If you care for the tang of citrus, you may want to try our citrus brined turkey recipe.
Ingredients
For 8 Person(s)
Turkey Ingredients
1 whole thawed turkey
3 oranges (wedged)
3 lemons (wedged)
Brine Ingredients
4 cups orange juice
0.25 cup lemon juice
0.25 sup lime juice
0.5 cup cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups coarse kosher salt
2 Tbsp pickling spice* (see notes)
0.25 cup Italian parsley
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 cloves crushed garlic
3 leaves fresh sage
1 whole orange peel
1 whole lemon peel
1 whole lime peel
1 gallon water
Compound Butter Ingredients
1.5 cups softened unsalted butter
3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lime zest
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Citrus Brined Roasted Turkey Directions
Brining Instructions
1/ Combine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.
2/ Remove from the heat, cover and allow to cool for 45 minutes. Add enough ice to the pot to create 2 gallons of brine mixture and stir until most or all the ice has melted.
3/ Place the turkey in a large plastic bag or food safe bucket. Add the brine mixture. Refrigerate 12-24 hours
Compound Butter Instructions
4/ In a large mixing bowl, mix the ingredients thoroughly.
5/ Place the mixture on a large piece of clear plastic wrap. Form the mixture into a long “log like” roll and wrap in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
Roast Turkey Instructions
6/ Remove the turkey from the brine. Rinse and pat dry.
7/ Remove the compound butter from the refrigerator and allow it to soften.
8/ Insert the orange, lemon and lime wedges into the cavity of the turkey.
9/ “Truss” the turkey with butchers string or tie the legs together. Rub the compound butter over all the skin areas of the turkey.
10/ Fill the grill with charcoal, light it and heat to 250°F (120°C). Add wood chunks (optional).
11/ Insert the heat deflector racks and plates. Place a drip pan on top of the plates and insert the main cooking grates.
12/ Place the turkey on the main cooking grates (roast for 2 hours).
13/ Increase the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and baste with more compound butter. Baste each hour of cooking. If the skin is becoming too dark you can tent it with aluminum foil.
14/ Target Internal Temperatures: 165°F (74°C) for the breast, 185°F (85°C) for the thigh.
15/ When done, remove from the grill and allow it to rest uncovered for 20-30 minutes.
Recipe notes
Option: Roasting by Time Instead of Internal Temperature
If you do not have a pen thermometer or a way to check the internal temperature you can cook by time. Roast at 325°F (163°C) for 15 minutes per pound (For example: a 20 lb turkey should be roasted for 5 hours).
*A crushed mix of all spice, mustard seed, coriander, cloves, crushed red pepper, bay leaf
