The best roast turkey recipe for Thanksgiving and the holiday season! Marinating it in pineapple juice for 48 hours before roasting infuses mouth-watering flavor into every bite. If you aren’t a fan of turkey this recipe can easily be adjusted for roast chicken (or if you’re feeling fancy, a few Cornish hens)!
Crispy on the outside, tender, juicy, and full of flavor on the inside – that’s the kind of Thanksgiving Turkey you would be proud to serve the entire gang for such an important family holiday!
20-25 lbs. whole turkey
2 large cans of pineapple juice
4-6 cloves minced garlic (to taste)
2 cloves chopped garlic (to taste)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup chopped apples
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 medium yellow onion, cut in quarters
Salt & Pepper to taste
Butter to taste (optional)
Servings: 10-20
Preparation:
Remove the bag of offal from the turkey’s belly. Thoroughly rinse the turkey and towel dry.
Rub salt, pepper, and garlic all over the surface of the meat. Insert garlic (and optional butter) inside turkey’s belly and under the skin. You may choose to insert desired stuffing into turkey’s belly as well.
In a deep bowl, brine and marinade turkey with pineapple juice, thyme, chopped garlic, chopped celery, apples, and onion. Let it marinate for 48 hours.
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 275F, 5-6 hours before serving time.
Remove marinated turkey from the bowl and pat dry.
Optional: Sprinkle more salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer turkey to a large roasting pan. To ensure the turkey will be moist, roast in an oven bag (follow instructions on package) or cover with the roasting pan lid if applicable.
Stick an oven-safe baking thermometer into the turkey. Adjust the oven rack so that the turkey will be in the center, then place the turkey into the oven at 275F for 5 hours.
Periodically check the turkey and baste, or brush it with butter. Turkey skin should be golden brown and crispy when cooked and internal temperature should be 180F. (If you cooked your choice of stuffing with the turkey, stuffing should be heated to 165F).
Turn off the oven and transfer your turkey to a large serving plate. Garnish with fruits, herbs, and stuffing.
Save leftover turkey juice in the roast pan for gravy, to serve mashed potatoes and gravy as a side dish.
Gravy Cooking Instructions:
Using the turkey juice as a stock, transfer to a saucepan over medium heat.
Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir consistently. Add 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, chopped onions and garlic to taste, and, salt and pepper to taste. Add more stock(chicken stock is okay) if desired.
Vigorously stir the sauce till the flour is completely dissolved. Let it simmer and thicken.
This should produce at least 2-3 cups of gravy.
Tips: Brushing the turkey with butter while its roasting will result in crispier skin.
Please refer to Millie’s video on how to make a great mashed potato. Happy Thanksgiving Turkey day to all!
