OK, turkeys. Roasting season is upon us, and with it, convivial meals around the table; mouthwatering aromas of perfectly cooked birds; mahogany brown skin and crispy, fatty bits; and sumptuous pan juices.
If you’ve been reading Food & Wine for a while, chances are you’ve roasted your share of turkeys. (If you’re a newbie, start with Culinary Director at Large Justin Chapple’s recipe—butterflying the turkey [aka spatchco*cking] is one of the best techniques to ensure the legs and breast cook to the right temperature at the same time.) But let’s back up for a second.
Do you season your bird at least a day ahead of cooking? I can’t emphasize enough how much the simple, foundational practice of pre-seasoning almost any protein delivers deeper flavor and juicier results than a sprinkling of salt just before cooking.
I do this year-round at home when I’m roasting, grilling, or braising. Every piece of poultry and pork, plus thicker cuts of beef and lamb, and even meatier fillets of fish like swordfish and grouper get seasoned at least one day ahead, and sometimes more, with kosher salt.
Here’s how it works:
Salt Assertively
Plan on 3/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt per pound for larger cuts of meat like beef chuck and any cut of pork or poultry. (This adds up to 3 to 4 tablespoons for a 12-pound turkey.) This may sound like a lot, but the resulting flavor will be one of savoriness, not saltiness. Use Diamond Crystal kosher salt because it has a consistent small-medium flake size and is easier to sprinkle more consistently than smaller-grain Morton kosher salt. (One tablespoon of Diamond Crystal equals about 1 1/8 teaspoons of Morton.) For turkey and chicken, you can salt the skin if you want, but if you want deeper flavor and crispier skin, loosen the skin over the breast meat with your fingertips, and rub the breast with salt.
Refrigerate Overnight
Arrange the seasoned roast on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack, and place it, uncovered, on the bottom shelf of the fridge. At first, you’ll notice moisture on the surface of the meat. That’s the salt going to work and drawing water out of the cells. Within an hour or so, reverse osmosis will carry that moisture — and seasoning — into the meat. And as the cold air circulates over and around the protein, the surface will become tacky and begin to take on a darker, richer color.
As the salt goes to work inside the muscles, it begins to denature proteins, unraveling their molecular strands, which are made up of amino acids like savory glutamic acid, while also allowing more water to penetrate and tenderize the meat. That juicy texture is one way to take advantage of the science of osmosis. Another way is to add other flavors to the pre-seasoning, like ground fennel seeds, cumin, and citrus zest; the salt acts as a carrier, delivering those flavors into the cells millimeters below the surface.
Temperature Matters
Take the roast out of the refrigerator for at least an hour before cooking it to raise the surface temperature. If roasting, use a low sided-pan like the rimmed baking sheet to allow the hot air of the oven to wash over and around the bird just as the cold air does in the fridge. I like to start larger cuts and whole birds at 500°F for about 20 minutes to encourage browning before reducing the oven or grill temperature to 325°F. This allows the roast plenty of time to continue browning slowly as it cooks. You’ve gone to all the trouble to dry out the surface, so don’t compromise the crispy skin of poultry by basting.
Rest and Relaxation
Build in enough time to rest larger cuts, like whole turkeys, for at least 20 minutes before carving so the juices that have been pushed out of the cell walls redistribute back toward the center of the roast. This is a good time to open bottles of wine and finish heating side dishes.
Continuing Education
Want to learn more? Judy Rogers’ The Zuni Café Cookbook is the urtext for this method. I also recommend J. Kenji López-Alt’s The Food Lab, All About Roasting by Molly Stevens, and Slow Fires by Justin Smillie. Need to talk turkey strategy before Thanksgiving prep begins? Email me at hunter@foodandwine.com between November 7 and November 11 with the size of your roast, your planned technique, and any questions you might have about recipes and methods.
FAQs
Do you season your bird at least a day ahead of cooking? I can't emphasize enough how much the simple, foundational practice of pre-seasoning almost any protein delivers deeper flavor and juicier results than a sprinkling of salt just before cooking.
Are you supposed to season Thanksgiving turkey? ›
But before you pop your perfectly chosen turkey into the oven, don't forget to season it well. The right Thanksgiving turkey recipes paired with pitch-perfect seasoning can turn your turkey from a basic bird to a fantastic fowl. Follow these tips and tricks on seasoning your turkey for a juicy and flavorful meal.
What is a pre-seasoned turkey? ›
They're injected with a special solution.
You're not just getting pure poultry when you buy a frozen turkey. They often are injected with a basting solution of water, salt and spices—more of it than with fresh turkeys—to amp up the flavor and make the meat extra juicy.
Should I put butter under the skin of my turkey? ›
Impart rich flavor and add moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey by adding a layer of butter under the skin before roasting. Learn how to do this simple (but genius) technique for a delicious Thanksgiving turkey.
Do turkeys come pre seasoned? ›
Pick the right turkey.
Stay away from kosher turkeys, which have been pre-salted, as well as self-basting turkeys, which have been injected with a salt solution. Go for a natural or heritage turkey, and if you're not sure if it's already been seasoned, just check the label to make sure it has no added salt.
Should I pre-salt my turkey? ›
To get effects similar to brining, the pre-salting needs to be done, much like brining, well in advance. The bird is big and needs to move the salt from the outside all the way through all of the cells. For the most flavorful turkey, consider salting the bird on Sunday for your Thanksgiving feast on Thursday.
Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil? ›
To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350? ›
We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).
What is the secret to a moist turkey? ›
Brine your turkey for the best juicy bird.
In recent years, brining has become more popular and can be done with either a wet or dry brine. A wet brine involves immersing the turkey in a salt-water solution for 12-24 hours. Dry-brining is where salt is rubbed over the turkey skin for 24-48 hours before cooking.
Does a Butterball turkey need to be seasoned? ›
Butterball Cook from Frozen Premium Whole Turkeys do not need to be basted, brined or seasoned; they are ready to roast straight from the packaging and result in a tasty and tender Thanksgiving turkey.
If the thought of having a raw, uncovered turkey in your fridge for a couple of days freaks you out, you can loosely cover the bird with plastic wrap or put it in a turkey brining bag. For the crispiest skin, though, you'll want to make sure you uncover it for at least the last 6 hours before cooking.
Why is Butterball turkey better? ›
Did You Know? Fresh and frozen Butterball turkeys are all natural, gluten free and raised without hormones. Fresh and Frozen Butterball turkeys are deep basted for juiciness and flavor. All natural means minimally processed and no artificial ingredients.
Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey? ›
"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."
Should you rub your turkey with butter or olive oil? ›
You can also push seasoned butter or olive oil under the skin of the breast, and around the thighs. You can use your fingers, or push a thin silicone spatula under the skin to separate it from the meat. This not only flavors the turkey but also helps keep it moist and juicy.
Can you put a stick of butter in a turkey? ›
Just soften a stick of butter (or two, if your turkey is bigger than 15 pounds) and massage it over every square inch of turkey right before roasting. Really go for it: the skin is important, but don't neglect the cavity, and be sure to get as much butter under the skin as you possibly can.
When should I prepare my turkey before cooking? ›
Thirty minutes to an hour before roasting, take the turkey out of the refrigerator. Remove any packaging and the bag of giblets (check in the body cavity and in the neck cavity). Set the turkey breast-side up on the roasting rack set in a roasting pan and let it sit while the oven preheats.
Do I need to season a precooked turkey? ›
Remove the precooked turkey breast from its packaging and place it on a baking dish or roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil or melted butter over the turkey breast. This will help keep it moist during the cooking process. Season the turkey breast with salt and pepper to taste.
Is it good to season a turkey overnight? ›
Leaving the rub on the turkey overnight allows for the salt and spices to penetrate the meat and makes for a more tender and juicy cooked bird. Place the rub on your turkey, then loosely cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you plan to cook it.
Can I butter and season my turkey the night before? ›
Yes! You can season, stuffed and butter up the turkey the night before and place it onto a roasting pan, then into the refrigerator. Can I make the garlic butter ahead of time? Yes, I recommend making the garlic butter ahead of time to save time the day of, especially if you have lots of other dishes to prepare.
