After you've spent hours roasting it in the oven, there's nothing worse than taste-testing that first bite of turkey only to find out it tastes like, well... nothing. But it doesn't always have to be that way! In fact, there are plenty of ways to make a bird juicy and flavorful—you just have to know how to season a turkey.
You can cook a turkey breast in an air fryer, or a whole bird in a smoker, turkey fryer, or oven, but if you don't season it properly, isn't going to win anyone over. The good news is, seasoning a turkey is simple. There are several methods to choose from, from Ree Drummond's favorite brine to coating a bird in butter to rubbing one with your favorite spice blend. Below, find out how to use ingredients like fresh herbs, citrus, and aromatics to up your turkey game for this year's Thanksgiving menu. And once you've got a plan of action for seasoning, find out how much turkey per person to prepare for this year's feast. Season your turkey recipe with one of these methods and everyone will want seconds!
Should You Season a Turkey Before Cooking?
Yes! It doesn't so much matter when you season your bird—whether it's just before popping it in the oven or several days in advance for a brining—as long as you season it before it gets cooked. This is essential for the butter, herbs, and whatever other seasonings you use, to flavor the skin and meat of the turkey.
How to Season a Turkey
There are a few paths you can take to season a turkey to perfection. Here's what you need to know:
Brining
Ree's favorite way to bring big flavor to a Thanksgiving bird is by brining it. Using a wet brine method involves making a punchy, salty solution and submerging a turkey in the liquid for up to 24 hours. You can also dry-brine a turkey. Dry brining means rubbing a turkey, inside and out, with a bold spice blend and refrigerating the bird, uncovered, for up to 12 hours. Both of these methods help flavor the bird from the inside out.
Spice Rub
You don't have to concoct any complicated spice blends to make a great-tasting turkey. Simple seasonings go a long way, but before you go to town with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, be sure to pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels—this helps crisp up the skin. Once the bird is as dry as possible, season away! Stick with salt and pepper, put herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to work, or take spicy Cajun seasoning for a spin for some kick. Whatever blend you choose, spread it all over the turkey—on top, underneath, between the body and wings and legs, under the skin, and even in the cavity of the bird. If you plan on brining your turkey, skip seasoning the bird with any more salt. It'll absorb plenty from the brine! But feel free to rub on pepper or any other spices.
Compound Butter
A delicious compound butter can really give a turkey a nice flavor boost. In addition to wet brining her bird, Ree also slathers her turkey in butter combined with orange peel, rosemary, salt, and pepper. You can add any number of herbs and spices to butter, just be sure to spread it all over the turkey, even under the skin. The skin of your roasted turkey will turn out crisp and golden, and the meat will be flavorful.
How to Season Turkey Breast
Just like with a whole bird, a turkey breast can be brined or dry-brined before cooking. If you're looking for a quicker solution, simply rub the turkey breast with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a fresh herb butter—it's perfect for a Thanksgiving dinner for two. When shopping, look for bone-in and skin-on turkey breast. It'll have the best flavor!
How to Add Even More Flavor to a Turkey
The possibilities are endless: You can add flavor to a turkey via marinade, flavor injector, basting, and glazing—take your pick! Of course, some giblet gravy spooned over top works wonders too.
Marinate Your Turkey
If you'd rather skip a traditional brine, slather your turkey with a paste-like marinade and refrigerate it for a few hours. You can also use flavor injectors to inject a marinade or other flavorful solution deep into the flesh of the turkey—just make sure the liquid is pureed or finely ground enough for seamless injections. If using an injector, you don't need to plan on any additional time for the liquid to permeate the turkey flesh (like you would with a marinade).
Stuff it With Herbs, Onions, and Citrus
Another simple, easy way to add flavor to a bird is by stuffing the cavity or roasting pan full of aromatics. Think fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, or oregano), onion, shallots, garlic, and citrus halves. They'll gently perfume the meat and pan drippings with flavor.
Baste or Glaze Away
Basting a bird with its own pan juices (or butter that has pooled in the bottom of the roasting pan) can make for golden brown skin that tastes great too. Try Ree's method of basting the turkey toward the end of roasting rather than basting throughout the entire cook time. Opening the oven too often can increase cook time significantly! You can also brush a sweet glaze on the turkey for a golden, almost caramelized finish. Just be sure to give the turkey time to cook a few minutes longer after the final application of either—this allows for the liquid to cook off and the skin to become crispy.
