7 Tips for a Juicy Turkey this Thanksgiving

For a juicy, golden, beautiful and delicious turkey this Thanksgiving, check out these 7 tips for how to make a juicy turkey.

How to Make a Juicy Turkey

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means it is time to start thinking about turkey! There are many ways to ensure you have a juicy and tasty turkey that the family raves over, and not one that ends up in the leftovers bin. If you are in charge of the turkey this year and want to make sure it is its very best, take a look below at 7 tips for juicier, tastier turkey that will have guests coming back for more. Here are 7 tips to get you started!

7 Tips for Juicier, Tastier Turkey

1. It’s all about that brine.

The brine is the mixture of ingredients that will marinate your turkey. There are literally hundreds of recipes online for homemade brine, using everything from chicken broth to soy sauce. However… I strongly recommend you resist the urge to brine, despite all of the soaking turkey pictures you’ll see on Facebook during the week of Thanksgiving. I’ve had brined turkeys and un-brined turkeys, and have found that a brine doesn’t bring much to the table other than a lot of extra work.

Honestly, if you use the rest of these tips, and have a really delicious recipe, you’ll have an amazingly beautiful and delicious turkey with a lot less work.

2.Give it an olive oil bath.

Before you bag and brine your bird, you should give it an olive oil bath. Pour olive oil all over the turkey and rub it in well. You can also use softened butter for the same effect and a nice buttery flavor. This will help the turkey get a nice and golden skin. It also gets the skin a bit crisp, which many people prefer. Apply a coating of olive oil or butter and rub it in for golden results.

3. Season it well both inside and out.

One big mistake people make is not using enough seasoning on both the outside and the inside of the bird. You want to generously sprinkle salt and pepper on both the outside and inside cavity of the turkey. Be liberal and don’t be afraid of over-seasoning. A great deal of seasoning can run off as the bird sweats, so be safe and over apply. You can also rub seasoning under the skin, between the actual meat and skin to make sure your seasoning stays put.

4. Consider an herb bundle.

A fresh bundle of herbs can help the bird taste its best. Take sprigs of rosemary, thyme, and sage and tie them together in a bundle with twine. Rinse the bundle under cold water to clean it then tuck inside of the turkey cavity. It will help season the turkey as it cooks and can be removed when the turkey is done. You can also mix some fresh chopped herbs in with your butter or olive oil from step 3 and rub the herbs in that way.

5.Tie the turkey legs together.

Take twine and tie the ends of the two turkey legs together. This will help keep juices in and helps the turkey cook evenly. You can also take a piece of twine and tie it around the breast of the bird holding the wings close to the body. This also helps retain moisture and promotes even cooking.

6. Avoid opening the oven.

Use an oven light to check on the turkey as opposed to opening the door over and over. When you do this heat is released and the turkey can be affected as the oven tries to heat back up again. Instead use the oven light, or only open the oven as absolutely needed to check on it. If you rub the butter or olive oil under the skin, as suggested above, you won’t even need to baste it.

7. Use aluminum foil to prevent burning.

If you notice that some portions of the turkey are cooking faster than others, place foil over the browned portions. This will help slow down the cooking on those areas so dryness doesn’t occur.

You can enjoy a marvelous turkey when you give these 7 tips for juicier, tastier turkey a try. Try them this Thanksgiving and see how they work for you.

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