whole turkey

My family hardly ever eats turkey anymore that I haven't smoked. 

I tried this injection at Thanksgiving, and it is the best I've done yet.

Enjoy.

Honey, Butter, and Orange Injected Smoked Turkey

butter, melted

shallot, sliced

garlic clove, sliced

sage

thyme

salt

cracked black pepper, fresh

orange zest

white wine

oranges, juice of

turkey breast turkey

In a small sauce pan, add the shallot and the garlic to the melted butter. Simmer on very low for about twenty minutes stirring occasionally. Add the sage, thyme, salt, pepper, orange zest, and white wine. Let simmer for fifteen more minutes to cook off the alcohol, stirring occasionally. Add the orange juice. Strain this into a bowl. Wipe out the sauce pan and return mixture to the pan. Add the honey. (When I added the honey, I just added a little, and kept stirring and tasting until the honey taste just barely started to come through.

I stored this in the refridgerator overnight. The next morning I reheated it just until it was liquified, then injected it into the turkey. Smoke or bake as you normally would.

Made this for Thanksgiving this year.  We injected the turkey the night before.  The next morning we put it on the TRAEGER grill and smoked it for 6 hours then turned it up and finished cooking it off.  It was the best tureky I have ever made.  I will definitely make it again.  The whole family loved it.

Always wanted to cook a turkey for Christmas but never quite had the confidence? Well, your prayers have been answered. Anyone with an oven can cook this super-easy turkey. Recipe: Cranberry glazed turkey with pumpkin and pecan stuffing

Cranberry glazed turkey with pumpkin and pecan stuffing

(40 grams) salt flakes

tbs raw sugar

turkey,

rosemary

olive oil

unsalted butter, melted, cooled

1L (4 cups) chicken stock

dried cranberries

frozen cranberries

tbs finely chopped rosemary leaves

(440 grams) raw sugar

oranges

juice of two oranges

unsalted butter, melted

onion,

garlic cloves, crushed

speck, finely chopped

coarsely grated butternut pumpkin

fresh sourdough breadcrumbs

pecans, finely chopped

tbs finely chopped rosemary

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5977447755001&=domain=del

5348771529001-5977447755001

Here's how to make a dry brine turkey along with a flavorful orange-rosemary herb butter for good measure! It's so much easier than using an immersion brine -- no need to fill your stock pot and then hunt for a place to put it in your fridge.

Dry Brine Turkey with Orange-Rosemary Herb Butter

12-14 pound Diestel Pasture-Raised Turkey

Tablespoons Kosher salt

Tablespoons coconut sugar (optional)

Tablespoon black pepper

(2 sticks) of softened salted butter (grass-fed, if possible)

naval oranges

lemon

rosemary,

thyme,

shallot, peeled and chopped finely

garlic,

celery,

carrots,

chicken

Tablespoons tapioca or arrowroot starch

butter

Sea salt, if needed

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey....

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Wipe any moisture from the turkey with a paper towel. Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet or something for it to sit on while brining in the fridge.

In a small bowl, combine the Kosher salt,...

In a small bowl, combine the Kosher salt, coconut sugar, and black pepper. Rub the mixture all over the skin of the bird. Wrap the bird in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 days. At the beginning of the 3rd day, remove the plastic wrap and let the bird dry, uncovered, in the fridge for the last day of brining. This will make the skin crisp up nicely.

Make the herb butter by placing the soft...

Make the herb butter by placing the soft butter in a bowl. Add the zest from both oranges and the lemon to the butter. Add the rest of the herb butter ingredients. Reserve the zested oranges and lemon for later use in the recipe. (You may want to cover them in plastic wrap, too, if it'll be more than a day before you cook the turkey.)

Mix the herb butter well, then transfer it...

Mix the herb butter well, then transfer it to one side of a large piece of parchment paper. Fold the edge of the paper over the butter, an using your hands, form it into a log shape, rolling it up in the parchment and twisting the ends to seal. Chill until ready to use.

About an hour before you plan on roasting...

About an hour before you plan on roasting the turkey, remove it from the fridge. Wipe some of the excess brine from the skin with a paper towel. Do not rinse.

Use your fingers to loosen the skin from...

Use your fingers to loosen the skin from the meat around the breast area. You may need to use the end of a mixing spoon to detach the skin around the top of the breast if it's hard to reach with your fingers. Be careful not to pull too hard and tear the skin too badly. Do the same with the leg and thigh areas, making a small incision between the leg and the thigh to access both areas.

Insert the herb butter under the skin in...

Insert the herb butter under the skin in the breast, leg, and thigh areas.

Pull out the reserved oranges and lemon. Slice...

Pull out the reserved oranges and lemon. Slice them in half and put two halves along with two lemon halves and a couple of herb sprigs in the cavity of the chicken.  Put one orange half (reserve the last orange half for the gravy) in the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the onion, celery, carrots, herbs, and 2 cups of water. Place the roasting rack on top.

Tuck the wings behind the body and tie...

Tuck the wings behind the body and tie the legs together. Place the turkey, BREAST-SIDE DOWN (yes, upside down) on the roasting rack.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and...

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and let the turkey sit at room temperature until the oven heats up. Roast on the bottom rack for 1 hour.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Flip...

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Flip the turkey over using heavy tongs and an oven mitt, so it is breast-side up. Baste, and continue to roast, basting every 20-30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast is 155-160 degrees. My 12.5 pound turkey was finished in about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Remove the turkey from the oven and let...

Remove the turkey from the oven and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before slicing so the juices don't run out all over.

To make the gravy, use a slotted spoon...

To make the gravy, use a slotted spoon to fish out the vegetables and the orange half. Place the roasting pan (if it is stove-top safe) over medium heat. Whisk 2 cups of the broth with the tapioca starch and pour it into the gravy, whisking constantly. Cook until the gravy is bubbly and thickened slightly. Add the butter or ghee and stir until smooth. Taste, and add salt, if needed. Strain and keep warm until ready to serve.

Make sure your turkey is fully thawed on the inside. If not, it won’t cook properly. Your turkey will still be raw on the inside if it&#39;s cooked slightly frozen! Cooking times will vary depending on size of turkey. Whole, thawed turkey usually cooks at a rate of 15 min./lb. Use an instant read thermometer! Gravy recipe makes about 4 cups of gravy.

Air Fryer Whole Turkey with Gravy

lb. raw Whole Turkey

Tablespoons butter (,

garlic (, sliced thin)

Tablespoon kosher salt (,

black pepper (,

Olive Oil ((or oil of choice), to coat turkey)

chicken broth

all purpose flour ((for the gravy))

Pat turkey dry

Thaw your turkey completely on the inside cavity. Remove and giblets and neck bones from the turkey cavity (many times the giblet pack will be tucked under the skin by the neck). Pat the turkey dry.

Season turkey

Tuck the butter slices and garlic in-between the skin and the turkey breasts. Rub olive oil over the turkey and season with salt and pepper.

Put in air fryer breast down

Place the lower rack in the air fryer and spray with oil. Place the turkey breast side down in the air fryer. Pour in 1/2 cup of broth over the turkey.  Place the extender ring and lid on the air fryer.

Air fry

Air Fry the turkey at 350°F for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Baste

Every 30 minutes, baste with chicken broth (the first 2 bastes will be with the remaining broth. After that, baste from the broth &amp; juices at the bottom of the air fryer).

Flip

After cooking for 2 hours, take off the air fryer lid and extender ring. Lift the turkey out, flip to breast side up, and then place back into the air fryer. Baste the turkey and then place the extender ring and lid back on

Continue to Air Fry at 350°F until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F at the thickest parts of the thigh, wings and breast, and the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh (about 30 minutes - 1 hour).

Rest

Skim drippings

While the turkey rests, make the gravy. Remove the lower rack from the air fryer. Leaving the turkey juices and broth in the air fryer, skim the chunks from the drippings and broth.

Make gravy

Place flour in a medium bowl. Ladle in about 1 cup of the drippings and broth into the flour and whisk until smooth. Pour the flour mixture into the air fryer with the remaining drippings and broth. Whisk until smooth.

Cook gravy

Place the air fryer lid back on and Air Fry at 400°F for 10 minutes or until thickened, whisking a couple times while cooking.

I'm totally bookmarking this for Thanksgiving. Really awesome. I can't wait.

I'm adding this recipe to my holiday menu. It's really perfect. Your pictures and video was really helpful.

I'm really loving all the tips I'm seeing with the air fryer. They've becoming really useful for Thanksgiving.

So glad I could air fry an entire turkey. Thanks for your easy-to-follow instructions.

Also I brined it in a bit of pickle juice and other spices. It was really juicy

Literally the best turkey I have ever made. The whole family was raving over it, and the gravy was to die for. Thanks for the recipe.

Looking at all the recommendations you have for air fryers! Can't wait to shop for one this weekend and make this for Thanksgiving!

Love your pictures! It gives me a good idea of what I should be expecting when we air fried our turkey. It came just like your pictures! And I used extra broth during basting, so the gravy was a little runnier. But by the time we ate, the gravy cooled and became thicker and it was perfect!

Thanks for all your recommendations for air fryers! I was really looking into a larger one since we have the space and I wanted one that'll fit whole turkeys, chicken, etc. We had a smaller 10 pound turkey and cut back on the cooking time. It came out crispy and perfect! Thanks so much for your amazing recipes and detail with photos. It really helped me so much.

I don't have a working oven at home so this idea helps so much! Thanks for the suggestion!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MucF545N160

Full Recipe Here ? https://airfryerworld.com/air-fryer-whole-turkey/ ——— TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE VIDEO ———— Get the Big Boss Air Fryer: https://amzn.to/3fQee33 Get the Best Oil Sprayer: https://amzn.to/39ttOR9 INGREDIENTS 14 lb. raw Whole Turkey 6 Tablespoons butter , cut into slices 4 cloves garlic , sliced thin 1 Tablespoon kosher salt , or to taste black pepper , to taste Oil , to coat turkey 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 3/4 cup all purpose flour (for the gravy) INSTRUCTIONS 1. Thaw your turkey completely on the inside cavity. Remove and giblets and neck bones from the turkey cavity (many times the giblet pack will be tucked under the skin by the neck). Pat the turkey dry. 2. Tuck the butter slices and garlic in-between the skin and the turkey breasts. Oil the turkey and season with salt and pepper. 3. Place the lower rack in the air fryer and spray with oil. Place the turkey breast side down in the air fryer. Pour in 1/2 cup of broth over the turkey. Place the extender ring and lid on the air fryer. 4. Air Fry the turkey at 350°F for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. 5. Every 30 minutes, baste with chicken broth (the first 2 bastes will be with the remaining broth. After that, baste from the broth & juices at the bottom of the air fryer). 6. After cooking for 2 hours, take off the air fryer lid and extender ring. Lift the turkey out, flip to breast side up, and then place back into the air fryer. Baste the turkey and then place the extender ring and lid back on 7. Continue to Air Fry at 350°F until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F at the thickest parts of the thigh, wings and breast, and the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh (about 30 minutes - 1 hour). 8. Let rest for about 15-20 minutes. 9. While the turkey rests, make the gravy. Remove the lower rack from the air fryer. Leaving the turkey juices and broth in the air fryer, skim the chunks from the drippings and broth. 10. Place flour in a medium bowl. Ladle in about 1 cup of the drippings and broth into the flour and whisk until smooth. Pour the flour mixture into the air fryer basket with the remaining drippings and broth. Whisk until smooth. 11. Place the air fryer lid back on and Air Fry at 400°F for 10 minutes or until thickened, whisking a couple times while cooking. ? Print Full Recipe Here ? https://airfryerworld.com/air-fryer-whole-turkey/ ? ?—— OUR ULTIMATE KITCHEN FAVORITES——?? ?Get the Best Oil Sprayer: https://amzn.to/39ttOR9 ?Get the Perforated Parchment Sheets: https://amzn.to/33sEV9a ?Get the Air Fryer Accessory Kit (choose right size for your air fryer): https://amzn.to/39GBIqv & https://amzn.to/39tvt9l ?Get the Air Fryer Silicone Pot: https://amzn.to/2JWeAco ?Get the Silicone Baking Cups: https://amzn.to/39KFjDD ?Get the OXO Silicone Tools: https://amzn.to/2JZg8lS SOCIAL MEDIA: Join our Food Community: Subscribe to Our YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/airfryerworld?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theairfryerclub/ Facebook Group for Help & Tips https://www.facebook.com/groups/AirFryerRecipesClub Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AirFryerWorld/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/airfryerworld Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AirFryerWorld/

Air Fryer Whole Roast Turkey with Gravy with Time & Temp.

This recipe gives you everything you want in a roast turkey: crisp skin, juicy and well-seasoned meat. It’s also extremely straightforward, the kind of thing you can memorize, then return to year after year. The important points are to dry brine the turkey in the fridge a day or two before roasting, brush oil or butter onto the skin so it turns gorgeously golden in the oven, and splash a little wine in the bottom of the roasting pan so the drippings don’t burn. Once you’ve figured out the amount of salt to use in the dry brine (see Tip), you can add herbs, spices and aromatics, or leave it plain and simple. It’s everything a classic Thanksgiving bird should be, no matter when you make it.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/10/multimedia/10FD-101-TURKEYREX-MC-Turkey-101-wholeturkey-recipecard-wjtb/10FD-101-TURKEYREX-MC-Turkey-101-wholeturkey-recipecard-wjtb-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Classic Thanksgiving Turkey

(10- turkey,

Salt and black pepper, as needed (see Tips)

Optional dry brine seasonings (see Tips)

dry white wine, plus more as needed

garlic cloves, smashed and peeled (optional)

bay leaves (optional)

Olive oil

NYT Cooking

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/10/multimedia/10FD-101-TURKEYREX-MC-Turkey-101-wholeturkey-recipecard-wjtb/10FD-101-TURKEYREX-MC-Turkey-101-wholeturkey-recipecard-wjtb-googleFourByThree.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/10/multimedia/10FD-101-TURKEYREX-MC-Turkey-101-wholeturkey-recipecard-wjtb/10FD-101-TURKEYREX-MC-Turkey-101-wholeturkey-recipecard-wjtb-mediumSquareAt3X.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/11/10/multimedia/10FD-101-TURKEYREX-MC-Turkey-101-wholeturkey-recipecard-wjtb/10FD-101-TURKEYREX-MC-Turkey-101-wholeturkey-recipecard-wjtb-facebookJumbo.jpg

At least 1 day (and up to 3 days) before roasting the turkey, remove any giblets from the turkey cavity and reserve them for stock or gravy. Pat the turkey and the turkey neck dry with a paper towel. 

In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper and any optional dry brine seasonings. Rub this mixture all over the turkey, inside and out, including under the skin of the breasts and thighs (don’t stress about this part, but if it's easy to separate skin from the flesh, seasoning the meat under the skin will deepen the flavor). Season the turkey neck.  

Place the turkey, breast-side down, on a rack on a baking pan along with the neck. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days, turning the turkey so it’s breast-side up about halfway through the brining time.

When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for 1 hour (this helps the meat cook evenly). 

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the turkey neck in the bottom of a large roasting pan; add the wine and enough broth to fill the pan to a ¼-inch depth. Add half the onions, half the garlic (if using) and the bay leaves (if using) to the liquid in the pan. Stuff the bunch of herbs, the remaining onion quarters and the remaining garlic into the turkey cavity. Brush the turkey skin generously with oil or butter. (Using softened butter rather than melted allows you to add more since it clings to the skin better; if you like, you can smear some softened butter under the skin, too.)

Place turkey, breast-side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together if you like. (It makes a neater presentation but doesn’t affect the cooking time.) Transfer pan to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh and the breast (making sure not to touch bone) reaches a temperature of 155 degrees, 1 to 11/2 hours more (or longer for a bigger bird; calculate a total cooking time of about 12 minutes per pound). If the liquid in the bottom of the pan begins to dry out before the turkey is cooked through, top it off with a generous glug of wine, broth or water.

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board to rest for 20 to 30 minutes (you can tent it with foil if you like) before carving. The temperature of the bird will rise to 165 degrees during this resting time. Be sure to save the drippings; you can use them for gravy (pour them into a batch of make-ahead gravy or start from scratch) or add them to any stock you make from the turkey carcass.

For a 20 lb. Bird can you double ingredients or will that be too much liquid?

How are the heart and giblets roasted? This isn't mentioned in the written instructions and in the video, only the neck appears to be roasted with the turkey (the written recipe) confirms this, but then the video cuts to a shot of what appears to be roasted giblets and heart that she and the crew are eating. Can I add them to the turkey with the neck or will this be too long for such small pieces of meat? Otherwise, how should I roast them? Thanks.

I have been coming back to this recipe for years, and it seems like the turkey neck part is new, along with a couple other things. Looking forward to trying it with the modifications.

Melissa, the recipe and video are amazing! One question. How far ahead can I make the turkey and then reheat it before Thanksgiving dinner? Couple of hours? Does it need tenting under foil, etc.? Thanks for whatever guidance you can provide.

this made a perfect turkey and roasting the neck made a deep full rich broth.

I used chicken stock and water as this was for a school. 

turkey was moist and picture perfect.

https://vp.nyt.com/video/2025/11/05/153936_1_Cooking-101-turkey-YT-VID_wg_480p.mp4

Top 5 whole turkey recipes from across the web

The most viewed whole turkey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Honey, Butter, and Orange Injected ...

Cranberry glazed turkey with pumpki...

Dry Brine Turkey with Orange-Rosema...

Air Fryer Whole Turkey with Gravy

Classic Thanksgiving Turkey

Top 5 whole turkey recipes from across the web

The most viewed whole turkey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Honey, Butter, and Orange Injected ...

Cranberry glazed turkey with pumpki...

Dry Brine Turkey with Orange-Rosema...

Air Fryer Whole Turkey with Gravy

Classic Thanksgiving Turkey

The most viewed whole turkey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine