Brined Oven-Roasted Turkey Recipe

The hardest part of preparing this Brined Oven-roasted Turkey recipe is waiting 24 hours for the turkey to brine. But, follow the recipe and you will be rewarded with a tender, juicy, delicious, flavorful bird.
Thanksgiving is the one holiday that I look forward to every year. As soon as the temperature begins falling. I started thinking about Thanksgiving. All the delicious foods that I will get to eat. The fact that it is OK to eat three different desserts, three types of potatoes cooked three different ways, plus bread. All in one sitting. Eating my favorite foods, turkey, cranberry, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes every day for days. And not having to cook for days. This year, I was so impatient for Thanksgiving to roll around, I decided to enjoy some of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes early.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

I’ve never had much reason to cook a turkey before, because in my family we have de facto cooks for just about every dish. And my auntie is our Thanksgiving turkey cook. She loves cookbooks and magazines.  So, she can always be counted on to go all out with turkey. This is my third maybe fourth time making a turkey, but I’ve seen so much about brining birds and all these gorgeous turkeys lately, I was overcome.   Besides, I had grocery store points for a free turkey. Instead of being a glutton, I went for the smallest Turkey, which is the 11-pound bird you see here. 3/4 of it was immediately given away after roasting to avoid eating turkey for a whole week.  

BRINING & ROASTING

There was lots of information and opinions to be found on brining. Balancing what I know and what I read the following is what I came up with.  

Instead of searching for a recipe, I concocted one inown. The brine was flavored with a combo of Carrots. Onion. Lemon. Parsley. Garlic. Orange peel. One Scotch bonnet pepper. A little cumin and lots of salt. Everything was put in a large pot with the turkey and completely immersed in water. It was left to brine for 12 hours before flipping it over and leaving it for another 12 hours. The next day the oven was preheated to 325 degrees. The turkey and all of the herbs that was used to brine it was rinsed well under cold water. Some of the onions were used to create a layer on the bottom of the roasting pan…  

I have an old roasting pan with no rack. Since I normally cook large portions of meat in hotel pans or a braising pot it was never a priority. Whether you use an onion or a roasting rack. Put a layer between the turkey and the bottom of the pan. That way it doesn’t stick, and your turkey falls apart when you go to remove it from the pan.  

Brined Oven-roasted Turkey Recipe

Sian
The hardest part of preparing this Brined Oven-roasted Turkey recipe is waiting 24 hours for the Turkey to brine. But follow the recipe and you will be rewarded with a tender, juicy, delicious, flavorful bird.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Brining Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 2 hours 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories

Equipment

  • 1 roasting pan
  • 1 Stock pot A waterproof vessel with a cover large enough to hold the turkey
  • knife
  • cutting board

Ingredients
  

  • 12 lb turkey
  • 1 c vinegar or lime juice
  • 2 med yellow onions, cut into wedges
  • 2 lg lemons, cut into wedges
  • parsley, a generous amount
  • peel of 1 orange
  • 6 cloves garlic crushed
  • ½ c salt
  • 2 TB Cumin
  • 2 TB ground allspice

Instructions
 

Brine

  • First, prepare the brine and place it in the pot that you will use. Wash the turkey completely. Inside and out. Remove the giblets and clean the inside completely. Put the turkey In the pot and. Cover it with cold water. If the turkey is not completely immersed. In water, then set a timer to turn it in 12 hours. Place the turkey in the fridge or in a cool area where it won't be disturbed for 24 hours. 

Baste & Cook

  • Preheat the oven to 325° Remove the turkey from the grime and rinse it with cold water inside and out. Arrange the rack. Inside the roasting pan if you don't have a rack. Line the bottom of the roasting pan with the onions. Place the turkey in the pan. Season the top with Salt and pepper. Or any herbs that you wish. Or not at all. Tent a piece of aluminum foil. And loosely cover the turkey. Place the roasting pan on the lower rack of the oven. And let it cook for 1 hour 45 minutes. 
  • After 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove the cover from the turkey. Baste it very well. Place it back in the oven and raise the temperature to 350° After 15 minutes, baste the turkey again. And return it to the oven. Baste for a third and final time. If the color is not what you wish it to be.
  • Change the oven to the high broil setting. Place the turkey back inside. Check after 10 minutes to make sure your bird does not burn. If it is OK, turn off the oven. If you are not satisfied, let it go for the final five minutes. Turn off the oven. Remove turkey. Place the foil over top and let it. Rest on the stovetop for at least 15 minutes before you carve it 
Keyword brine, Thanksgiving, turkey

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