Brined Lemon-Herb Aioli Style Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Brined Lemon-Herb Aioli Style Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey, Mayonnaise turkey, Thanksgiving recipe

Prep Time 2 30

Cook Time 3 30

Brining 1

Total Time 1 6

Servings people

Calories 475kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Ingredients

Brine

1 gallon regular water
1-1/3 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp. crushed dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried sage leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 gallon ice water
1 12-16 lb fresh, young hen frozen is okay too, but thawed

Lemon-Herb Aioli

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
10-12 fresh sage leaves, minced
10 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
2-3 shoots fresh parsley
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1-1/2 tsps turmeric
juice of one lemon

Turkey

1 large onion, cut into large chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into 3-4" pieces
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, slightly softened
salt and pepper

Instructions

Brine

In a large stockpot, combine regular water, sugar, kosher salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, peppercorns and marjoram. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, making sure salt and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

1 gallon regular water, 1-1/3 cups kosher salt, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 tbsp. crushed dried rosemary, 1 tbsp dried sage leaves, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp dried marjoram
When cooled, pour brine into a large bring bag or into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.

1 gallon ice water
Make sure you have removed all of the turkey innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in a refrigerator overnight. (You can also use a cooler and leave in the garage if you live somewhere where temps are colder than your refrigerator.) Brine turkey for 24 hours.

1 12-16 lb fresh, young hen frozen is okay too, but thawed
Remove the turkey, draining off excess brine and pat dry. Discard brine.

Lemon-Herb Aioli (you can make this a day ahead)

For the aioli mixture, combine all ingredients and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours, letting the flavors meld.

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced, 10-12 fresh sage leaves, minced, 10 sprigs fresh thyme, minced, 2-3 shoots fresh parsley, 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise, 1-1/2 tsps turmeric, juice of one lemon

Turkey

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place turkey in a large roasting pan, breast side down. Using a flexible spatula, rub mayonnaise mixture all over outside of turkey and inside of cavity. Salt and pepper the turkey well. Place onions, celery and butter inside turkey cavity.

1 large onion, cut into large chunks, 2 stalks celery, cut into 3-4" pieces, 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, slightly softened, salt and pepper
Roast turkey at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. (If at any time your turkey is getting too brown, you an always place a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the top of the turkey.) Turn oven down to 350 degrees for another 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until thigh meat and breast meat both reach 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer. (This is where a digital thermometer comes in handy. You don't have to keep checking the doneness of the meat while it's in the oven. Start with the thermometer in the breast and when it reaches 160 move it to the thigh. Dark meat often takes longer to cook.)

Notes

Take 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 pan for this recipe, you will still need to set the turkey on a roasting rack inside the pan for the best results.

Nutrition