When you think of Thanksgiving, there’s one thing you think of most: turkey. It’s at the center of most Thanksgiving tables, and it’s super easy to get wrong.
Whether you get too big of a bird and undercook the inside while burning the outside to a crisp, or the skin is rubbery and moist instead of crispy and delicious, or the meat is dry and flavorless…
Let’s be honest. There is so much that could go wrong.
However, if you put in the work, then everything can go right. Here’s how to do just that.
Start With The Bird
You need to figure out what size turkey to get. If you’re feeding a large crowd, it’s always better to go with 2 smaller birds rather than one large one. Why? Because the cooking techniques will work better.
Remove any excess skin as well as giblets and the wishbone from your turkey, and then it’s on to the next step.
Brine Time
For every pound of turkey, grab a 1/2 tsp. salt. Rub it all over the outside of your turkey, then pop it in the fridge, uncovered, for one full day to brine and dry out the skin.
All About The Butter
Mix up an herb butter of your choice to get your turkey flavored up. Lift the skin toward the breasts and shove the butter under the skin. Once that’s done, spread the rest on the outside of the bird.
For the inside of the turkey, add some aromatics, like onion and lemon, but make sure there’s enough room leftover to let hot air escape.
As for the gravy, watch Tasty‘s video below to get an idea of how they made theirs.
Time To Cook
Bake for 325 degrees F for roughly 2 hours. Adjust as necessary, according to the video below
Carving
Watch Tasty‘s video below and get to carving. You’ll be sure to get a ton of compliments on this turkey once everyone takes a bite: crispy skin, tender meat, and so much flavor.
Enjoy!