Mayo Rubbed Turkey

Instead of using butter try this flavorful mayonnaise instead on this year’s turkey!

This year our Thanksgiving party of 5 was supposed to be easy and effortless so we opted for a cooked turkey and easy no fuss sides. So the other day my partner went to pick up our “pre-cooked” turkey from Adam’s Faireacre Farms and to our surprise upon picking it up, we accidentally ordered a raw “fresh” turkey, lol.

My hopes of an easy Thanksgiving was almost shattered but I remembered we still had turkey bags in our pantry. We took the fresh bird home and I stumbled on this Food Network Mayo Roasted Turkey recipe which said it claimed “helps add moisture and fat to often times dry meat”, and after reading the Instagram comments, everyone said it was life changing so I decided to give it a try and boy did it not disappoint. The fat helped browns the skin beautifully and cooking it in a bag required no effort or any constant bastings which I did all previous years.

First I salted my bird overnight, the next morning I rinsed it off and pat it dry with paper towels. Then I mixed my mayo rub rubbed the mixture all over (on top of the skin and under it), and cooked it in a bag (bag instructions -here-).

See my adapted recipe below.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellman’s or Dukes)

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tbs dried parsley

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp ground sage

1 tsp sriracha

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tsp fish sauce (for added umami)

TURKEY CAVITY ADD INS

1 medium onion, quartered

1 head garlic, halved across the garlic cloves

Several sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley, rosemary and sage

2 bay leaves

PREPARATION | foodnetwork.com

Adjust a rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set a roasting rack in a large roasting pan.

1. Stir together the mayonnaise, paprika, dried parsley, garlic powder, dried thyme, ground sage, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Remove any turkey parts from the neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses if desired. Dry the bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Rub the mayonnaise mixture all over the turkey, including the cavity, trying to make it as smooth as possible, especially on the breast so it browns evenly. Stuff the cavity with the onion, garlic, herb sprigs and bay leaves.

3. Set the bird breast-side up on the prepared roasting rack. Tent the bird with foil.

4. Roast the turkey for 2 hours. Remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Add a cup of water to the bottom of the pan so that the drippings don’t burn and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thigh, 30 to 45 minutes. Let the turkey rest about 20 minutes before carving. You can strain the pan drippings and serve them on the side or reserve and blend them into your gravy for extra flavor.