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Never Serve A Dry Turkey Again!

This cheap and easy method works every time!

By Amber FosterPublished 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 4 min read
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Whether this is your first year cooking the turkey or you are a seasoned veteran, every cook experiences the same frustration, keeping the bird moist! There are multiple solutions out there from consistent basting, to injections and deep-frying, all promising that perfect, juicy bird. In my early years of hosting I tried them all and was almost always disappointed until I stumbled upon this tried and true method that I am about to share with you.

Timeline

First things first, let’s talk for a minute about thawing and preparing your turkey. If you have a frozen bird, it needs to be in the refrigerator thawing no later than Sunday afternoon for a Thursday serving using my method. As you will see as I go through the process with you that there are milestones the entire week that you will be checking off for your turkey, trust me the end result is worth it.

Step 1

This step is done on the Tuesday morning of Thanksgiving week. You will need to wash a hard-side insulated cooler large enough to hold your turkey with the lid closed. Make sure to thoroughly wash it out with anti-bacterial soap and hot water, be sure to close the drain when you are done rinsing.

Step 2

In this step you prepare the brine, you are going to use a simple mixture of 1.5 gals of water to 1.5 cups of salt for every 8 lbs of meat (so if you are cooking a 16lb turkey 3 gal of water and 3 cups of salt), I usually do not get too hung up in the weight of the bird, but just make sure that I have enough to cover it completely. Pour your brine ingredients directly into your prepared cooler. You can use any kind of salt you like, pink Himalayan, kosher, sea salt, or regular table salt, just make sure that it is fine enough to dissolve in the mixture. Once you have your brine ready, slowly lower your turkey into the cooler (I leave all of the giblets and such inside the bird for this process), and close the lid.

Step 3

Let your turkey sit in the brine mixture overnight and on Wednesday morning, flip your turkey over in the brine. This step is probably not 100% necessary if your turkey has been totally covered with the mixture but it is just something that I always do.

Step 4

About mid-day on Wednesday, remove the turkey from the brine mixture and allow it to rest in a clean dry sink. Do not rinse the turkey, just let the excess brine drain from the bird.

Step 5

Around evening on Wednesday move your turkey to the roasting pan and season however you wish. I usually use a mixture of melted butter, poultry seasoning, and garlic, but you can use whatever you like just refrain from adding salt as it will not be necessary. At this point, you can remove the giblets if you wish, and fill the cavity as desired. I am not a fan of cooking stuffing inside of the bird for multiple reasons and be aware this bird is going to produce a ton of broth which makes your stuffing soggy, so I suggest cooking it on the side.

Step 6

Before you go to bed Wednesday night it is time to put your bird in the oven, you are going to cook the turkey low and slow all night long. Put your oven on 200-250 and let your turkey slow cook, making sure it is covered with a roasting lid or foil. There is no need to baste this turkey at all and you should wake to amazing smells and a perfectly cooked bird.

Gravy

Another great feature of this method is that it produces a huge amount of broth and makes amazing gravy. In the morning once your turkey is done move it to a large baking sheet to rest, then you can begin working with the broth, I add it to stuffing, mashed potatoes, and of course gravy. To make the gravy all you have to do is strain the broth, pour it into a saucepan, and then thicken (I use a mixture of all-purpose flour and milk), nothing else is required to get perfectly seasoned and rich gravy. Make plenty, the first year I did this I ran out and had to make more because everyone loved it so much!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Cooking!

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