Test cook Dan Souza shows host Julia Collin Davison how to make the ultimate Roast Turkey.
Get the recipe for Roast Turkey:
Buy our winning roasting pan:
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
Related posts
46 Comments
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thanks a lot for this recipe – it helped a lot to prepare an amazing 20-pound-Christmas-turkey. Maybe worth mentioning: for my turkey the overall cooking time was much shorter than my expectations based on the usual rules of thumb (about 4,5 h instead of 6,5 h). Maybe it was because of the pizza stone…
This will be my second year making it! So excited. I don’t have a pizza stone but it still came out so good.
Does anyone here have a fat separating device?
If your don't, what is the workaround?
This recipe is very scientific and a bit complicated.
What about putting a turkey uncovered in refrigerator no cross contamination?
This recipe is excellent. I apply the same approach even if I'm making just a couple of turkey legs.
I'm concerned about leaving any kind of poultry for 48 hours before cooking it. (even though it would be in the fridge). In the past 3 years due to Covid, we've bought lots of whole chickens, or legs/wings/etc from several different stores (Costco, Foodland, Loblaws etc) that were fine at purchase and immediately frozen, but as soon as I defrosted them in the fridge overnight, when beginning cooking prep the next day, there was an off-smell and they consequently went in the garbage. Not sure why this has happened unless we were being sold 'old' chicken(s). So leaving it brining in the fridge for 48 hours is a HUGE concern for me.
I followed the recipe for roasting the turkey to the letter using a 16lb Butterball turkey, it came out beautifully. I was concerned the meat might be too salty but it wasn't, though I think you could cut back a little on the salt if you wanted to. I am a lazy cook so for the gravy, I used Lawrys Turkey Gravy mix…I think it is delicious and it only takes minutes to make.
Just throw the bird in thee oven let it cook 168 pull it eat the the damn thing gravy buy a jar
I wonder how many people would burn themselves doing this?
This young fellow was a joy to watch, Yes, I did learn so much, I never knew about the pre cooking, prep a whole day before cooking, then the baking power paste, Man this is all Greek to me, anyway , I followed his instruction, to the letter even the pizza stone, So thanks, My turkey and gravy turned out perfect, so from now on I will be watching America,s Test Kitchen
DAN’S THE MAN!
Love it yum ❤️❤️
I will stick with my oven bag for a turkey. Don't really care about the Rockwell turkey but one of moist and seasoned meat. Can't beat the bag.
I love Dan’s cute laugh.
Omg I’m doing the same thing, using my tong and spoon , great
What do you do if you need double the amount of gravy?
I tried this method this year (2022). It worked amazingly well! Thank you for the techniques! You never disappoint.
Thank you so much! This was the best turkey that I have ever made.
Made this. Best moist turkey I've ever made. Thank you.
I have used this exact technique for the last two years and our turkeys always turned out beautifully browned and so tender and juicy. You won't regret trying this dry brine along with the temperature variations. We did a 16 pound turkey, and after the 90 min at 325 it was done! Don't skip that first 45 minutes at 425 before turning down the temp.
I did this method this year following this recipe exactly and the turkey was so salty I couldn't eat any of it! Maybe salt it over night but rinse it off in the AM? The gravy was ruined, stuffing was ruined and leftovers are ruined! So beware!
The turkey came out juicy and tender for the first time ever using his method. But the skin was not crispy; it’s was tough and leathery. The gravy was a FAIL. Put in 3-1/4 cups of water and 1/4 of wine and it WILL taste like water+wine+a turkey neck = tasteless. The gravy was also a HUGE job. Made the whole thing a frantic, complex project, whereas the turkey was really easy. Plus all the tasty juices from the turkey were totally wasted by adding all that water!! Thanks!
Skip the gravy😤in this recipe and buy bottled turkey gravy.
The last few years, I have only roasted turkey thighs and legs until I watched this episode! This turkey is delicious! Never have I had a well-seasoned, succulent, tender turkey breast. After roasting and resting, I deboned the breast and cut off the wings, thighs and legs. Next. I thickened the gray and poured it over the turkey! Not afraid to roast a turkey! I will also adapt this technique to roasting a capon, too!!! Thanks
Hiw much flour
Though I love this video for the mechanics of cooking a Turkey, I don’t understand why there’s no real seasoning on the actual turkey!!! If it was seasoned well you wouldn’t need all of that gravy.
Too many steps just to make a Turkey
Screw Norman Rockwell. The easiest way to perfectly roast a turkey is to butcher it in advance and roast it on pans already slaughtered for consumption. Won't look as traditional but comes out better and piled on a plate piping hot is easier to divvy out.
I’m feeling against using sugar on the turkey. Has anyone done a direct comparison of using sugar vs. not? I’ve done a lot of cooking, but not turkeys. Also, no seasoning on the turkey except for the salt/sugar?? Seems bland. I like a lot of seasoning!
I've always figured that Norman Rockwell was a fantasy artist. 😁
Any tips for baking stone preferred ?
Can anyone tell me how much flour was added?? Trying to make this for tomorrow. Thank you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for the detailed information. It is too late this year for me to try to cook the turkey a different way, but I bought a second turkey for my husband and I (as all our leftovers go to our son and his friends) so we will try this recipe After Thanksgiving. Thank you again and God bless! Happy Thanksgiving 2022!!!
I am concerned that there is no seasoning or herbs used in this recipe. Sounds bland.
Sorry, but that is the most complicated gravy procedure I've ever seen. How on earth is this- in any world- considered "easy"? Just follow these 17 steps over the course of an hour or so- on Thanksgiving day with a house full of guests, of course- and you'll have a real hit on your hands. Or just throw a jar of Heinz in the microwave. Your guests are probably too buzzed by dinnertime to know the difference… Sometimes this channel is so far off the mark, it's comical. Their french toast tutorial is literally horrendous.
I make cardboard gravy not box it's the flavor= Now I will try to make yours. Your gravy has no turkey flavor it tastes like the veggies/ the meat no good turkey flavor its going to the dogs = PIZZA TIME
Can this technique be used on a stuffed turkey?
Question, love this recipe but I do not have a pizza stone or steel to use in place can I still use this recipe?
How many table spoon salt n sugar for 17lb bird
How do you adjust timing for 20 pound turkey
Can't wait to try it!
Why dont they put directions n amounts in the comment section !
Mmmmm good
This is the WORST COOKING A TURKEY AND GRAVY video EVERY!! Oh my god, yuck yuck yuck
❤
Looking toward
If I don't have a fat separator..do you have any suggestions to be able to get the liquid needed to make the gravy