Spice-Rubbed Roast Turkey
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
2¾ hours, plus 12 hours brining and 20 minutes resting
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Turkey and Brine
2 cups table salt 1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), giblets, neck, and tailpiece discardedSpice Rub
1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds1 tablespoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon allspice berries 2 teaspoons mustard seeds3 tablespoons sweet paprika 2 tablespoons ground ginger 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oilBefore You Begin
Serve this turkey with chutney or cranberry sauce rather than gravy.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt in 2 gallons cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Add turkey and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
- Meanwhile, toast coriander, cumin, allspice, and mustard in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and wisps of smoke appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool mixture to room temperature, then grind to fine powder in dedicated coffee grinder or spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Transfer mixture to small bowl, stir in paprika, ginger, thyme, cayenne, and cinnamon; cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
- Remove turkey from brine and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey breast-side up on flat wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1-tablespoon spice rub with vegetable oil and set aside. Remove turkey from refrigerator and wipe away any water collected in baking sheet; set turkey on baking sheet. Carefully separate skin from breast meat and rub oil/spice rub mixture directly onto breast meat. Rub 3 tablespoons spice rub inside turkey cavity. Apply remaining spice rub to turkey, beginning with back-side up and finishing with breast-side up, pressing and patting to make spices adhere, and picking up and reapplying any spice rub that falls onto baking sheet. Tuck wings behind back and tie ends of drumsticks together with twine. Set turkey on wire rack, set wire rack on baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, 6 to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Place V-rack in large roasting pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set turkey breast-side down on V-rack. Reapply any spice rub that has fallen off. Roast 45 minutes.
- Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven; using thick wads of paper towels or potholders, rotate turkey leg/wing-side up. Roast 15 minutes longer. Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven; using thick wads of paper towels or potholders, rotate turkey second leg/wing-side up. Roast 15 minutes longer.
- Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven; using thick wads of paper towels or potholders, rotate turkey breast-side up. Roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 30 to 45 minutes longer. Transfer turkey to carving board; let rest 20 to 30 minutes. Carve and serve.
Time
2¾ hours, plus 12 hours brining and 20 minutes restingYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Turkey and Brine
2 cups table salt
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), giblets, neck, and tailpiece discarded
Spice Rub
1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon allspice berries
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
Ingredients
Turkey and Brine
2 cups table salt
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), giblets, neck, and tailpiece discarded
Spice Rub
1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon allspice berries
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
Ingredients
Turkey and Brine
2 cups table salt
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), giblets, neck, and tailpiece discarded
Spice Rub
1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon allspice berries
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a spice-rubbed turkey recipe featuring succulent meat perfumed with spices and covered with crisp, flavor-packed, mahogany-colored skin. To reach this goal, we brined and then air-dried the turkey for maximum skin crispness and applied the rub not only to the skin but also to the meat underneath and inside the cavity. Lifting the skin had the added advantage of creating pockets of air between the skin and flesh that made it easier for the fat to render for our best spice-rubbed turkey recipe.
Before You Begin
Serve this turkey with chutney or cranberry sauce rather than gravy.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt in 2 gallons cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Add turkey and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
- Meanwhile, toast coriander, cumin, allspice, and mustard in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and wisps of smoke appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool mixture to room temperature, then grind to fine powder in dedicated coffee grinder or spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Transfer mixture to small bowl, stir in paprika, ginger, thyme, cayenne, and cinnamon; cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
- Remove turkey from brine and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey breast-side up on flat wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1-tablespoon spice rub with vegetable oil and set aside. Remove turkey from refrigerator and wipe away any water collected in baking sheet; set turkey on baking sheet. Carefully separate skin from breast meat and rub oil/spice rub mixture directly onto breast meat. Rub 3 tablespoons spice rub inside turkey cavity. Apply remaining spice rub to turkey, beginning with back-side up and finishing with breast-side up, pressing and patting to make spices adhere, and picking up and reapplying any spice rub that falls onto baking sheet. Tuck wings behind back and tie ends of drumsticks together with twine. Set turkey on wire rack, set wire rack on baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, 6 to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Place V-rack in large roasting pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set turkey breast-side down on V-rack. Reapply any spice rub that has fallen off. Roast 45 minutes.
- Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven; using thick wads of paper towels or potholders, rotate turkey leg/wing-side up. Roast 15 minutes longer. Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven; using thick wads of paper towels or potholders, rotate turkey second leg/wing-side up. Roast 15 minutes longer.
- Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven; using thick wads of paper towels or potholders, rotate turkey breast-side up. Roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 30 to 45 minutes longer. Transfer turkey to carving board; let rest 20 to 30 minutes. Carve and serve.
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