For those who want to let the side dishes do the talking, this is the bird for you. Delightfully simple, it’s dry-brined (meaning highly seasoned) with only salt, pepper, some thyme and a little brown sugar, which helps with that golden-brown skin. It’s roasted on a sheet pan, and cut-up onions, garlic, lemon and herbs are scattered in and around the turkey to cook at the same time. They’re excellent served alongside the turkey, and are instrumental in flavoring the sheet-pan gravy.
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It makes me nervous to cook the turkey on a sheet pan, I could just see tipping it slightly removing it from the oven and spilling all that wonderful goodness I need for gravy. Is there any reason I cant do this recipe in my roasting pan?
Question: Why are we shooting for 160 degrees before cranking up the temp and browning? The poor birds going to be at 165, if not much higher, before you take it out of the oven, and then its going to continue going up from the carryover heat as it rests. Given all that, isnt the breast meat is going to be well into the 170s and as dry as the Sahara?
a roasting pan isnt nearly as trendy as the ubiquitous sheet pan :-). go ahead, swim against the current, use the roasting pan & save the sheet pan for cookies.
The item in the giblet bag that are being referred to as kidneys is actually the gizzard. It is muscular organ used to grind food such as seeds before going to the stomach of the bird to be digested. The kidneys in birds are two relative diffuse looking structures on the underside of the pelvic bone. They do not look like kidneys from a mammal which are usually bean shaped organs.
How should you adjust the cooking time for a 10-12 pound turkey?
The seasoning on this sounds great. At first glance of the photo it looked to me like the turkey had been spatchcocked, which reading the recipe revealed it is not. But, it’s a great idea for those of us who would be very nervous about handling a whole, upright turkey on a flat sheet pan. It would cook faster and more evenly (light/dark meat wise) and you could capture the cooking juices just as easily by dumping everything but the turkey into a colander over a bowl. I might test this out.
Id use the deep roasting pan, but boost the wire rack up by placing an over-turned individual souffle mold (or something similar) under each corner of the wire rack. That will allow better browning of the turkey while giving plenty of room for the liquid below. (Dont try this with one of those flimsy disposable aluminum pans.) The kidneys are not in the giblet bag; theyre inside the turkey. Use your fingers to remove them and discard them. They are extremely bitter and are NOT edible.
We had an early Thanksgiving — yesterday — as some of the family were not going to be here on Thursday. I made her turkey AND stuffing and got RAVE reviews. Also made her excellent gravy and it was declared outstanding. Probably the best Thanksgiving meal I have put on the table. Thank you, Alison!
No. Thanksgiving is fraught enough without shredding our nerves any more than we have to.
Strikes me that the juices in the pan from a dry-brined bird will be way too salty to use in gravy or turkey broth. And I agree with other posts that it would be safer to use a roasting pan and rack. I think the sheet-pan cooking is a trademark of Alison Romans.
I used 2 turkey breasts and 2 thighs, following the dry brine and the prep, but roasted on sheet pan per Mark Bittman 450 oven for 60 minutes. The turkey and the sheet pan gravy was delicious, as was Alison Roman’s dressing. Her Thanksgiving video is a great watch even if you’re not roasting a turkey.
No. Those self basting turkey products are actually brined, so they contain salt, and a fair amount of it. Check the label carefully. It would be easy to have an over salted disaster. Once you try a good quality fresh, unprocessed turkey, you will never look back.
Everyone who is incredulous about roasting a turkey on a sheet pan- many, many people do not own an enormous turkey roasting pan. I myself do not own one, and the foil ones sold at the supermarket are flimsy. I appreciate a recipe using materials that everyone has access to. And make it in a roasting pan if you want, I bet Alison doesn’t care!
13 lb. bird. Spatchcocked (ie butterflied). Dry brined w/ salt & pepper only for 24 hours. On the grill for 1 hour. Finished w/ lemon juice, fresh thyme & sage. Fantastic.
Im a little shocked at how nasty some of the commenters are to the recipe creator. I think its exciting to have new techniques to try and I enjoy trying new tools. Why not? If you have a traditional way you like to do it, fine. But, no need to be disparaging. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Ive made this turkey three years in a row now and it gets praise every year! Im now in the habit of making a little extra of the dry rub, mixing in the onions, lemons, and garlic halves in it, and using that to stuff it. Its a small detail, but the turkey has never been more flavorful. I also cook it at 375 for a shorter amount of time uncovered. It gets beautifully brown and doesnt dry out, its amazing!
I used parts only for a quick dip
I’ve used this recipe 3x and it’s a hit each time. I do take a couple of liberties— I used a rack / roasting pan instead of the sheet. I also skip the vinegar soy and opt for a white wine instead. This gravy is amazing on the turkey and even more so on mashed potatoes.
I have made this twice, once with a sheet pan and once with a deep roasting pan. The sheet pan time was way better- there are so many bits of onions, garlic, etc that get beautifully caramelized with the larger surface area of the sheet pan.
Best turkey I ever had. My turkey had no legs(!) so I was worried about dry breast meat. I even overcooked it where the internal temp was past 170. I used a Gordon Ramsey tip to let it rest as long as I cooked it. The result was so moist, tender and flavorful breast meat. I also cut out the spine and back bones before baking and used them to make a flavorful stock for the gravy. If I was gonna slice the bird before bringing to the table, it didn’t need those bones. I loved the dry brine.
Ive never tried dry-brining before. Typically, I make a good bit of turkey ahead of time using turkey backs but haven’t found any so far this year! I also prefer my turkey spatchcocked. My question is – will dry brining a spatchcocked turkey have similar results? And have others had issues with the drippings being too salty?
Spatchcocking should not change the recipe. I essentially did that and had perfect results. I did not find the drippings too salty. Be sure to use kosher salt. A lot of brown liquid comes out after dry brining for 24 hrs. You dump that. I bet it has a lot of the salt and sugar. My stock had no added salt. That helped.
Im a little shocked at how nasty some of the commenters are to the recipe creator. I think its exciting to have new techniques to try and I enjoy trying new tools. Why not? If you have a traditional way you like to do it, fine. But, no need to be disparaging. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Thank you for saying this. I was thinking the same thing!
Had a 17 1/2 pound turkey. Cooked longer than it says here. Excellent! Didnt use gravy recipe — but it was very very good. Used gluten free flour mix and xanthan gum and chicken broth. The scrapings added a fabulous touch.
I loved this recipe, while it was salty is was delicious when paired with the uberly rich sides.
I used the sheet pan, followed the directions, and had a delicious, moist bird that garnered rave reviews from my peanut gallery. One question I have about the gravy, and Im actually asking for a friend, could you use Gravy Master instead of soy sauce? P.S. I really miss Alison Roman on NYT Cooking. So glad her recipes are still available.
Took out just shy of 4.5 hours- registered closer to 170
Everyone who is incredulous about roasting a turkey on a sheet pan- many, many people do not own an enormous turkey roasting pan. I myself do not own one, and the foil ones sold at the supermarket are flimsy. I appreciate a recipe using materials that everyone has access to. And make it in a roasting pan if you want, I bet Alison doesn’t care!
I made this and adjusted the times because I had a smaller bird. Ive never had a turkey come out so evenly browned. Perfect turkey skin! Definitely let your turkey REST because it needs it. I made the mistake of cutting it after only 15 minutes and the juices still ran out.
Turkey was good. Go easy on salt given all the other seasonings. Gravy was a bit salty – would do more vinegar/ less soy sauce next time.
I baked this turkey for Thanksgiving this year and it was the best turkey Ive ever made. Thank you, Alison!Private notes are only visible to you.
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FAQ
Does the entire turkey need to be submerged in brine?
Do you need to refrigerate a turkey while brining?
What is the longest you should brine a turkey?
How long does it take to brine a Turkey?
Wet brines take no longer than 24 hours, whereas dry brines can be effective for up to 72 hours. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and add to prepared container. Dissolve 2 cups of kosher salt into 2 cups of hot water. Allow to cool. Pour salt solution over turkey. Add remaining water.
How do you brine a Turkey a day before roasting?
One day before roasting your turkey, bring 1 quart water, the salt, bay leaves, and spices to a simmer, stirring until salt has dissolved. Let cool for 5 minutes. Line the container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag to minimize cleanup. Line a 5-gallon container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag. Place the turkey in the bag.
How much salt do you put in a turkey brine?
Create a Salt Solution The basic ratio for a wet turkey brine is to use 2 cups of kosher salt or coarse sea salt for every 2 gallons of water. The benefit of a wet brine is that it can work slightly quicker than a dry brine because it infuses the entire turkey in a salty solution.
What is a good brine for a Turkey?
In its most basic form, the brine is salt and water—but many cooks don’t stop there. Aromatics will add flavor and dimension to the cooked turkey; classic vegetables, like carrots and celery, your favorite herbs, like fresh garlic, and citrus fruits, such as lemon and orange, are all good additions.