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Foxaru
Thanksgiving Turkey – plated and served
DinnerWinterHigh ProteinAmerican

Thanksgiving Turkey

The whole bird with herb butter under the skin, dry-brined and roasted to a deep golden brown.

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Preparation
45 min
Cook/bake time
3 hr 30 min
Total
16 hr 15 min
Difficulty
Advanced
Calories
974 kcal
Servings
10
Prep
45 min
Cooking & baking
3 hr 30 min
Resting
12 hr

Only 4 hr 15 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.

The whole bird with herb butter under the skin, dry-brined and roasted to a deep golden brown. A turkey is actually two dishes on one skeleton: the breast is done at 74 degrees, while the legs need eight degrees more. Dry-brining overnight and roasting breast-side down for the first hour solves exactly this problem.

Why this works

A turkey is two different dishes on one skeleton: the breast is perfect at 74 °C, while the legs need 80 to 82 °C for their collagen to turn into gelatin. That is why the bird lies breast-side down for the first hour, so the heat first reaches the legs, which need the head start. Dry-brining overnight solves two more problems at once: the salt draws juices out of the meat, dissolves in them, and is reabsorbed, altering the proteins so they hold more water during cooking. And because the skin dries out uncovered in the fridge, it becomes crispy instead of leathery in the oven.

Step-by-step instructions

Conventional · 180 °Cor Fan 160 °C

  1. Dry brine the day before

    Pat the turkey really dry inside and out. Mix the salt, pepper, and baking powder, and rub it all over the surface and inside the cavity. Place it uncovered on a wire rack over a baking sheet and put it in the fridge for twelve to twenty-four hours. It will not dry out, but will reabsorb the salt with its own juices, and only the skin will dry out, which is exactly what it should do.

  2. Herb butter under the skin

    Mix the softened butter with the garlic, herbs, and lemon zest. Carefully loosen the skin over the breast and legs from the meat with your fingers without tearing it, and distribute two thirds of the butter directly underneath. The rest goes on the outside of the skin. Fat under the skin protects the breast meat, and fat on the skin browns it.

  3. First hour breast-side down

    Distribute the onions, carrots, and celery in a roasting pan, pour in the broth, and place the turkey breast-side down on the vegetables. Stuff the lemon and herb sprigs into the cavity and tie the legs loosely together. Roast it at 180 °C top/bottom heat for sixty minutes, during which time the legs get the head start they need.

  4. Turn and finish roasting

    Turn the bird onto its back using two kitchen towels and roast it for another two to two and a half hours. Baste it with the pan juices every half hour and cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil as soon as it has enough color. The rule of thumb is around forty minutes per kilogram, but the clock is only an estimate here.

  5. Cook to core temperature

    Measure in the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone: 74 °C. Then check the leg at the joint, which should reach 80 to 82 °C. If the legs are not quite there yet, cover the breast completely and give the bird another twenty minutes. A meat thermometer is the only insurance against dry meat in this dish.

  6. Rest and sauce

    Place the turkey on a board, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for thirty to forty minutes, as it will hardly cool down at this weight. Strain the pan juices into a pot, skim off the fat, and reduce it by half. Only carve after the resting time, otherwise the juices will run onto the board instead of staying in the meat.

Our best tips

  • Dry brine instead of a wet brine. You do not need a bucket in the fridge, and the skin gets significantly crispier.
  • A meat thermometer is mandatory for five kilograms. Time estimates per kilogram are guesses, not a guarantee.
  • Do not shorten the resting time. Forty minutes is not a risk for a bird of this size, but the difference between juicy and dry.

Tasty variations

Just the breast

Salt and butter a 2 kg bone-in breast fillet in the same way and roast at 180 °C for about 80 minutes until the core temperature reaches 74 °C. The practical solution for four to six people.

Spatchcock

Cut the bird along the backbone and spread it out flat. It will then cook in about 90 minutes, and the breast and legs will be done at the same time, which is visually less festive but technically superior.

Nutrition facts

Per serving (1 portion)
Calories974 kcal
Protein156 g
Carbohydrates6 g
– of which sugar3 g
Fat31 g
Fiber3 g

Where the 974 kcal come from

per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it

We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:

  • Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
  • Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
  • Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
  • Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.

A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.

How we calculate nutrition →

Frequently asked questions

How big should the turkey be?

Calculate 500 to 600 g raw weight per person, and more if you want leftovers. Five kilograms is enough for ten people with side dishes and still leaves enough for sandwiches the next day.

Thawed or fresh bird?

Both work. A frozen turkey needs about ten hours per kilogram in the fridge to thaw, so a good two days for five kilograms, which you should plan for before dry-brining.

Why did the breast turn out dry?

It went over 74 °C. The breast is lean and does not forgive overcooking. Cover it as soon as it has color, and it is better to measure too early than too late.

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