Developing the Thanksgiving turkey for Bon Appétit is a particular kind of pressure. The bird will be the centerpiece of hundreds of families’ holiday meals (we hope). There’s not much room for error. We want deeply browned, crispy skin and juicy, well-seasoned meat, every time.
Andy Baraghani got the assignment for our 2018 Thanksgiving menu, and his Dry-Brined Turkey With Tangy Honey Glaze has been a go-to for many of our editors ever since. The method is straightforward but strategic: Dry-brine the bird well in advance, get butter under the skin, glaze rather than baste, and start it in a hot oven before dropping the temperature to gently finish cooking. Here’s why each step matters.
Why this turkey works
Dry-brining is key
Andy’s recipe calls for massaging the turkey with a dry brine, then letting it chill in the fridge. It’s a technique we often use with chicken, and it’s especially useful for a whole turkey; the salt seasons the meat throughout while helping it retain moisture as it cooks.
Why dry-brine instead of wet-brine? Maybe in the past you’ve filled a huge cooler or tub with saltwater, constructing an elaborate dunk tank for the bird. Our opinion: It’s a pain, it’s a mess, and that bucket takes up way too much refrigerator real estate. A dry brine gets the job done without waterlogging the turkey or diluting its flavor.
To dry-brine a turkey, first remove the neck and giblets from the cavity, then pat the bird dry with paper towels. Andy keeps things simple with kosher salt and brown sugar. Don’t skip the sugar: It caramelizes in the oven, helping the skin develop a deep golden-brown color.
Massage the dry brine all over the bird—outside and inside the cavity—at least 12 hours and up to 2 days before you plan to roast it. Then let the turkey hang out, uncovered, in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Butter over and under the skin
While the oven preheats, rub a whole stick of unsalted butter over the turkey and underneath the skin. Unsalted is important here; there’s already plenty of salt from the dry brine.
Loosening the skin lets you get the butter directly onto the meat, helping keep it juicy while encouraging the exterior to turn golden brown. It’s not pretty work, but it’s worth it.
Andy doesn’t add vegetables or aromatics to the pan either. A few rogue thyme sprigs are more likely to burn than impart much flavor.
Glaze, don’t baste
If crispy skin is your goal—and when has it ever not been?—basting can sabotage your mission. Brushing or spritzing the turkey with stock or pan juices reintroduces moisture to the skin, working against all that careful drying.
Glazing is another story. This recipe combines vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, garlic, orange zest, and butter into a sweet-tart glaze. Brush it over the turkey every 30 minutes as it roasts, and watch as it caramelizes into a glossy, deeply browned shellac.
Skip the roasting pan
If you only break out the ginormous roasting pan once a year, you may not need it at all. High-sided roasting pans can block the circulation of hot air around the turkey, resulting in less-even browning.
Instead, roast the bird on a wire rack set inside a rimmed sheet pan, which gives more of its exterior exposure to the heat. If the thought of balancing a big, heavy turkey on a rack without high walls makes you nervous, a regular roasting pan will still work.
