it for the full 72 hours.
- Don’t rush dry brining. To enjoy the best turkey you’ll ever have, you need to give it enough time to be effective. 2 days is the minimum, and can go as long as four days if you’re working with a 20-pound plus bird. *Any length of time you can brine the turkey is better than not brining the bird.
- You can use any herbs that you like, but the salt really does matter. Use Morton’s Kosher Salt for the best results. Diamond Kosher salt is a larger grain; if you use Diamond, increase the amount of salt by half. Don’t use table salt, it’s too fine and will make the turkey too salty.
- If you don’t have Kosher Salt, you can use Coarse Sea Salt or Coarse Himalayan Pink Salt because of the size of the coarse grains.
*The standard is one tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey, but I like to go a little below that at one tablespoon of salt for every 6 lbs. So if you’re turkey is smaller, adjust the amount of salt and herbs.
Does it Matter Where I Apply the Mixture?
It does make a difference where you apply the dry brine. Separating the skin from the meat so that some of the dry brine can be rubbed directly on top of the meat (below the skin) will give you the best results.
If you apply the brine directly on the skin, it will need more time to penetrate the skin and get to the meat. The breast will also get more of the dry brine than the rest of the turkey. The turkey breast has the largest amount of meat on a conventional turkey.
- After applying the dry brine, place the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan. Cover the turkey securely using plastic wrap. Or place it into a small plastic bag and seal it, removing as much of the air as possible. Refrigerate for 48 – 60 hours.
- Remove the plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated uncovered for the last 12 hours of brining. This will help crisp the turkey skin.
Can I use Dry Herbs?
Yes, you can, although I prefer fresh herbs. You can find them at most grocery stores in convenient little plastic containers. If fresh herbs are not available, by all means, use dry herbs. You can also add any other herbs or aromatics that you like.
Should I cook a Heritage Turkey Differently?
A heritage turkey is more elongated with drumsticks that are a good 1 to 2 inches longer than a modern bird, extending well beyond the tip of the breast.
Because of its more elongated shape, a heritage turkey cooks a little more quickly than a conventional turkey, so the biggest danger is overcooking. To make sure your Heritage Turkey is not overcooked, follow my recipe and change the cooking times.
Roast an unstuffed turkey at 425ยฐ for 20 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 325ยฐF until the internal temperature of the thigh meat reaches 155ยฐF.
Cooking 15-20 minutes per pound for the total cooking time. That being said, I would start checking the internal temperature 2 hours after the second phase of the process using an Insta-read thermometer in the thigh.
Also, make sure to allow 1-ยฝ lb. per person compared to about one lb. for a conventional turkey. As an example, expect a 12-lb. heritage turkey to feed about eight people. Also, keep in mind that youโll have as much dark meat as light meat. A conventional turkey will have more white meat.
Chef Tips for Roasting
- Set your oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Let the turkey sit out of refrigeration for about 30 minutes so it can come to room temperature before roasting.
- Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for one hour before roasting. **Do Not Rinse The Brine Off Turkey
- Start off roasting the turkey at 425ยฐF, and roast upside down for the first 45 minutes. At the end of that time, very carefully turn the turkey over with the breast side up to continue cooking.
- You’ll find that some ovens have cold spots. This is why it’s a good idea to rotate the turkey halfway through and baste for even cooking and browning. Keep some turkey or chicken stock handy in case your turkey doesn’t produce enough juice during the roasting process, and use that for basting if necessary.
- Always use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that your turkey has been cooked properly. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh without touching the bone registers. Your turkey will be done when the thermometer reaches 165ยฐF. It will continue to cook once you remove it from the oven, increasing by another 10 degrees.
- Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
I absolutely love my Meater Plus | Smart Meat Thermometer. It takes all the guesswork out of cooking meats in the oven, on the grill, or in a smoker.
Do I have to start the turkey upside down?
No, you don’t. Safety should always come first and if you don’t think you can flip the turkey safely, skip that step. Still use the instruction for roasting starting at 425 degrees, then lowering to 325 degrees.
**If you do flip the turkey, take the pan out of the oven first. Don’t attempt this while the pan is in the oven.
You might also find heat-resistant gloves a good option. They’ll come in handy throughout the year.
Can I still Dry-Brine a Self-Basting or Kosher Turkey?
No, you can’t. That will make the turkey too salty! What you can do, is leave the salt out of the dry-brine ingredients and use the remainder of the seasonings as a dry rub. Feel free to add in your favorite spices.
Apply the dry rub for 24-36 hours and follow the roasting instructions.
My Turkey has been injected with a saline solution can I still use a dry brine?
While it’s not a good idea to add more salt to an injected turkey, you can still use the dry brine method. If your turkey is in the 15-pound range cut the Kosher Salt down to 1 Tablespoon. If your turkey is under 15 pounds reduce the salt accordingly. You can use the rest of the ingredients as stated in the recipe.
Why shouldn’t I stuff my turkey?
I know that the stuffing from inside the turkey is the best you’ll ever have. But it’s not a practice I recommend for two very important reasons.
The stuffing sucks a lot of the moisture (and flavor) out of the turkey. That’s why a stuffed turkey is often dry and overcooked. And the really bad news is, it puts us at risk for foodborne illness.
The longer it takes the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees gives bacteria more time to multiply. And that means that uncle Sal (salmonella) might be paying you and your guests an unexpected holiday visit, which will definitely put a damper on the festivities.
**Stuffed turkeys also take longer to cook.
If you have leftover turkey, try my Old Fashioned Turkey Croquettes.
If you’re looking for a new Chef Knife, check out Misen. I’ve been using their kitchen knives for years!
Recipe FAQs
Dry-brining, also referred to as salting, is the process of rubbing the meat down with salt. The natural moisture content of the meat creates a concentrated brine that isย naturally absorbed back into the meat before cooking.
Aย whole turkey needs two to three days of brining time. The dry-brining can be done days before Thanksgiving, giving you extra time on Turkey Day.
For the last 24 hours of the dry brine, leave the turkey uncovered in the refrigerator. This will dry out the skin, which in turn gives you incredibly crispy, golden-brown skin on the finished turkey.
Recipes to serve with turkey!
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
Ingredients
Dry Brine Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon coarse kosher salt I use Morton's Kosher Salt (coarse grain sea salt may be used)
- 1 tablespoon coarse grind black pepper
- 1 tablespoon thyme finely chopped fresh or dry
- 1 tablespoon sage finely chopped fresh or dry
- 1 tablespoon clementine peel finely zested any citrus may be used
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
Roasting Turkey
- 1-2 carrots rough cut
- 1 onion rough cut
- 3-4 stalks celery rough cut
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 16-20 lb turkey fresh or frozen
- rough cut onion, carrot, sage, thyme and orange skin for inside the turkey (optional)
Instructions
Prep and Dry Brining
- Mix the dry brine ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside
- Remove the turkey from the wrapping and remove the giblets and neck from inside the cavity and save for another use. Remove or discard any plastic or metal cages or pop-up thermometers.
- If you can follow safe procedures, rinse the entire turkey in cold water thoroughly. ย Then pat the turkey dry using paper towels, inside and out. ย The FDA Does Not Recommend Rinsing Turkeys. If you do rinse your turkey make sure to clean and sanitize the counters, sink, faucet and any areas possibly exposed.
- Using your hands, gently loosen the skin over the breast and separate it from the meat, making sure to break through the thin membrane between the skin and breast while leaving the skin itself intact.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the cavity of the turkey and rub it into the cavity.
- Rub 4 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the meat of the breasts (under the skin). ย Then sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over all the skin of both the breasts, legs and wings
- Place the turkey breast-side up in aย roasting pan. ย Cover the turkey securely using plastic wrap, or place it into a small plastic bag and seal it, removing as much of the air as possible. ย Refrigerate for 48 – 60 hours.
- After the time has expired, uncover the turkey and allow it to remain uncovered and refrigerated for 8-12 hours. ย
The Secret to Roasting
- Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for one hour before roasting.**Do Not Rinse The Brine Off the Turkey
- Preheat the oven to 425ยบ.
- In the bottom of your roasting pan add roughly cut celery, onions, garlic, and carrots. ย Include the skin from the onion and carrots. ย Add 1 cup of chicken broth or water to the pan.**You can also place some aromatics inside the cavity of the turkey before cooking. Onions, carrots, herbs of your choice, orange peel and any other spices you like.
- Place the turkey upside down on a rack in a roasting pan. This will allow the turkey to self baste the breast as the fat from the underside and dark meat flow into the breast.**If you don't feel comfortable turning the hot turkey, cook your turkey right side up for the entire process. The breast meat won't be quite as moist, but it's not a deal-breaker. Safety First!
- Brush the turkey with melted butter and roast upside down for the first 45 minutes. ย At the end of that time very carefully turn the turkey over with the breast side up to continue cooking. ( I used heat resistantย gloves) Brush again with melted butter if you like.Decrease oven temperature to 325ยบ. ย Cook the turkey until it reaches the temp of 165ยบ for the breast and 175ยบ for the thighs. ย The meat will rise an additional 10ยบ continuing to cook as it rests.*My 20-pound turkey only took an additional 3 hours to cook using this method. ย Make sure to check your turkey around the 2 ยฝ hour mark. ย ย
- Allow the turkey to rest 30 minutes before slicing. ย This will ensure that the juices stay in the turkey and don't all run out as you slice it. ย
Video
Notes
Dry Brining Turkey Tips
- Don’t buy a preseasoned or kosher turkey (pre-salted) ย or self-basting turkeys. I always look for free-roaming or a heritage bird.ย But most importantly no added salt.
- Make sure your turkey is thawed if you buy a frozen turkey. ย Buy your turkey early enough so that itโs thawed and ready to brine on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
- It doesn’t have to be a whole turkey, you can dry brine a turkey breast.
- Getting under the skin of the turkey and applying the brine directly to the meat will make a tastier, moister turkey. If you’re only going to brine the skin, add an extra day to the process.
- Don’t rush dry brining. To enjoy the best turkey you’ll ever have, you need to give it enough time to be effective. 3 Days really is the minimum, 4 is even better especially if you’re working with a 20 pound plus bird.
- You can use any herbs that you like, but the salt really does matter. Use Kosher Salt for the best results. Salt that is too fine will make the bird too salty. Kosher salt, say it out loud, twice.
- The standard is 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey, but I like to go a little below that at 1 tablespoon of salt for every 6 lbs.ย So if you’re turkey is smaller adjust the amount of salt and herbs.
- Add more water to roasting pan if necessary to prevent pan drippings from burning.
- If you absolutely don’t have Kosher Salt and have to use Regular Salt decrease the amount of the salt by โ .
Josie
Hi Chef Dennis,
I am in the process of cooking my 16 pound turkey using your method and was wondering if the temperature and times you have listed are for convection oven or regular oven?
Thanks, Josie
Leigh
Hi Chef Dennis,
I have done this twice now and it was a huge success both times! Prior to this my turkey always turns out dry and wet brine was just not an option for me. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Josie
Hi Chef Dennis,
Iโm in the process of trying out your recipe and was wondering the oven temperatures and times you have listed, are they convection oven or regular oven?
Thanks,
Josie
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Josie
all the times and temps are with a convection oven.
Josie
Thanks Chef Dennis!
One last thing…do you cook it on the lowest rack of your oven?
Thanks again,
Josie
Chef Dennis Littley
I cook it as low as needed. If you don’t need the oven for anything else cooking it higher will allow more airflow in the oven
Scott Kevin Griffith
Do you cover the turkey during cooking?
Chef Dennis Littley
no you do not. If it looks like its getting too dark, you can cover it towards the end of the cooking process
Vee
I goofed and used the brine ingredient amounts on a 10 lbs bird without cutting the amount of brine by a 1/3. Is it going to be too salty? Should I wash off some of the brine?
Chef Dennis Littley
You could wipe off some of the brine. The turkey shouldn’t be too salty but the drippings could be. If that happens and you use them for gravy try to extend it some with low sodium chicken or turkey stock.
Myriam
I too had been using Nigella Lawsons wet brine for years. At my daughters suggestion tried your recipe for dry brining. My bird was ~ 10.5 lbs. I still brined for 2.5 days (2 days covered and 1 day uncovered). I guesstimated length of time and did pretty good. Temp was higher than recommend when I checked it. Let it rest and have to say I will not be going back to wet brine. Could not get over how moist and juicy it was. This was by far the juiciest turkey we have ever had. Absolutely delicious. Next time I will be increasing the pepper and herbs.
Thank you for sharing and Happy New Year!
Chef Dennis Littley
I am thrilled to hear that Myriam! I love Nigella too, but a wet brine is just too much trouble. I hope you find more recipes to try
Happy New Year!
Lori
This was my first turkey recipe! The directions were so helpful and it is by far the best I’ve ever eaten. So flavorful and never dry. My family thought so, too, and now I’m responsible for the turkey every Thanksgiving and Christmas! ๐ Thank you, Chef Dennis!
Gwen Ziprick
This method/recipe is fantastic! I have made my last 4 holiday turkeys this way and everyone is always ecstatic about the bird! Thanks Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
you are very welcome Gwen! Thanks for the great review!
Georgie Anderson
Hi Chef Dennis
Iโm messaging you from Australia. Iโve been doing a great dry brined chicken and came across your recipe as I would like to do a dry brined Turkey for our family Christmas. We will have 17 adults and 4 children. Do you have a guide as to how much turkey we would need per person? I was also thinking about doing two smaller birds or would you recommend one big bird?
What is the purpose of the vegetables and stock in the bottom of the tray? Is that for moisture and gravy?
We have a meat thermometer called a โMeaterโ. You leave the probe in the meat as itโs cooking and itโs linked to our phone for monitoring. Do you suggest we leave the probe in the thigh?
Sorry for all the questions. I really want to nail this Turkey! Thanks in advance, Georgie
Chef Dennis Littley
The vegetables are to keep the turkey off the bottom of the pan and to also add flavor to the drippings. I would leave the probe in thigh but it will more than likely need to get to 175 F for the breast to hit 165 F. As for two turkeys instead of one, that’s always a good idea as you can cook one ahead of time, to give it plenty of time to cool and use the second turkey as a backup and cut as needed. When you use smaller turkeys you are giving up meat to bone ratio, the larger the turkey the higher the meat to bone is. So its whatever you feel more comfortable cooking.
Just remember to make the brine depending upon the total weight, my recipe is based on an 18-20 pound turkey, you can use more herbs if you like, but you have to be careful as to adding more salt than required. And its Kosher salt or Coarse sea salt, not fine grain salt.
K. Kawakami
Thank you Chef Dennis for your recipe and all the postings about brining and cooking a turkey. I made my first turkey from your recipe and it was really moist! It came out great! Thank you for responding to all the questions because it was very helpful! Merry Christmas!
Chef Dennis Littley
you’re very welcome and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed your turkey!
Jane Coelho
Chef Dennis, Thank you so much for the perfect brining recipe. My first time with the dry brine process and it turned out perfectly. I had so many compliments from my family which really says it all. I wish I had more leftovers. I brined a 22 lb fresh turkey and it served 14 adults for dinner and sandwiches that evening, but not much left on Friday. The drippings were great in my gravy base as well, not too salty. I began the brining process on Sunday.
Thanks again Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
you’re very welcome Jane, I’m always happy to hear from my readers. It sounds like your Thanksgiving was a delicious event!
Elaine T McNamee
Hello, are the oven temperatures for a regular oven ? If not is ther a difference in the cooking temperatures
Chef Dennis Littley
Temps are the same for a regular oven or convection oven. If you are using a regular oven cooking times will be a little longer.
India
Hi Chef Dennis!
I am really excited to try your recipe this year – usually, I follow Nigella Lawson’s wet brine recipe, but I am keen to try something new and this sounds perfect (and the reviews have convinced me!).
The turkey I am getting is 4.5kg / just under 10lb, so on the smaller side compared to your recipe.Based on this, how long would you recommend leaving it in the dry brine covered vs uncovered please? I have booked to pick my turkey up on 23rd Dec, and so wondering if I need to change that!
Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
cut the brining ingredients in half (remember kosher salt or coarse sea salt) for that size of a turkey. Roast at 220 C for 20 minutes and 160 C for 60 – 90 minutes. As for the brining 30-36 hours covered and leave it uncovered overnight before roasting to let the skin dry out.
let me know how it turns out.
India
Thank you! ๐
James Novak
Hi Chef Dennis,
Thanksgiving is done! Used your recipe on a stuffed 25+ pound monster, with fresh herbs in the brine, rubbed under and over the skin. Added butter under the skin and (because of the stuffing) did all of the roasting ‘breast side up’, tinted in foil to slow the browning.
My guests raved that it was the best turkey they’ve ever had! So thank you for your annual advice!
I did find something interesting… I used the convection setting for the very first time and even though the bird was tinted, it browned very quickly within the first hour; normally a tinted bird browns at the end when the foil is removed. Do you find that the convection process changes the browning time vs. conventional oven heat?
Thanks!
-James
John Clay
Hi chef,
Iโm in England so I hope you some of the terms Iโll use translate to the US.
As you have thanksgiving in the states a little earlier than our โTurkey Dayโ over here Iโm hoping I can get the benefit of writers comments & experiences so I get the job done right on the 25th over here.
Whole turkeys are going out of favour a bit here & what we term โturkey crownsโ (double breast on the bone) are becoming more popular. Weโll have a 6-7lb crown as you cover in your description.
The dry brine method sounds good & Im going for that for the first time in my 30 years of cooking Christmas turkey but the one thing all our UK recipes seem to demand is copious amounts of butter rubbed under the skin just before the cooking plus we layer streaky bacon over the breasts from the get go (both the butter & bacon have always been preached as essential for maintaining a juicy bird).
The bacon is great & crispy & we love that but seldom is the bird juicy!
Iโm following your method this year but would appreciate your comments on the butter under the skin & the streaky bacon. (Streaky bacon here is a fatty bacon cut, & I guess is an attempt at keeping the breast moist? …but itโs been passed down as gospel) …but maybe an old wives tale?? ..interested to get your take on it.
Many thanks,
John C
Chef Dennis Littley
The butter is a nice addition and works well with the brine. I’ve never been one to say no to bacon, so go ahead and add that too. The dry brine and seasonings will help with the flavor and the butter and bacon will help keep it moist.
Happy Turkey Day!
Irene Vastola
Hello Chef Dennis,
I was hoping you might take a moment to respond to my email from Nov 27th so that I might make a few changes for next year.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Margot Bradley
I made your recipe this year and it came out wonderfully well. My 18lb. bird only 4 hours. Instead of using butter to moisten and baste the turkey, I used canola oil which worked well to produce the crispy skin since it does not contain water molecules, like butter. I also used my oven thermometer and took the turkey out when it reached 155 degrees. I then let it rest for over 1 hour so the temperature would rise. Next year I will do the same, although I will change to Blue Diamond Kosher salt since it contains less sodium.
Thank you Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks so much for letting me know Margot, and I’m happy to see you adapted the recipe to what you prefer to use, it sounds like it came out well!
I hope you find more recipes to try on site.
Irene Vastola
Hello again Chef Dennis,
I have been attempting and tweaking your recipe with your direction for the last few years and while it is delicious, I canโt seem to get it perfect! I had a 21 lb Bell and Evans fresh turkey this year. Since it was in a 4% solution, I cut back on the Kosher salt to about 2 3/4 Tbsp and added all of my other fresh herbs. I had it in the fridge 4 days flipping it over every 12 hours. The last day unbagged the turkey and left exposed in fridge. On Thanksgiving, left on counter 2 hours before went into oven, basted with olive oil and put the unstuffed bird into 425 degree oven breast side down for 45 minutesThen turned over and resumed cooking at 325 degrees. The bird browned evenly and beautifully and by 2 1/2 hours later we checked temp on bird. Could not get a consistent temp in breast or thigh with an instant read thermometer to know for sure if turkey was fully cooked. (Last year with a 24 lb bird, we cooked longer and had pink drum sticks) so we returned the bird to the oven for another 25 minutes. ( btw, 2 oven thermometers said the oven temps were accurate). Took the beautiful bird out of oven and let it rest for 60 minutes tented before we carved. The breast was somewhat dry, the drum sticks were juicy and some of the back meat by the wings had red blood spots! Just canโt get it right and donโt know what more we could be doing to get that perfect juicy bird! We also made the gravy ahead of time roasting giant turkey wings so was able to just add the pan drippings and broth from neck and giblets for a more flavorful gravy. Any suggestions on how to adjust to get a juicy breast and along with cooked legs next year? I know itโs a learning process but not sure how to again tweak. You mentioned that you use convection oven. I am old schooled and while I have feature to convection roast, am unfamiliar. What would recipe time be for a 20 lb bird if I choose to go that route next year? If so, is there anything else I will need to change? Thanks so much for your time and help. The brine method is delicious and the bird was beautiful. Just wish I could get the rest right,
Best,
Irene Vastola