Roasting a turkey doesn't have to be intimidating, and is actually quite simple. Learn 3 methods for roasting a turkey, either whole roasted, spatchcocked, or roasted in pieces to save time!
Thaw the turkey by removing it from the freezer and placing it in the fridge. Expect it to take up to a full day for each 4lbs (2kg) of meat. If you need to speed up the process, submerge the turkey in cold water. (Expect it to take around 30 minutes for each pound of meat using the cold water method.)
Brine the Turkey
To brine the turkey, mix together the dry brine ingredients and rub over the entire turkey. (If you plan on spatchcocking the turkey or breaking it down into pieces, cut the turkey before covering in the dry brine.) Make sure your turkey isn't pre-brined.
Place the brined turkey pieces in the fridge for several hours, or overnight.
To Roast a Whole Turkey
Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC.
If your turkey has been filled with a bag with the neck and giblets, remove the bag. Rinse the neck and giblets and add them to a small pot. Cover the neck and giblets with water and bring to a simmer while you continue preparing your turkey.
Clean out anything else that may have been left inside the turkey cavity. Then, pat it dry. Leave it out for 1-2 hours to allow it to reach room temperature. Meanwhile, you can begin to prepare the compound butter.
Prepare the turkey for the oven by slicing the compound butter, and sliding the disks of the herbed butter underneath the skin of the turkey. Spread the rest of the compound butter over the skin of the turkey.
Slice a lemon in half, and place both halves, along with the sprigs of fresh herbs, inside the turkey. These help flavor the bird from the inside.
To keep the turkey together, you may choose to "truss" the turkey by tying it up with cotton string. You could just tie the legs together with some baking twine or cut a slit in the skin of the tail part of the turkey, and slip the legs into the slit to hold them in place.
Once you've secured the legs, tuck the tips of the wings underneath them.
Rest the prepared turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan surrounded by vegetables. I usually chop up onions, carrots, and celery to place around my turkey, and then cover them with the stock made from the neck and giblets (1-2 cups).
Lower the oven temperature to around 350ºF/175ºC and place the turkey in the oven.
If you choose to baste your turkey, do so every 45-65 minutes. To baste the turkey, take the pan drippings and drizzle them over the turkey breast. You can use either a spoon or a turkey baster. I normally don't baste the turkey during the last hour of baking, and instead rub it down with olive oil or melted butter, to ensure a nice, crispy skin.
Most turkeys take around 13 minutes per pound to finish baking. As you near the end of the baking time, begin checking the temperature of your turkey. Every part of the turkey should reach at least 165ºF. Don't bake it so that the temperature gets too much higher than that or you risk baking it too long and drying it out. Check the temperature in the thigh, near, but not touching the bone. Also check by probing deep into the turkey breast.
Once your turkey has reached the right temperature, pull it out of the oven and let it rest for around half an hour. This will help the juices reabsorb into the meat. Now is the perfect time to take a break, admire your work, and get all of your side dishes together.
Once your turkey has rested, you can begin to carve it.
Use the released juices for making gravy. Once carved, you can save the bones and skin for making a stock and delicious soup later on.
Spatchcocking a turkey
To spatchcock the turkey, cut the skin along the spine to expose it. Cut out the spine by cutting into the bones on either side to release it using heavy-duty kitchen shears.
Once you've removed the spine, flip the turkey breast side up and flatten it. Reserve the spine and wing tips for making a turkey stock and gravy.
Cover with oil, salt, pepper, and any other herbs you want to use.
Place on a tray surrounded by vegetables like onions, celery, and carrots.
Roast at 400ºF/200ºC for around 75 minutes and then check for doneness by probing into the thicker areas of the breast and thighs with a thermometer. Roast until you've reached at least 165ºF/74ºC everywhere.
Roasting a turkey in pieces
Have the butcher break down the turkey or break it down into pieces yourself.
Cover the turkey pieces fully with dry brine. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Save the carcass and wing tips for homemade gravy and turkey stock.
Place the brined turkey pieces on grill trays, and roast in the oven at 400ºF/200ºC. Check for doneness by probing into the thicker areas of the breast and thighs with a thermometer. Roast until you've reached at least 165ºF/74ºC everywhere.
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Notes
To make a homemade turkey stock and delicious gravy
Roast the turkey carcass and wingtips on a tray with some vegetables. (Onions, celery, and carrots are a good choice.)
Remove the roasted carcass and vegetables, and add them to a pot or slow cooker to make a turkey stock.
Cover the carcass with water and cook for several hours. If using a slow cooker, cook overnight.
Pour off the melted turkey fat from the tray into a small container. Save it for making gravy later on.
Pour water over the brown bits that remain stuck to the pan. Use a spatula to release them, and pour off the liquid into a small container to use in your homemade gravy.
To make the gravy, add the turkey fat to a small pot and cook with several tablespoons of flour. Slowy add in the liquid that you have reserved for the gravy. Continue to stir and add in more turkey stock. The gravy will thicken once it reaches its simmering point.