Moist and Juicy Roasted Turkey (and Gravy) As the holiday season approaches, the question inevitably comes up for a moist and juicy turkey… “to brine or not to brine?”
Now, I am a fan of brining and have had some great success with both wet and dry brining. But, truth be told, I’m not always as planned and thoughtful as required, to get an early jump on brining the bird.
So option number 3 (for me), is to dry rub the bird and put it in the fridge uncovered (on a rack, over a sheet pan) for about an hour. From the fridge, it goes straight into the convection oven at 390°F for 20 minutes to really dry the skin.
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Ingredients
Ingredients
- Fresh turkey
- Celery
- Garlic
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
- Olive oil
- Chicken or turkey stock
Dry rub
- Kosher salt
- Dried thyme
- Dried rosemary
- Paprika
- Ground black pepper
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
Turkey Broth
- Olive oil
- 1 turkey neck
- Turkey backs or wings
- Carrot
- Onion
- Celery stalk
- Whole pepper corns
- Bay leaf
- Fresh rosemary
- Turkey stock or chicken stock
- Water
Gravy
- Turkey broth
- Butter
- Flour
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the dry rub
Add the kosher salt, thyme and rosemary to a mortar & pestle and crush into a powder. Add the paprika, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and mixe to combine.
Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve the neck for gravy. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels inside and out. Season well inside and out with the dry rub, ensuring to get into all the creases and crevices.
Place the turkey on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to 12 hours.
Preheat the Oven
Preheat the convection oven to 390°F (or conventional oven to 415°F)
Prepare the Turkey
Stuff the turkey with the garlic, celery, rosemary & thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string and fold the wings underneath the bird.
Cook the Turkey
Place the turkey on a flat rack over a shallow roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush all over (including underneath) with olive oil. Rotate the pan 180°, return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
Lower the temperature to convection oven to 300°F (or conventional oven to 325°F), baste with ⅓ cup broth. Roast the turkey, uncovered (basting every 30 minutes) until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 ¾ to 3 hours total cooking time.
If skin starts to brown too much, place tinfoil over the darkest spots leaving lighter areas uncovered. Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
While the turkey is roasting, prepare the broth and gravy.
For the turkey broth (This can be made ahead of time)
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck and backs (or wings) to the pan and sauté until just beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and peppercorns to the pan and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
Pour the stock and water into the pan, add the rosemary and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 6 cups, about 1 hour. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup.
For the gravy
Heat the broth in a saucepan over medium heat. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock ½ cup at a time, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper.
Rest the Turkey
A turkey should rest for 30 to 40 minutes after roasting before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful. Tent it loosely with foil to retain warmth during the resting period.
Once the turkey is cooked and resting, pour the turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Add the pan juice to the gravy and stir to combine.
Serve and Enjoy!
Slice the turkey and serve with gravy and your favourite sides.
Broth and Turkey Gravy Tips
Making the broth 2 days ahead, means any fat in the broth can easily be removed as it congeals on top while in the fridge. (Make the gravy weeks before and freeze in Ziploc bags until ready to use).
Making the gravy the day before lowers the stress of turkey day and keeps the kitchen cleaner. Just reheat and add the pan juices.
Some of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes – appetizers, sides & dessert.
- Antipasto Skewers
- Charcutterie with Warm Olives with Rosemary & Clementine Peel
- Sous-Vide Colossal Shrimp Cocktail (with a Spicy Avocado Crema)
- Ginger-Jalapeño-Cranberry Sauce
- Homemade Gravy
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Pancetta
- Savoury Bread Pudding with Apples & Kale
- Mini Stuffed Pumpkins with Wild Rice
- Roasted Garlic-Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes
- Ambrosia Apple Pie
- Wood-Fired Sweet Potato Casserole
- Crockpot™ Slow Cooker Cider Poached Pears
If you get the chance to try this recipe, please drop back and leave us a comment and rating. We would love to know what you think.
Cheers! James & Elaine
Moist and Juicy Roasted Turkey (and Gravy)
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 14-15 pound young fresh, local turkey
- 1 stalk celery cut into 1-inch pieces
- I garlic bulb halved
- I large sprig of rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups chicken or turkey stock for basting
Dry rub:
- ½ tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
Turkey Broth:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 turkey neck
- 3 turkey backs skin and excess fat removed or 2 turkey wings
- 1 large carrot coarsely chopped
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk coarsely chopped
- ½ tablespoon whole pepper corns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 6 cups turkey stock chicken stock, or no salt added chicken broth
- 2 cups water
Gravy:
- 6 cups turkey broth
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the dry rub:
- Add the kosher salt, thyme and rosemary to a mortar & pestle and crush into a powder. Add the paprika, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and mix to combine.
- Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve the neck for gravy. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels inside and out. Season well inside and out with the dry rub, ensuring to get into all the creases and crevices.
- Place the turkey on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to 12 hours.
Preheat the oven:
- Preheat the convection oven to 390°F (or conventional oven to 415°F)
- Stuff the turkey with the garlic, celery, rosemary & thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string and fold the wings underneath the bird.
Cook the turkey:
- Place the turkey on a flat rack over a shallow roasting pan and cooked for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush all over (including underneath) with olive oil. Rotate the pan 180°, return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
- Lower the temperature to convection oven to 300°F (or conventional oven to 325°F), baste with ⅓ cup broth. Roast the turkey, uncovered (basting every 30 minutes) until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 ¾ to 3 hours total cooking time.
Rest the turkey:
- If skin starts to brown too much, place foil over the darkest spots leaving lighter areas uncovered. Remove from the oven and place on a platter.
Rest the turkey:
- A turkey should rest for 30 to 40 minutes after roasting before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavourful. Tent it loosely with foil to retain warmth during the resting period.
For the turkey broth: (This can be made ahead of time)
- Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck and backs (or wings) to the pan and sauté until just beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and peppercorns to the pan and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
- Pour the stock and water into the pan, add the rosemary and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 6 cups, about 1 hour. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup.
For the gravy:
- Heat the broth in a saucepan over medium heat. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock ½ cup at a time, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper.
- Once the turkey is cooked and resting, pour the turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Add the pan juice to the gravy and stir to combine. Serve hot gravy with carved turkey.
Serve and enjoy:
- Slice the turkey and serve with gravy and your favourite sides.
Notes
- Making the broth 2 days ahead, means any fat in the broth can easily be removed as it congeals on top while in the fridge. (Make the gravy weeks before and freeze in Ziploc bags until ready to use).
- Making the gravy the day before lowers the stress of turkey day and keeps the kitchen cleaner. Just reheat and add the pan juices.
Looking for different ways to cook turkey?
Here are a few other recipes:
- Herb Roasted Turkey. We love turkey all year round! To lighten the meal up from a traditional holiday turkey dinner, we skipped the dressing/stuffing, avoided the cranberry sauce, and freshened up the flavour with five herbs including cilantro.
- Wood-Fired Turkey Breasts with Ginger-Jalapeño-Cranberry Sauce. A turkey breast (or two) is the perfect way to prepare a traditional turkey dinner for a smaller holiday gathering… but once you try this moist, tender, flavour packed turkey with subtle notes of smokiness, paired with the bold, bright, refreshing flavours of the ginger-jalapeno-cranberry sauce, you will not be waiting for a special occasion to make it again!
- Dry-Brined & Grilled Turkey Dry brining and grilling a turkey produce amazing flavour, crispy skin, and juicy meat. Not only does grilling a turkey taste amazing, but it also frees up space in the oven during the holidays!
- Moist and Juicy Roasted Turkey (and Gravy) Truth be told, I’m not always as planned and thoughtful as required, to get an early jump on brining the bird. My shortcut recipe is to dry rub the bird and put it in the fridge uncovered (on a rack, over a sheet pan) for about an hour. From the fridge, it goes straight into the convection oven at 390°F for 20 minutes to really dry the skin.
- Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Perfect when made ahead and reheated for a quick weeknight meal or incredible when prepared following a day full of winter adventures… and nothing beats the smell of a pie baking in the oven.
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