Turkey in a Bowl
Stressed at the thought of cooking a turkey? Don’t be! We’ve made dozens of turkeys over the years and we’ve figured out how to cook a turkey perfectly every time. Spoiler: the best way to cook a turkey is in a bowl!
Servings: 25 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Bulb Garlic
- Olive Oil
- 18 Pound Turkey whole
- 3 Tablespoons Butter softened
- 2 Lemons zested
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme minced (or 2 ½ teaspoons dried)
- 1 Tablespoon Sage minced (or 2 ½ teaspoons dried)
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
For the Gravy
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Instructions
Turkey Basics
- A frozen turkey will need thaw 24 hours per every 5 pounds.
- Turkey will need to cook for 1 hour per pound.
- Safe internal temperature for a turkey is 175 degrees F the thigh and 165 degrees F in the breast.
Turkey Timeline
- Remove turkey from freezer to thaw in the fridge: 4 days ahead of time
- Turkey roasts in the oven: 15 hours
- Turkey rests: 30 minutes
Turkey in a Bowl
- Heat an oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the garlic bulb on a cutting board and slice off the very top to expose the garlic.1 Bulb Garlic
- Drizzle with olive oil.Olive Oil
- Wrap the bulb in foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the garlic from the oven and squeeze out the soft garlic cloves into a bowl.
- Add the softened butter, herbs and spices.3 Tablespoons Butter, 2 Lemons, 1 Tablespoon Thyme, 1 Tablespoon Sage, 2 teaspoons Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- Stir to combine.
- Rub the turkey with the butter mixture under the skin and over it.18 Pound Turkey
- If your turkey is extra large you may need to double the butter.
- Place the turkey breast side down in a 20 QT stainless steel bowl.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour a pound at 250 degrees, up to 15 hours.
- Carefully remove from the oven and remove the liquid to a gravy fat separator.
- Pour the drippings into a pan over medium high heat.
- Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons Water
- Once the drippings are simmering, whisk in the cornstarch mixture until smooth and thick. If you don't need all of the slurry don't use it, or make more if you ended up with a lot of drippings.
- Remove the turkey from the bowl to a platter, no need to cut as it's all shredded.
Notes
Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the meat from the bones before freezing.
Nutrition
Serving: 2slices | Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 93g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 360mg | Sodium: 855mg