Best Best Way Unbrined Turkey Recipes

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DEEP-FRIED TURKEY



Deep-Fried Turkey image

Skip the oven and try Alton Brown's Deep-Fried Turkey recipe from Good Eats on Food Network. Start with a brown sugar brine for the most-succulent bird.

Provided by Alton Brown

Categories     main-dish

Time 10h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 6

6 quarts hot water
1 pound kosher salt
1 pound dark brown sugar
5 pounds ice
1 (13 to 14-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Approximately 4 to 4 1/2 gallons peanut oil* (See Cook's Note)

Steps:

  • Place the hot water, kosher salt and brown sugar into a 5-gallon upright drink cooler and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Add the ice and stir until the mixture is cool. Gently lower the turkey into the container. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure that it is fully immersed in the brine. Cover and set in a cool dry place for 8 to 16 hours.
  • Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
  • Place the oil into a 28 to 30-quart pot and set over high heat on an outside propane burner with a sturdy structure. Bring the temperature of the oil to 250 degrees F. Once the temperature has reached 250, slowly lower the bird into the oil and bring the temperature to 350 degrees F. Once it has reached 350, lower the heat in order to maintain 350 degrees F. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer. Once the breast reaches 151 degrees F, gently remove from the oil and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to carving. The bird will reach an internal temperature of 161 degrees F due to carry over cooking. Carve as desired.

SMOKED TURKEY RECIPE



Smoked Turkey Recipe image

Smoking a turkey on the Traeger is perfect for any time of the year, but it can save much needed space in your oven at the holidays. This recipe turns out perfectly each and every time. No brine, and yields a juicy flavorful turkey in about 3-4 hours.

Provided by Michaela Kenkel

Time 3h35m

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 - 12 to 15 pound turkey (ours was 15 pounds)
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon Traeger Chicken Rub
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Steps:

  • Preheat Traeger grill to 250 degrees.
  • Rinse turkey inside and out in cool water, pat dry.
  • Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.
  • Melt 1 stick of butter in a bowl, then add in all of the spices/seasonings, whisk together.
  • Rub the turkey all over with the butter mix, inside and out, and get it under the skin, too.
  • Place the turkey in the roaster, UNCOVERED on the grill and close the lid. Set a timer for 2 hours. Do NOT open the lid during this time.
  • When the timer goes off, add the second stick of butter to the bottom of the roaster, and cover the turkey.
  • Turn the temperature up to 325 degrees, and roast for another 90 minutes. Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast, it will reach 165 degrees when it's done. If it hasn't reached that after 90 minutes, cover and continue roasting, checking every 20-30 minutes until it does.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 921 calories, Carbohydrate 1 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 513 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 41 grams fat, Fiber 0 grams fiber, Protein 130 grams protein, SaturatedFat 14 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 734 milligrams sodium, Sugar 0 grams sugar, TransFat 1 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 24 grams unsaturated fat

GOOD EATS ROAST TURKEY



Good Eats Roast Turkey image

This holiday season, serve Alton Brown's most-popular recipe: a brined and roasted turkey from Good Eats on Food Network.

Provided by Alton Brown

Categories     main-dish

Time 9h45m

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Steps:

  • Two to three days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
  • Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
  • The night before or early on the day you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
  • Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
  • Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
  • Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

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