Russ Parsons' Dry-Brined Turkey (a.k.a. The Judy Bird)
Now get carving!
With a bird this good-looking, you really don't want to do much to it.
With Parsons' precise salt ratio -- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt for every 5 pounds of meat -- you can be confident you won't over- or under-season the star of the table.
A turkey sealed in a 2 1/2-gallon zippered bag takes up a lot less fridge space than one soaking in a vat of wet brine. (An oven bag will do in a pinch, but be prepared for it to leak.)
For the last 24 hours, take the turkey out of the bag to air dry in the fridge. Give it a good pat dry, inside and out -- the drier you get it, the better the skin will crisp.
You can baste the skin with butter, but it's not necessary. In one test, Parsons found that the butter helps with browning, but not necessarily with crispness.
Start roasting the turkey breast-side down for the first 30 minutes.
This helps keep the white meat nice and juicy.
When it's time to flip, grab two clean kitchen towels or oven mitts (or big wads of paper towels).
Now flip! You'll have more control than if you try to pick it up with tongs or a carving fork (which is really a recipe for turkey-on-the-floor).
Depending on the size and shape of your bird (and roasting rack) it might get these crazy indentations at this stage -- don't panic! They'll pop back out as it finishes roasting.
About 1 1/2 hours later (or earlier if your bird is tiny), start checking the turkey's temperature in the fleshy part of the thigh. At 165 degrees, pull it out to rest.
Rest that turkey at least 30 minutes.
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Author Notes: This recipe won a turkey taste test with staff of the L.A. Times Food Section in 2006 and Russ Parsons, the Food Editor at the paper, has been writing about it every Thanksgiving since. The technique is inspired by chef Judy Rodgers, who dry brines the famous roast chicken (and just about everything else) at Zuni Café in San Francisco, but never a turkey. Parsons decided to try it and found, not only does it work -- it comes out perfectly juicy and crisp, with none of the sponginess that you sometimes get with wet-brined birds. He tests a new variation each year, and slashes steps he decides aren't important. He's grilled the brined turkey, and added herbs and spices to the salt -- but his most genius discovery is that you can brine a frozen bird as it's defrosting. And why wouldn't you? - Genius Recipes
Serves 11-15
- One 12- to 16-pound turkey (frozen is fine)
- Kosher salt
- Herbs and/or spices to flavor the salt (optional -- see suggestions in step 1)
- Melted butter for basting (optional)
- Wash the turkey inside and out, pat it dry and weigh it. Measure 1 tablespoon of salt -- we used Diamond Crystal -- into a bowl for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs (for a 15-pound turkey, you'd have 3 tablespoons). You can flavor the salt with herbs and spices if you like -- try smoked paprika and orange zest, bay leaf and thyme, or rosemary and lemon zest. Grind together with the salt in a spice grinder, small food processor, or mortar and pestle.
- Sprinkle the inside of the turkey lightly with salt. Place the turkey on its back and salt the breasts, concentrating the salt in the center, where the meat is thickest. You'll probably use a little more than a tablespoon.
- Turn the turkey on one side and sprinkle the entire side with salt, concentrating on the thigh. You should use a little less than a tablespoon. Flip the turkey over and do the same with the opposite side.
- Place the turkey in a 2 1/2-gallon sealable plastic bag, press out the air and seal tightly. (If you can't find a resealable bag this big, you can use a turkey oven bag, but be prepared for it to leak.) Place the turkey breast-side up in the refrigerator. Chill for 3 days, turning it onto its breast for the last day. Rub the salt around once a day if you remember.
- Remove the turkey from the bag. There should be no salt visible on the surface and the skin should be moist but not wet. Place the turkey breast-side up on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours.
- On the day it is to be cooked, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Pat it dry one last time and baste with melted butter, if using. Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the turkey over so the breast is facing up (it's easiest to do this by hand, using kitchen towels or oven mitts).
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, return the turkey to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone, reads 165 degrees, about 2 3/4 hours total roasting.
- Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a warm platter or carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let stand at least 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the meat. Carve and serve.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
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7 months ago terryfontaine
It sounds delicious, and I know the recipe calls for unstuffed turkey, but what is it ok to follow the steps if the family has to have a stuffed turkey?
7 months ago HeidiRowe
This was our best Thanksgiving turkey ever! I tried the recipe with rosemary and lemon zest (and stuffed the turkey with apple slices). It was a beautiful crispy brown, and when we pulled it from the oven we could see the juices boiling under the skin. Also, the turkey stayed moist thru several days of leftover recipes. I'll never bake a turkey any other way.
7 months ago Mcw
This recipe was great and i didn't even get to do the full 3-day brine. Got many compliments on it. The only downside was it wouldn't brown in the electric roasting pan I used so I had to throw it in the broiler for 15 minutes. All in all a great recipe. Thanks!
7 months ago Greengourmet
Fantastic recipe! Used an 18 pound turkey, and added some root vergetables/onions to the cavity, as well as some white wine in the bottom of the pan for flavor. The result was moist and delicious. The turkey cooked very quickly, freeing up the oven for tasty sides. This is my new go to turkey recipe!
7 months ago fitsxarts
This was awesome. Had a 12 lb turkey and it was completely done in 2 hours. A total game-changer (and stress-free at that). Thanks, Kristen!
7 months ago Dales kitchen
Thanks Kristen ,
I am really going to enjoy Food52 and Thank you for the responce....
Have A great Thanksgiving
7 months ago hsooh
I started the process on Sunday. Bought a fresh turkey but in reality it was semi frozen. This last day has produced a lot of liquid that has not been reabsorbed. Should I go ahead and remove it from the bag to let sit in the fridge uncovered or wait a little longer? Hoping I didn't make a huge mistake.
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
So sorry we didn't see this question until now -- you should be fine, whichever way you chose to go. Frozen birds do tend to release more liquid.
7 months ago Steph C
Hi there - I am currently dry brining my turkey using this method (it's at about 24 hours... it'll be a little less than three days when done brining). My question is this. The instructions say to leave the turkey out on the counter for an hour at room temperature. Should we cover or leave uncovered? I cook meat about once a year, so I'm clueless here. Thanks!
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
It probably won't make a huge difference but I think Parsons' intent is for it to be uncovered, so that the skin will continue to dry a bit before going in the oven (that's what I've always done, at least!).
7 months ago Steph C
Thank you! I was concerned about bacteria growth, but assume at an hour it should be okay(?).
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Yep!
7 months ago Marc Osten - Marc's Culinary Compass
Steph - I leave mine in the fridge for 12-24 hours to dry. The skin comes out a lot crispier that way.
7 months ago vanessa.b
How long should a 20lb turkey be cooked, if using this method?
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
It will probably take about 3 1/2 hours, but be sure to check its internal temperature early on, as instructed in step 8, since the timing will vary with your bird and your oven. No harm in starting it on the early side -- it should rest while you finish up the other dishes anyway. Hope you like it!
7 months ago Mcw
Just brined the bird so I will probably only get about 48 hours in before the big day. Sounds like that should be okay based on previous questions and comments, I'll just need to watch it closely so as not to overcook. Quick question - i'm using an electric roaster, will that change anything about the cooking temps or times? Thamks!
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Mcw, have you used an electric roaster to roast a turkey before? I'm sorry to say I've never done it, so I'm not sure what the differences might be. I'd just watch it closely, as you say. Let us know how it turns out!
7 months ago dfarron1
Will this work with a frozen Butterball turkey that already has a sodium solution injected in it, or will this cause it to be too salty? I know that Russ Parsons says a frozen bird works great but he doesn't address this issue of a frozen bird with an already injected sodium solution.
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Thanks for asking this -- I'll answer here as well as the Hotline so that others can see. To avoid over-salting, we don't recommend using this technique with sodium-injected turkeys. (Butterball is basically attempting to do the brining for you.)
7 months ago GrandmaGG
I sat down over an hour ago to look for this recipe which was posted in the L.A. Times on November 18th, 2008, and fortunately got sidetracked here at FOOD52. Now I have my old perfect turkey recipe and lots of yummy desserts saved as a bonus!
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
How great -- welcome to Food52!
7 months ago NeilJ
Are the oven temperatures used for a convection or conventional oven? Thanks
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Conventional -- for convection, you may want to drop the temperature 25 degrees.
7 months ago AllisonT
I too have a question regarding the convection. The roasting time seems very short for a conventional oven, so how long should I assume it might take in a convection? Thank you!
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Dry-brined birds do tend to cook a little faster, but it will depend on your oven, your bird, and its starting temperature. With convection, chances are it will cook even more quickly. Luckily, having a bird come out of the oven to rest early isn't a bad thing -- you can tent with foil, or Tom Hirschfeld puts his in the cooler to keep warm, while he uses the oven to heat up the casseroles!
7 months ago vivanat
Did not plan far enough ahead - salted about 26 hours in advance, let it dry out in the fridge for 3 hours, then brought it up to room temp for an hour before following the roasting instructions. ~21 lb, unstuffed turkey reached the correct temperature in about two hours - I use a thermometer with an alarm linked to the probe. I actually couldn't believe it was done, so I took the temp in several places. It looked beautiful and got good reviews. Will likely never bother with a wet brine again given how much less fuss this is.
7 months ago ConnieHuberSchmidt
I am cooking only a large turkey breast (about 9 lbs, must have been a giant turkey). Anyway, does the process need any adjustment for that?
7 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Connie, you can follow the instructions and proportions exactly for salting. You might not want to bother with flipping the bird, since that step is meant for the juices to drip down from the rest of the bird into the breast. And it will cook for much less time, so start checking the internal temp at least an hour earlier. Cover it with foil if the skin is getting dark too quickly, turn up the temp at the end briefly if you want it to brown a bit more. It will be great!
7 months ago JulieBoulangerie
It's great to know that's the purpose of the flip!
7 months ago LJP
Do you need to use a natural turkey or does a frozen butterball work as well?
7 months ago saramarsh
Frozen works best for this, I've found. I've done the turkey this way for 3 years, and I've always used frozen. I just ran it under cold water to start the defrosting *only* to remove the neck and giblets...
10 months ago BArnold
Hi editors! A little help would be greatly appreciated...I need to make several turkeys in advance--can I make these and freeze it? If I freeze it and reheat it in whatever gravy I chose to make, will it still be good? Also, do I need to use a whole turkey or would a cut-up turkey work as well?
9 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
BArnold, I'm sorry we missed this question. Please let us know if you still need help. And if you already made your turkeys, let us know how it went!
over 1 year ago shoestringmama
Ooh sooo yummy!! This time, used lemon zest and rosemary combo with the course sea salt and put the cut up the lemon in the cavity during cooking - truely fab! Thank you for sharing.
over 1 year ago rider5
This turkey is amazing!! ( I seasoned the kosher salt with the poultry seasoning that Williams-Sonoma sells.) I didn't salt the stuffing and it was perfect. The gravy and the soup that followed were all equally wonderful. Thanks for sharing!!!
over 1 year ago shoestringmama
Positvely the best turkey I've ever prepared, served and eaten - got rave reviews! Thank you - don't think I can ever cook a turkey any other way. Bought another turkey (while they were on sale) to have during the Christmas week and can't wait to do this again. Used 1 1/2 bay leaves and 1 tsp + of dried thyme, both crushed, with 2 Tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp course salt for about 12 lb turkey and stuffed chopped apples and onions in the carcass during the cooking - which added some subtle flavor to the gravy. The turkey soup I made later on was really super and the turkey broth I made also tasted yummy - that's in the freezer with some of the dark meat to be used in quick turkey soup on some cold day sure the coming soon. Next time I'll try the rosemary and lemon zest combo. Thank you for turning an average homecook into a stupendous one for my family!