Crisp Tender Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe and Tips

Yeah, I instagrammed this turkey.  And, yeah I instagrammed it, like, a year ago.  And no, that totally isn't lame, because I have two wicked good reasons for it.  And no, I didn't make up two totally random reasons just to cover my ass.  Just one.

Reason #1:  It doesn't matter what turkey I post, because every turkey I stick in my oven comes out crispy and brown on the outside, and tender as hell on the inside.  And that's what we're talking about today - how to nail that turkey roast EVERY TIME.  I'll even guarantee that these instructions will lead down the path of better-turkeydom, or your money back!

And #2:  I was so excited about the turkey I made for our pre-thanksgiving friendsgiving celebration this past week, I completely forgot to take AFTER photos.  But were other people there who can vouch for the turkey's crispy tender deliciousness.  And also its existence.  

Crisp and Tender Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

3-4 cloves of garlic, halved

3-4 tbs of softened butter. softened and cut into quarters

1 whole onion, cut into large circular pieces

1 whole lemon cut into eighths

2 tbs of rub (I used Spice House Back of the Yard, because it rules over all other spices ever)

1 tsp of olive oil, plus enough to rub the turkey down with thoroughly

1.  Preheat oven to 350ish.  Take the lemon, onion, garlic, butter, and half the rub and toss it in a bowl.  Mix it up well (I usually use my hands) and leave it be.

2.  Remove all that giblet crap from your turkey, rub it down with olive oil FIRST - then really work the rest of that rub into the skin. 

3.  Stuff that bird full of the veggie/lemon mixture - don't skimp, get as much of that mixture as you can in there.  Drop the rest into the roasting pan - it'll help flavor the basting juices.

4.  Toss the turkey in the oven and baste every 20-40 minutes.  If the turkey hasn't dropped any juices yet, use a little bit of extra olive oil

5.  About 3/4 of the way through the cooking process, FLIP THE BIRD - crisp up the skin on the other side, and make sure you baste RIGHT after you do this.

6.  Turn up the oven to 375-400 for the last 20 minutes or so - let that skin firm up before taking it out.

That's it - the veggie mixture should keep the inside of your bird flavorful and tender, and the oil and basting should make the skin all brown and crispy like.

Next, we'll tackle stuffing, which doesn't take a lot of tackling at all!

As always, send me your pics of the recipe, and I'll post on Facebook!