This Mayonnaise Turkey is self-basting, just one of the reasons it is the best turkey you will ever make. Even the juicy leftovers will have you wondering why you’ve made your turkey any other way.
Brined Lemon-Herb Aioli Style Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey Recipe
My family says this is THE BEST TURKEY they have ever eaten…even my pickiest, pickiest eater-child. And you know what? They are right. This mayonnaise method turkey is so full of flavor, so juicy, so moist, it really is off the charts delicious. The beautiful color is also a bonus from the turmeric used in the aioli. My family begs insists I make it again every Thanksgiving and/or Christmas.
I have experimented with cooking turkey so many ways. I do like the deep frying method because it frees up your oven and keeps the men busy outside! I think the guys actually enjoy working with dangerously hot oil, while cooking meat and drinking beer. I also like cooking my turkey in an electric roaster, it also turns out great. However, the mayonnaise method is still the best road map to the juiciest turkey.
And while we all cook a turkey for Thanksgiving, how many of you also make one for Christmas? Apparently 22 million Americans have turkey on their Christmas table, as opposed to 46 million for Thanksgiving. Who else is surprised by that number? That is a lot of turkey served on Christmas. Who knew?
The Perfect Thanksgiving Menu
- Pumpkin Pie Martini
- Fall Harvest Appetizer Board
- Pumpkin Sage Drop Biscuits
- Pretzel Bread, Bacon and Apple Stuffing
- Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots
- The Best Cranberry-Tangerine Chutney
- Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy
- Brined Lemon-Herb Aioli Style Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey
- Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
- Easy Pecan Pie Cobbler
Why Brine a Turkey? ~ It’s Science, not Quackery. Just Do It.
- Regardless of what method you choose to make your turkey, you need to pinkie swear with me right now, you will always brine your bird. Brining makes such a difference in flavor and how juicy your turkey will be. You are going to spend so much time cooking this piece of poultry, why have it turn out less than awesome?
- If you have a science background you’ll likely remember the processes of osmosis, diffusion and the denaturing of proteins. Those processes are basically what’s happening when we brine.
- With osmosis in play, the high salt solution (brine) passes through permeable meat cells when you soak your turkey overnight. Diffusion creates a balance of the salt and water in the meat and the salt and water from the surrounding brine. This results in a higher concentration of salt and water in the meat and less water loss during cooking. Pretty amazing right?
- The salty concentration also denatures protein strands found in the meat, taking them from a tightly wound shape to an unwound and tangled state. It is this tangled up structure that traps the water molecules and holds on to them while cooking. The result…a very juicy bird and many happy eaters. This is the real deal and it works!
What Size Turkey Should I Buy ~ Is Bigger Better?
I find hens (about 12-16 pounds) are much more tender and flavorful. The larger Tom turkeys are much bigger and will obviously feed a much larger group. However, they are never as juicy. I will always buy a young hen in the 12-16 pound range…preferably fresh and never frozen.
If you can, stick with a young, fresh hen for best results.
The Mayonnaise Method For Roasting a Turkey
- Mayonnaise helps keep the turkey moist and browns the skin nicely. Rubbing your turkey with mayonnaise stops you from continually opening the oven door to baste the turkey. The mayonnaise is a layer of fat, similar to slathering it with butter, except the mayo stays in place and browns nicely.
- Mixing the mayonnaise with fresh herbs from the garden, turmeric for color and the juice from a lemon, results in an herb infused-mayo similar to an aioli dip. The lemon juice lends the turkey a great tang and flavor; it smells amazing in the oven almost immediately.
- Make your aioli the day before or early in the morning so flavors can meld together.
- Rub the turkey down with the mayo mixture, inside and out. Coat the inside of the turkey with a stick of butter and stuff the cavity with onions and celery.
- Liberal amounts of freshly ground pepper on the outside and your turkey is ready for the oven.
- This whole method would work well for roasted chicken.
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Brined Lemon-Herb Aioli Style Mayonnaise Roasted TurkeyThis Mayonnaise Turkey is self-basting, just one of the reasons it is the best turkey you will ever make. Even the juicy leftovers will have you wondering why you’ve made your turkey any other way.
Servings: 14 people
Calories: 475kcal
IngredientsBrine
Lemon-Herb Aioli
Turkey
InstructionsBrine
Lemon-Herb Aioli (you can make this a day ahead)
Turkey
NotesTake the nutrition facts with a grain of salt for this recipe and use it as a guide. There is just no real accurate way for me to gauge exactly how much you are going to consume with so many variables like brine, white/dark meat, skin etc.
If you decide to use a throw away roasting for this recipe you will still need to set the turkey on a roasting rack inside the pan for the best results. NutritionNutrition Facts
Brined Lemon-Herb Aioli Style Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey
Amount Per Serving
Calories 475
Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31% Cholesterol 245mg82% Potassium 800mg23% Carbohydrates 7g2% Fiber 1g4% Sugar 7g8% Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 215IU4% Calcium 57mg6% Iron 3mg17% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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