This method has been on my family's Thanksgiving table for years. Paired with The Best Turkey Brine recipe it produces the most flavorful juicy turkey you'll ever make. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!
What you'll need:
· 1 whole brined turkey - I generally use a 20lb turkey.
· 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
· Heavy duty foil
· Roasting pan with a rack
· Meat Thermometer
· Meat Baster
Here's what you'll do:
1. Preheat your oven to 275°F
2. Be sure you've soaked your brined turkey for 20 minutes and patted it dry.
3. Place the turkey in your roasting pan with a rack, breast side up. Cover the roasting pan tightly with heavy duty foil.
4. Roast the turkey for 10 minutes per pound. 20lb turkey x 10 minutes per pound = 200 minutes or 3 hours and 20 minutes.
5. Remove and uncover the turkey. At this point the turkey will have no color. Rub the softened butter over the skin and in every crevice.
6. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Return the turkey to the oven breast side down and roast for 20 minutes. (Over the years I’ve noticed the bottom of the turkey wasn’t getting completely cooked so this is how I do it now.)
7. Flip the turkey back to breast side up and baste. Continue to baste the turkey every 20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F to 168°F. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone to check temperature. I’ve noticed that the initial cook with the foil usually gets the turkey mostly done so feel free to check your turkey more often for doneness.
8. Let the turkey rest loosely covered with foil for at least 20-30 minutes before carving. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Skip this step and all those juices end up on your cutting board instead of in every bite.