Turkey Recipes

Do you want to know how to cook a turkey?

For great turkey recipes, turn to chef Jason Hill, who shows you how to cook a turkey easily and without fuss, using a simple turkey brine.

Also in this roast turkey video are turkey tips for your next big holiday meal and turkey cooking times.

There are a wide variety of turkey recipes out there, but turkey tips are a dime a dozen. Today Im going to show you how to cook a turkey easily and without a lot of fuss using a simple turkey brine. Your whole family will love this roast turkey recipe.

Chef Tip: Plan on roasting your turkey about 15-17 minutes per pound.

To start, I use a clean, commercial 5-gallon plastic bucket filled halfway with cold water. To this, add:

1 small bunch fresh parsley
1 small bunch fresh sage
4 fresh bay leaves
1/4 cup whole black peppercorns

Mix the brine well. Slowly place your thawed turkey into the brine, completely submerging it in the water. Place the turkey in the refrigerator overnight. This process is very important and will add moisture and flavor to your turkey.

The next day, remove turkey from brine (and any excess liquid) and set on a roasting rack.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Stuff the cavity of the turkey with
1/4 of a whole yellow onion
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
Small bunch of fresh sage leaves
Small bunch of fresh parsley

Next, well brush the bird with
1 stick of melted butter, paying close attention to the breast and the thighs.
Season the turkey with
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon thyme

Place in 425 F oven, BREAST SIDE DOWN, for the first 40 minutes. This will help keep the turkey breast moist by allowing the cooking juice to flow down into the breast. Next, turn the turkey BREAST SIDE UP and continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes.

Chef Tip: If your pan becomes dry, you can add chicken broth to the pan as needed.

Remove turkey from oven when turkey reaches about 150 F. Let it rest for 30 minutes and the temperature should carry over to 165 F, the safe temperature for eating turkey.

Carve and serve with your favorite mashed potatoes, stuffing, and accompaniments.