Homemade Turkey Rub Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What should you season your turkey with? ›

Stick with salt and pepper, put herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to work, or take spicy Cajun seasoning for a spin for some kick. Whatever blend you choose, spread it all over the turkey—on top, underneath, between the body and wings and legs, under the skin, and even in the cavity of the bird.

Fat is going to help the skin get brown and crisp, and contrary to what most might think, butter isn't better. Butter does an okay job, but because it contains a lot of water, oil is a better fat to rub on the skin to ensure it gets extra crispy.

Dry rubs and pastes are rubbed into the skin, which should be scored first with a meat tenderizer to allow the flavor to permeate the turkey. Rub the spices under the skin and on the outside of the turkey before roasting.

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.

The basics, like onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage, help lend that traditional Thanksgiving flavor. Take your aromatics up a notch by adding halved lemons or oranges. The citrus will add a nice brightness to the turkey and keep it perfectly moist.

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.

"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."

Add 1-inch or so of chicken stock or broth to the bottom of the pan. Place turkey in the oven, reduce heat to 325°F, and roast until it reaches 165°F (and if stuffed, the center of the stuffing should reach 165°F). Remove from the oven and REST at least 20-30 minutes before carving.

The majority of recipes you'll find on the internet and even cookbooks involve using butter as a binder for seasoning chicken or turkey. The butter is supposed to flavor and moisten the turkey when rubbed underneath the skin, as well as help get the skin crispy and golden brown, like a magazine shot.

Using an overnight dry brine and pairing it with ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda—applied directly to the turkey before roasting—is a good way to tenderize your turkey and create a crispy, brown exterior.

What's the best way to season a turkey? ›

Our favorite way to season a turkey is through a dry brine. This simply involves rubbing a seasoning mix (like salt, pepper, dried herbs, and maybe spices) all over — and inside — the turkey well before you are going to roast it.

All you need to do is rub the turkey down with salt, seasonings, and fresh herbs. Then, place the turkey in the fridge and let the dry brine work its magic for the next 48 to 72 hours. That's all you need the prep you need to do, and you're on your way to enjoying the best turkey you'll ever eat!

Covering a turkey with butter (under and over the skin) serves to flavor and moisten the meat, as well as help the skin get crispy and golden brown.

April, May, September and October are pleasantly warm, with temperatures of 20°C to 30°C, so are typically the best times to visit Turkey's grand array of ancient sites. The summer months (June through to September) are very hot, with temperatures reaching the mid-thirties on the south coast.

Never pass up the opportunity to add flavor to turkey by stuffing the cavity with a simple aromatics mix. Fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage along with a half lemon go a long way to add flavor, and stuffing it into the bird takes almost no time at all.

The Secret Ingredient To Season Ground Turkey

There are plenty of easy ground turkey recipes out there. But, you will always need spices like olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. You can add minced garlic, and freshly chopped onions and peppers, for an extra edge.