Let’s not blame family members, friends—and most importantly, ourselves—for the sad roast turkeys of Thanksgiving dinners past. Learning how to season a turkey is much like seasoning anything: a skill perfected over time. The trouble is, most of us only cook a turkey once or twice per calendar year (and who can remember what seasoning tack they took 11 months ago?!). The perfect turkey requires more attention than an everyday roast chicken. That can come via a dry brine, compound butter, aromatics tucked into the carcass, and a glaze with something sweet—ideally, all of the above. And when in doubt, double down on the gravy.
If you’re majorly crunched for time, salt, black pepper, and high heat are all you really need for flavorful turkey. But with a bit more prep time, you can deliver a lot more oomph. Consider the steps below building blocks. Stack one on top of the next to build layers of flavor, but a word of caution: Be thoughtful when pairing ingredients across steps (more on this below). Before you get started, make sure your bird is thawed—this can take a few days—and pat it dry with a paper towel.
You’ve picked out the perfect turkey for your holiday feast. But before you pop that bird in the oven, don’t forget one crucial step – seasoning it well! Proper seasoning transforms a basic turkey into a delicious juicy fowl that will wow your guests.
Follow these 15 simple tricks to take your turkey flavor up a notch this year. With a few easy techniques, your turkey will overflow with finger-licking goodness in no time.
Start with a High-Quality Turkey
A great tasting turkey starts with sourcing a good quality bird. Opt for free-range organic or heritage breed turkeys over standard supermarket varieties. Mass-produced turkeys are bred for maximum size and white meat. Specialty turkeys have a more balanced flavor profile and tend to be more moist.
Slather Flavored Butter Under the Skin
Rubbing butter under the skin helps keep the turkey moist and crispy. For even more flavor, make a compound butter by mixing in herbs, citrus, honey, or garlic. Gently loosen the skin from the breast and spread the flavored butter right onto the meat before roasting.
Fill the Cavity with Aromatics
Stuff the turkey cavity with lemon, herbs, garlic, onion, and peppercorns. As the turkey roasts, the heat releases these aromatic flavors right into the meat.
Soak it in a Brine
Soaking the turkey in a saltwater brine before cooking infuses moisture and seasons the entire bird. Make a basic brine with water, salt, sugar, and spices. Let the turkey soak for 12-24 hours, then rinse and pat dry before roasting.
Coat it in a Spice Rub
Blends of dried spices like cumin, paprika, thyme, and brown sugar add tons of flavor as the turkey roasts. Apply them directly to the skin or mix with olive oil or butter first to help them stick.
Sauté Aromatics to Stuff Under the Skin
Sauté onion, celery, apple, and herbs in butter or oil. Let cool and gently loosen the skin to stuff the mixture directly onto the breast before roasting.
Grill for Added Smoky Flavor
Get bonus flavor by grilling the turkey over indirect heat. Start hot to sear the skin, then finish roasting over medium heat with hardwood chips for smokiness.
Transform Drippings into Gravy
Simmer the tasty browned drippings with chicken or turkey stock. Thicken with a roux for the most delicious, flavorful gravy.
Glaze It Up
Brush on a sweet, savory, or spicy glaze during the last 30 minutes to flavor the skin. Try maple syrup, citrus, mustard, or soy sauce mixed with herbs and spices.
Infuse with Fresh Herbs
Chop herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage. Gently slide them under the skin before roasting so they permeate the meat.
Slather with Flavored Mayo or Oil
Coat the skin with herb-infused mayonnaise or olive oil to crisp up the skin and impart extra flavor as it roasts.
Bacon-Wrap the Legs and Wings
Crisp up the legs and wings by wrapping them in bacon before roasting for added smoky, salty flavor.
Baste with Flavorful Liquids
Use a bulb baster to frequently baste the turkey with melted butter, broth, or other flavorful liquids during roasting.
Let it Rest Before Carving
Never slice into turkey right out of the oven. Letting it rest allows juices to reabsorb so the meat stays moist.
With these quick and easy tricks, your turkey will impress this holiday season. Now dig in and savor the star of your festive feast!
Use Quality Ingredients
The foundation of delicious turkey is starting with a high-quality bird. Opt for free-range, organic, or heritage turkeys over standard supermarket varieties. They have a more balanced flavor profile and tend to be more moist.
Season Under the Skin
It’s tempting to just sprinkle seasonings on top of the turkey. But to maximize flavor, it’s best to season under the skin. This puts the spices in direct contact with the meat. Salt and pepper are a good place to start. Then expand on those with fall herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Brine the Bird
Soaking the turkey in a saltwater brine seasons the entire bird and infuses moisture and flavor throughout. Make a basic brine with salt, sugar, and spices. Let the turkey soak for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Rinse and pat dry before roasting.
Stuff Cavity with Aromatics
Stuff the empty cavity with lemons, onions, garlic, herbs, and peppercorns. As the turkey roasts, these ingredients gently perfume the meat with extra flavor. Just remember to remove them before carving!
Coat with Flavored Butter
Rubbing flavored butter under the skin adds moisture and flavor. Make compound butter by mixing in herbs, citrus zest, honey, or garlic. Carefully loosen the skin and spread it directly onto the meat before roasting.
Apply a Savory Dry Rub
Blends of dried spices impart tons of flavor as the turkey cooks. Try mixing paprika, cumin, brown sugar, thyme, cayenne, and other spices into a rub. Apply it directly to the skin or mix with oil or butter first.
Glaze the Skin
Brush on a sweet, savory, or spicy glaze during the last 30 minutes of roasting. Maple syrup, citrus juice, mustard, and soy sauce make great bases for flavorful glazes.
Transform Drippings into Gravy
Making gravy from the flavorful turkey drippings binds all the flavors together. Simmer them with stock, then thicken with a roux. Don’t skip this crucial final step!
With a few easy techniques like brining, stuffing aromatics, and glazing, you can take your turkey’s flavor to spectacular new heights this holiday season. Follow these tips for mouthwatering, juicy and delicious turkey that will be the star of your festive feast!
Make it a dry rub.
Salt is key, but you can also add flavorings at this stage. Combining the salt with white or brown sugar will help the skin caramelize. Aim for ¼ the amount of salt, so 2 tbsp. sugar for a 14-lb. bird.
From there, create a spice blend of your choosing. This is not the time for soft, fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro. For a traditional poultry seasoning, mix dried thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg, and freshly ground black pepper. Add umami punch with onion powder, ground dried mushrooms, tomato powder, asafetida, or straight MSG. Alternatively, you could borrow from this recipe for a turkey rub with garlic powder and smoked paprika or use a spice blend you love (baharat! Pastrami-spice! Trinidad curry powder!) to imbue the turkey with tried and true flavors. Unless you’re sure everyone at your table is a spice fiend, avoid bracingly spicy chile powders like Ancho and cayenne pepper. Add ¼ to ½ cup mixed ground spice; just combine it with your sugar and salt and then pack it all over the turkey, inside and out.
Let the brine do its thing for at least 1 hour per pound of turkey but no more than 3 days total. Transfer the turkey uncovered to the refrigerator so the skin starts to dry, which helps with browning.
Butter up your Butterball.
Butter is your second insurance policy against a dry Thanksgiving turkey. One stick of unsalted butter (remember, you just salted your bird) on its own will do the job. But we’re aiming for flavor here, so consider turning half that stick into a compound butter—essentially softened butter mashed with ingredients like fresh herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme) or citrus zest. If you used lots of flavors in the dry brining process, keep the compound butter simple like this one with thyme and garlic. You can prepare it a few days ahead and pack it tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container.
Any herbs rubbed onto the outside of your turkey run the risk of burning. To prevent this, split the butter in half, then carefully create a space between the turkey breast meat and skin (Andy Baraghani shows us how it’s done) and slip the half with herbs under the skin of the turkey, over the breast and thigh meat. Rub the herb-free butter all over the outside of the turkey. If you prefer not to use dairy, try slathering your bird in roasted garlic mayonnaise—yes, mayonnaise.
The Only Turkey Recipe You Need
FAQ
How do I make my turkey more flavorful?
Instead of filling your bird with stuffing, fill your turkey 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.
How to improve the taste of turkey?
That can come via a dry brine, compound butter, aromatics tucked into the carcass, and a glaze with something sweet—ideally, all of the above. And when in doubt, double down on the gravy. If you’re majorly crunched for time, salt, black pepper, and high heat are all you really need for flavorful turkey.
What is best to stuff a turkey with for flavor?
Season the turkey: Stir together parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon-pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the cavity of the turkey with the herb mixture, then stuff the cavity with celery, orange, onion, and carrot.
How to fix a bland turkey?
heat up some turkey stock if you have it or chicken stock if not. slice the turkey as thin as possible and drizzle some of the hot stock on it prior to the gravy. it will help to moisten the meat as well as add flavor.
How do you add flavor to a Turkey?
Add halved onions, carrot chunks, celery and fresh herbs to the cavity of your turkey, inserting them loosely. These flavor builders are the base of stock and most soups. As your turkey cooks, they’ll steam and infuse your bird with moisture and flavor. How can I improve my turkey flavor?
How can I get my taste back during a cold?
When a person gets cold, there are many clinical symptoms with fever, nausea, fatigue and loss of appetite etc. Once cold has gone， all the symptoms will disappear immediately with taste back.
How do you spice up a Turkey?
For bonus flavor, brush your turkey with a glaze during the last 30 minutes of roasting. Whip up a sweet and tangy glaze with jams, chutneys, citrus or even pineapple juice. The possibilities are endless. Massaging a spiced or herbed oil into the turkey a day before cooking amps up the flavor considerably.
How do you make a good roasted turkey?
Butter, broth and spice mixes injected deep into the meat make for an ultra juicy and flavorful bird. Wedges of orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit add tangy brightness and moisture when roasted inside the cavity. Bonus: it makes your kitchen smell amazing. Instead of basting with juices, baste your turkey with beer as it roasts.
How do you make turkey ribs taste good?
Celery, carrots and onions are the holy trinity of aromatics. Roughly chop 2-3 ribs of celery and add it to the turkey cavity to complement the onion, carrots and herbs. The grassy, earthy flavor of celery boosts overall flavor. Pouring beer or wine into the cavity adds subtle flavor and moisture.
What to put in a turkey leg?
With the turkey cavity now vacant, you can add aromatics like a quartered onion, a few smashed cloves of garlic, orange or lemon wedges, and a couple of hearty herbs like thyme, sage or rosemary. Do this before tying the legs together, and remember to remove it before carving. The aromatics will perfume the meat from the inside out.