This was given to me from my father-in-law over the phone during the height of COVID while we were all in lockdown and we could not spend Thanksgiving with them. Quite easily the most simple and one of the best turkeys you can make. It’s so simple and straightforward and, honestly, really hard to mess up, or, in other words, a great no-fail recipe.
Bob’s Thanksgiving Day Turkey
Quite Simply the best (and most simple) Thanksgiving Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey, frozen anywhere between 15 and 20 lbs
- 1 bottle peanut oil
- 1 whole white onion
- 3 tbsp salt, kosher this is an estimate. you really want to salt the turkey well
- 1 tbsp black pepper, fresh ground this is an estimate. you really want to pepper the turkey well
- 1 tbsp garlic powder this is an estimate. you really want to season the turkey well with garlic powder
- 1/2 stick butter, salted
Instructions
Defrost
- Take a frozen turkey the day before cooking in the morning. Clean the turkey.
Prepare
- Rub the entire turkey with Peanut Oil
- Season with Salt and Pepper and Garlic Powder
- Cut the white onion in half and put in the cavity of the turkey
- Slit the turkey 4-6 times on each breast, using ½ inch slits, slightly scoring the meat. Then slide a slice of butter into the breast part of the turkey between the skin and the meat.
- Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
Thanksgiving Day Cooking
- The next morning, insert the probe into the thigh, avoiding the bone
- Put in the oven at 325 degrees until internal temperature reaches 165
- Keep covered until ready to carve.