Dry Aged Thanksgiving Turkey

I just released an On Demand Digital Turkey Master Class, to help you master this Dry Aged Thanksgiving Turkey! It includes:

• a step by step instructional video & written instructions
• my exclusive Bourbon Turkey Gravy recipe
• full menu & shopping list
• prep and cooking guide to spread out the burden of cooking

Are you ready for the perfect Thanksgiving turkey?  Are you sick of a dry turkey that you spent all day on?  Or a turkey with rubbery skin that no one enjoys? What about slaving away on a turkey that no one eats and then you have tons of leftovers to do who knows what with?

Well, I am here today, to share with you a recipe I have worked on perfecting over the years and it doesn’t take ANY fancy equipment! (Yes there is a smoking option for this, but it can be cooked easily in your oven and is still SUPER delicious).  You will have a JUICY and flavorful turkey with skin so crispy people will think you deep fried it! You will impress everyone who comes to enjoy the feast you have prepared, even those who “don’t like the turkey”.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, mostly because I LOVE food and cooking and that is how I express/ show my love for people.  I think because that’s how I grew up, my mom cooking delicious meals for us and I always felt her love through her cooking. Some of my favorite memories are of getting together with all our extended family, spending time with our cousins and having non-stop fun with them!  Something I fondly remember is when my mom and aunt would put out bowls of black olives on the tables while dinner was getting cooked. We’d “sneak” around stealing the olives way before it was time to sit down… we thought we were so sneaky! Well, recently that memory came full circle.  I was setting out our table spread and I put out bowls of black olives. Went back to working on some of the side dishes and when I glanced back at the table I saw my son Maverick (4 yrs) being very sneaky and stealing olives. He saw me watching him, then he giggled and ran away! Honestly seeing that almost brought me to tears but I also couldn’t hold in my laughter!  I can’t complain because olives are good fats and I believe in eating all the good fats, so if the kids think they are being sneaky by eating them… well, I will continue to let them think they are getting away with it!

Anyway, back to my dry aged thanksgiving turkey recipe…

So the first thing you need to know and prep for you start this turkey 4 days before you want to serve it (meaning it needs to be THAWED before then if you bought frozen). This might seem crazy to you, BUT on cook day it will ONLY take 2 hrs (or less) to cook it and there is literally NO work on cook day besides putting it in the oven/ smoker and then carving.  So the secret to my turkey is dry aging/ brining. The seasoning mixture seasons the meat and leaving the turkey in the open refrigerated air helps to dry out the skin so that it crisps easier. When you spatchcock it, you create a more even cooking surface, so that the bird gets even exposure to the heat and you can cook it at a higher temperature and faster. This helps crisp the skin and keep it juicy inside. I’ve had so many people tell me “I thought I always hated turkey until I ate yours!”  You will be the star of the show when you place this bird on your table this season! The one thing that you ABSOLUTELY need is a good meat thermometer, so you know the EXACT internal temperature of your turkey. This helps not make the mistake of an undercooked or overcooked bird! I recommend this Thermoworks instant-read thermometer or this Smoke Thermometer. The price may seem high, but you will use this so much in your kitchen and you won’t be replacing it a million times like you have to with the cheap inaccurate brands out there.

Dry Aged Thanksgiving Turkey Process:

Four days before service…

Spatchcock

Set the turkey, breast-side down, on a large cutting board with the tail closest to you. Use an electric knife or heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut up one side of the backbone. Turn the bird around and cut back down the other side of the spine. Reserve the backbone for Giblet Stock. Discard any fat pockets or excess skin found inside the turkey. Turn the turkey breast-side up and use the heel of your hands to press down on both breasts, until you hear a cracking sound and the bird has flattened slightly. Here is a video that more slowly breaks down how to Spatchcock your turkey:

Dry age/ brine

Place the salt, sage, thyme, black peppercorns, and allspice into a spice grinder and pulse until the peppercorns and allspice are coarsely ground 5 to 6 pulses. Rub the seasoned salt on both sides of the turkey. Place the turkey on a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan, breast-side up with legs running with the long side of the pan. Store, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 4 days.

Cook Day

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Take ½ – 1 full stick of softened butter and spread all over the skin of the turkey.

Smoking

Get your smoker to 425/450 degrees. Place Turkey directly on grates and close the lid. Cook until you reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. Remove from smoker and allow to rest for 15-20 min (cover with foil while resting).  *If you want to make gravy from the drippings, place an aluminum foil pan under the grates where the turkey will sit before you heat your smoker.

Oven Roasting

Place one rack in the middle of the oven and a second one far enough below so the roasting pan will fit. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the turkey directly on the middle rack of the oven with the legs perpendicular to the metal bars of the rack. Place a pan on the rack beneath the turkey to catch drippings.  You can even add root veggies, potatoes etc to this pan if you want a side of root vegetable to accompany your meal. They will roast and be flavored by the drippings. OR if you want to make a delicious gravy, add the neck and giblets to this pan to collect drippings for your gravy. Roast for 30min.

Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Continue to roast the turkey until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 degrees F, an additional 40 to 50 minutes.

Carving

Carve the turkey with an electric knife & serve.

Sides to pair with your Dry Aged Thanksgiving Turkey

• Instant Pot Sausage Stuffing
• Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole
• Orange Glazed Dinner Rolls
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Dry Aged Turkey

Ever dream of a turkey with super crispy skin but still super juicy meat? What about not spending the WHOLE DAY cooking said turkey?  Well with my foolproof method you can have both things and a turkey cooked in less than 2 hrs!

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crispy skin, oven roasted turkey, smoked turkey, Thanksgiving, turkey

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Author: Kristi Shields

Ingredients

• 12-14 lb Turkey thawed
• 7 tbsp Kosher Salt
• 3 tsp Rubbed Sage
• 3 tsp Dried Thyme
• 3 tsp Dried Rosemary
• 2.5 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
• 1 tsp Allspice Berries
• 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted softened

Instructions

• Spatchcock  

  Set the turkey, breast-side down, on a large cutting board with the tail closest to you. Use an electric knife or heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut up one side of the backbone. Turn the bird around and cut back down the other side of the spine. Reserve the backbone for Bone Broth. Discard any fat pockets or excess skin found inside the turkey. Turn the turkey breast-side up and use the heel of your hands to press down on both breasts, until you hear a cracking sound and the bird has flattened slightly. 
• Dry Brine Rub  

  Place the salt, sage, thyme, black peppercorns, and allspice into a spice grinder and pulse until the peppercorns and allspice are coarsely ground 5 to 6 pulses. Rub the seasoned salt on both sides of the turkey. Place the turkey on a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan, breast-side up with legs running with the long side of the pan. Store, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 4 days. 
• COOK DAY:  

  Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Rub Turkey down with softened room temperature butter.
• Smoking:  

  Get your smoker to 425/450 degrees. Place Turkey directly on grates and close the lid. Cook until you reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. Remove from smoker and allow to rest for 15-20 min (cover with foil while resting).  

  *If you want to make gravy from the drippings, place an aluminum foil pan under the grates where the turkey will sit before you heat your smoker.
  
• Oven:  

  Place one rack in the middle of the oven and a second one far enough below so the roasting pan will fit. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the turkey directly on the middle rack of the oven with the legs perpendicular to the metal bars of the reaches. Place a pan on the rack beneath the turkey to catch drippings. You can even add root veggies, potatoes etc to this pan if you want a side of root vegetable to accompany your meal. They will roast and be flavored by the drippings. OR if you want to make a delicious gravy, add the neck and giblets to this pan to collect drippings for your gravy. Roast for 30min. 

  Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Continue to roast the turkey until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 degrees F, an additional 40 to 50 minutes.

Video