Cajun Turkey Seasoning Rub Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should I rub my turkey with butter or olive oil? ›

Don't butter your bird

Placing butter under the skin won't make the meat juicier, though it might help the skin brown faster. However, butter is about 17 percent water, and it will make your bird splotchy, says López-Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before you roast.

In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add any aromatics or vegetables you desire and liquid to a depth of ½ inch. Brush the turkey skin generously with oil or melted butter. Season the turkey liberally with salt. (Skip salting if your turkey is brined.)

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

Impart rich flavor and add moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey by adding a layer of butter under the skin before roasting. Learn how to do this simple (but genius) technique for a delicious Thanksgiving turkey.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Instead of filling your bird with stuffing, fill it with aromatics. (News flash: Cooking stuffing inside a turkey can be dangerous.) The basics, like onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage, help lend that traditional Thanksgiving flavor. Take your aromatics up a notch by adding halved lemons or oranges.

Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.

Place chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pick a few herbs off the stalks and add to the vegetables. Set aside. Pat dry the turkey with paper towels.

Most ground beef needs to be drained, so it's besy to drain after cooking. Turkey has less fat, so you are fine to season it while cooking. Thank you for the a2a!

Why does my turkey have no flavor? ›

Why is my turkey bland? If your Thanksgiving turkey is bland, it has probably been under-seasoned. Turkeys are big, and it takes a lot of salt and pepper to flavor the entire bird.

Want to ensure your bird is juicy and delicious yet speeds up the cooking time so everyone can watch the game? Foil wrapping is the answer! This technique helps speed the cooking process and locks in the turkey's natural juices. It helps prevent turkeys from drying out without basting, especially those over 24 pounds.

Since the turkey cooks for a long time, these aromas will work their way into the meat without overpowering it." And remember, just as under-seasoning the bird can leave you with a lackluster meal, over-seasoning can also ruin the experience. "Don't go crazy with the dry herbs—they can be overpowering.

Once you've carefully dried off the skin, the next step you can take to guarantee perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat, like butter or oil. Oil will yield a crispier skin than butter because butter is at least 20 percent water, while oil contains no water.

While it may seem obvious, coating your turkey with extra virgin olive oil this year will make it extra crispy and delicious. I like to warm a cup of olive oil with fresh thyme, garlic and other dry seasonings on the stove and then brush the turkey with it throughout the roasting process.

There are several types of oil that you can use to deep fry a turkey, but we recommend using peanut oil. Many chefs agree that peanut oil produces some of the best results when deep frying.

You only need to coat it with oil before placing it on your smoker or grill. However, if you wet brined the turkey, coat its dried body with oil before applying your dry rub. After covering the turkey with your seasonings, insert your oven-safe wireless thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey thigh.