Moist and Tender Turkey (Or Turkey Breast)

"PLEASE READ this regarding TEMP & TIME! There is no "right" temperature. If you roast it at 250°F it will just take longer to cook than at 325°F. (Just like picking High or Low on a crock-pot) I cannot tell you exactly how long it will take. It depends on what type of oven you have & how warm/cold your turkey is when you put it in the oven. You HAVE to use an instant read thermometer to know when it is cooked. (I roast my 18-20 lbs. fresh turkey at 250°F. It took about 4 hours to reach the correct temperature in my old convection oven. It took 5 hours in my new one.) Because of the mayo, the skin is crisp and flavorful and the meat is tender, moist and delicious. If you don't use the butter & broth, you will not have enough pan drippings to make gravy. I've also added 1/2 cup of beer or wine to the mixture before & it was also spectacular. With slow roasting it, the meat stays so juicy I've actually had it squirt out when I insert the thermometer! I've never had a better turkey."
 
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photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns) photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
photo by dojemi photo by dojemi
photo by run for your life photo by run for your life
photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns) photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns) photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
Ready In:
2hrs 10mins
Ingredients:
4
Yields:
1 turkey
Serves:
12
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ingredients

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directions

  • Place turkey or turkey breast in a roasting pan.
  • (I use a disposable roasting pan) Combine melted butter and chicken broth.
  • Pour over turkey.
  • Rub mayonnaise all over turkey's exterior.
  • Salt and pepper lightly if desired.
  • Roast at 300°-325°F until internal temperature reaches 170°F on an instant read thermometer. (I raise the temperature to 350° for the last approximate 30-45 minutes to crisp skin).
  • (I roast my 18-20 lbs. fresh turkey at 250°F in a convection oven. It takes about 4 hours to reach the correct temperature.).
  • Remove from oven and let sit for about 30 minutes before slicing.
  • Note: because the butter and broth are for making gravy, if you need to make a lot of gravy, double the amount of both.
  • To make gravy: pour pan drippings into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add 1 Tbls. cornstarch per cup of broth/drippings to 1/4 cup cold water. (You'll usually need 2-3 Tbls) Mix well to dissolve. Stir cornstarch mixture into broth and stir until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. If too thin, dissolve more cornstarch in water and add until desired thickness. If too thick, add water or more broth to thin.

Questions & Replies

  1. Hello! I'm excited to try this out, but concerned that you don't butter the outside at all, or cover it...Is that right? I have a 10-12 lb turkey breast. I do not have a convection oven. Should i still set it to 300 or lower and do it for a longer period of time? I'm afraid it's going to try out. Also what kind of mayo did you use - just helmans? TIA!
     
  2. Would you still cook a whole spatchcocked turkey at the same temps? It is supposed to cook for less time if it is spatchcocked so I would have to go by the temp of the bird. Just wondering if the oven temp needs to be adjusted. Also, at what point or temperature of the bird should the oven be raised for the final browning?
     
  3. Is the Turkey breast placed on a rack or is it just sitting in the broth and butter? Also, if you’re making two breasts at once, shoukd you double the broth?
     
  4. Do you cover the turkey with foil when baking?
     
  5. Do you cover the turkey with foil when baking?
     
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Reviews

  1. I can't say enough good things about this recipe! I made it for my Christmas Eve dinner, and everyone RAVED over it, saying it's the best they've ever had! It was so moist and still moist days after for leftover turkey sandwiches. And oh my gosh, the gravy! My sister-in-law wanted to bathe in this delicious gravy, lol! To answer another rater's question as to how to make the gravy, this is what I did: I poured the cooking juices from the bottom of the pan into a gravy separater and let the fat rise. I saw that I had 4 cups of liquid, so I skimmed 4 tablespoons of fat off the top of the cooking liquid and mixed it with 4 tablespoons of flour in a cooking pot, making a roux. Mix and stir constantly over medium heat for about 4 minutes or so. Then add the liquid very slowly, stirring constantly. Bring to a rolling boil and then let simmer for a few minutes until it reaches the desired consistency. It was PERFECT! Thank you, Marg!
     
  2. I have made bone-in turkey breast using this recipe several times, and it has always turned out moist and delicious! I rub light mayo both under the skin as well as on top, and also add freshly ground pepper, kosher salt (or Lawry's - it tastes great here), and minced garlic under and on the skin as well. I also add about half an onion, a couple carrots, garlic, and a few ribs of celery (all chopped) to the pan to ensure a more flavorful gravy (the veggies can make a nice side after roasting too) - it hasnt failed me so far. In order to make the gravy I go with a roux and whisk the (strained) broth/drippings mix and add a bit of milk to get enough volume. It is perfect every time. I also will tent foil around the bird to keep the broth from evaporating throughout the entire cooking process, and remove it about an hour before the bird is done so that it browns.
     
  3. WOW!! Include me with the other Reviewers who were skeptical and loved this recipe. I had a turkey breast, just under 6 pounds and 2 turkey thighs. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and placed the turkey in a greased casserole, 9x13. I spread the turkey with mayo and some seasonings. I did not add the butter and broth, I try to stay away from gravy. I placed the pan in the preheated oven, uncovered for 1 3/4 hours. Then I removed it from the oven and covered with foil and let it set for 30 minutes. Perfect. The skin was a beautiful brown and the meat nice and juicy. Its a keeper.<br/>Thanks Marg!
     
  4. Superb! I loved that I didn't have to baste it since the mayo kept the skin from drying out. I followed the directions exactly (5 lb bone-in turkey) and turned it up to 350 for the last 30 minutes (total cooking time=2 hr, 45 min). The outside was crisp and the inside was moist--perfect texture all around. Next time I'll double the broth/butter so there is enough gravy for all the leftover turkey and mashed potatoes.
     
  5. I just made this and can I say this was great!!!!! I put 1 teaspoon of seasoning salt, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in the mayo and then spread it in and out, soooo good I would have never thought that mayo would make that much difference but it did. Thank you so much
     
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Tweaks

  1. Used canola instead of butter, because butter isn't kosher with meat. It came out just fine. Might work well with olive oil, too.
     
  2. For an entire turkey, used NO stuffing, a mayonnaise that already contained olive oil. Up to 2 qt of chicken broth in a deep roasting pan that was not that much larger than the turkey. At 250 F, 3 hours later, flipped the turkey, breast side up. Added more chicken broth. Using an instant read digital thermometer that was inserted into the middle of the breast flesh, removed for standing when the turkey's internal temperature was 165 F. Absolutely perfect and moist!
     
  3. I had two turkey breasts in the freezer just waiting for a way to cook them. I found this recipe and have a family full of happy campers. I used half the first breast for a Turkey Caesar salad, so much better than chicken. The next day turned cold and wet so I grabbed the broth, some veggies, rice and the other half of the turkey breast and made dh and ds some hot turkey soup for when they got home from work. The second breast is being used in lunch sandwiches and the guys are loving it. The turkey is full of flavour and so moist. Thanks so much for the excellent recipe, it will be my goto for making turkey and chicken breasts for salads and sandwiches. Ps. I used Earth Balance in place of the butter as turns out I'm allergic to dairy :(
     
  4. I made a turkey breast for the first time with this recipe and it turned out wonderful! I'm not a huge white meat fan because it can be too dry, but this was moist with great flavor. I also added a few sprigs of fresh thyme to give it a little extra flavor. I used dry white wine instead of broth, and the wine and the thyme go very well together. I would highly recommend this to anyone! Try it! :)
     
  5. I used a whole chicken instead of the turkey breast. It worked great! The meat was very moist and delicious and the drippings made a fabulous gravy.
     

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With the changes to the email notifications and removal of private messaging, I am no longer able to respond to questions about my recipes. Yet another feature change that has made the website less user friendly. It's sad to watch a fantastic site deteriorate over the years. Some of my recipes are on my blog.
 
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