Dairy Free Roasted Turkey

Dairy Free Roasted Turkey is perfect for Thanksgiving! This bird is incredibly juicy and flavorful with perfectly crisp skin – not to mention, easy to make.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I’m always trying to find ways to make it better and the prep simpler.

For the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, having the perfect roasted turkey is a must and I finally did it!

The secret ingredient is mayonnaise! Mayo bastes the turkey during the roasting process, keeping the meat juicy and tender. Don’t worry, this turkey does not taste anything like mayo!

Mayo is my secret weapon in the kitchen and at the grill. It’s even the key ingredient in my perfect creamy mashed potatoes, but I never thought to put it on a turkey until I saw a video from Food and Wine.

You may have heard chefs raving about using it to make grilled cheese sandwiches, but mayo is also amazing for grilling fish, roasting potatoes, making cake, and more.

However, when it comes to turkey, it makes an incredibly juicy and tender bird with perfect crispy skin!

Best of all, it is so easy!

You don’t have to deal with brine or dry-brine for juicy tender meat or any of the tricks for crispy skin. You don’t even need to baste it!

If you’re anything like me, you want top results with minimum effort – and when making Thanksgiving dinner, isn’t there enough to worry about?

Another perk of this recipe is that it leaves a lot of room for personal preference.

You can make it plain or with lemon, garlic, and thyme for extra flavor – I love it both ways.

You can also use the basic recipe as a base and tweak it to include what flavors you love. Rosemary, sage, onions, apples, and so much more work perfectly with this turkey.

Also, I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a gravy better than the one I make from the drippings at the bottom of this pan.

Truly, this dairy free roasted turkey will be a major hit at your dinner table. It sure is at mine!

P.S. Once it is all eaten up, you can use the bones to make turkey stock or pressure cooker turkey stock.

What Size Turkey to Use

That depends on how many people you intend to feed and how much you like leftovers.

Generally speaking, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds turkey for each guest should be a good size.

My family tends to have 8 people, so a 12 pound turkey works well for us.

Defrosting the Turkey 

Be sure to let your turkey completely thaw before cooking. The best way is to loosen the wrapping and place the turkey on a baking sheet and thaw in the refrigerator.

The turkey will need about 5 hours of defrosting time for every pound of turkey.

So, a 15 pound turkey should take about 75 hours, or 3 days, to defrost in the refrigerator. A 20 pound turkey will take about 100 hours, or 4 days, to defrost.

For quicker thawing, place the turkey in a cold water bath and change the water every 30 minutes until it’s thawed. This method takes about 30 minutes per pound of turkey. 

However, if your turkey isn’t completely thawed yet, you can roast your frozen turkey. It will take longer to cook, but will turn out just fine.

How Long to Cook Your Turkey 

Here’s a quick way to estimate how long it takes to cook the turkey.

Though, take into consideration the actual cooking time will vary depending on how cold your turkey is to start and your individual oven.

If your turkey is not close to room temperature when it goes into the oven, it will take longer to cook. If it is at room temp, it may take less time to cook.

So, make sure to check the turkey at least an hour before you estimate it to be done.

An empty turkey needs to cook for about 13 minutes per pound of weight.

• 10 pound turkey would take about 2 hours 10 minutes
• 12 pound turkey would take 2 hours 36 minutes
• 14 pound turkey would take 3 hours 2 minutes
• 16 pound turkey would take 3 hours 28 minutes
• 18 pound turkey would take 3 hours 54 minutes
• 20 pound turkey would take 4 hours 20 minutes

A turkey filled with stuffing needs to cook for about 15 minutes per pound of weight.

• 10 pound turkey would take about 2 hours 30 minutes
• 12 pound turkey would take about 3 hours
• 14 pound turkey would take 3 hours 3 minutes
• 16 pound turkey would take 4 hours
• 18 pound turkey would take 4 hours 30 minutes
• 20 pound turkey would take 5 hours

IS KOSHER TURKEY BETTER?

Kosher animals are kept in better conditions than non-kosher animals due to strict kosher health requirements of the animals.

Also, the salting process used as part of the process of making meat kosher is similar to dry brining, and therefore produces a better quality meat.

While I’ve only eaten kosher meat so I cannot compare, I’ve been told by non-Jews who do not keep kosher that they’ve noticed that kosher turkey is of superior quality to cook with.

SHOULD YOU WASH TURKEY?

According to the USDA, you should not wash meat or poultry, since water can splash bacteria up to 3 feet surrounding your sink.

A study done by Drexel University shows that it is best to move meat and poultry directly from package to pan.  The heat from cooking will get rid of any bacteria that may be present.

HOW CAN I CLEAN MY TURKEY WITHOUT WASHING IT?

If you want to clean your turkey without washing it, wipe it down with a wet paper towel.

Just make sure the paper towel doesn’t touch anything else and to toss the paper towel right away.

HOW TO DEFROST TURKEY

IN THE FRIDGE

Defrosting turkey in the fridge is the most highly recommended.

To do this, place the frozen turkey in a pan and let it thaw. Oftentimes, when turkey thaws, it releases liquids that can leak onto your fridge, so the pan is really helpful.

Turkey typically takes a full day to thaw. Once thawed, it can remain in the refrigerator for a day or two before cooking.

IN COLD WATER

Defrosting turkey in water should take two to three hours.  

Submerge your sealed turkey in a pot or bowl full of cold water.  Change out the water every 30 minutes or so. 

Do not hot use water because it can start cooking your turkey.

Can you cook FROZEN turkey?

According to the USDA, you can cook frozen turkey.  It will take 50% longer to cook, but it’s an option. 

You should also cook it on a roasting rack or over vegetables so that the heat can circulate around the turkey.

CAN YOU REFREEZE RAW TURKEY?

According to the USDA, “food thawed in the refrigerator is safe to refreeze without cooking.”  However, you do lose quality when refreezing previously defrosted meat. 

Every time you defrost meat, it loses moisture as it thaws, which also leads to a loss in flavor.  To compensate for this, marinate the turkey to add more flavor and juice.

The USDA also says not to “refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90°F.”

SHOULD YOU BRINE?

Brining actually doesn’t do anything to help poultry.  In fact, it makes it soggy rather than juicy, with watered-down flavor. 

Aromatic brines and stock don’t help with flavor either.  This is because the salt pulls water molecules in, leaving most of the flavor behind.

DRY BRINING

A dry brine, on the other hand, loosens up muscle fibers, allowing them to retain more moisture without adding any excess liquid. 

Initially, the salt draws moisture out, then it dissolves in this liquid, creating a concentrated brine, which eventually gets reabsorbed.  This leads to more intensely flavored results.

An added benefit is that it also requires less space and mess than a water brine.  Not to mention the fact that it allows for crispier skin. 

CAN YOU DRY BRINE KOSHER turkey?

Food experts are often under the impression that kosher meat and poultry cannot be brined and dry brined. 

This is because of the koshering process, which involves salting the meat.  However, the process is not nearly as long as the dry brining process, and unlike a dry brine, the poultry is soaked to remove the salt.

So, since the process is different than a dry brine, it is fine and even recommended to dry brine kosher poultry and meat.

How do you dry brine turkey?

Begin by patting the turkey with paper towels. This will help the salt adhere to the turkey.

Grab pinches of kosher salt and sprinkle it over the turkey until the turkey is generously salted and evenly coated.

Place the dry-brined turkey on a rack or a plate and refrigerate it. Refrigerate turkey pieces for at least 1 hour, skinless pieces for 30 minutes to 1 hour or up to about 12 hours, and a whole turkey for 8-24 hours.

Once the waiting period is up, there is no need to rinse off the turkey. Just cook it as usual.

Adjusting for a Convection Oven

Convection ovens blow the hot air around, producing around 25 to 30 percent more heat.

Since convection ovens produce more heat, you need either lowering the temperature or shortening the cooking time to compensate.

When recipes specify temperatures and cooking times, it’s for conventional ovens, unless specified otherwise.

A simple rule to follow is to lower the temperature by 25ºF or 14ºC when baking cookies and pies, and 50ºF or 28ºC when roasting meat and poultry. Some convection ovens offer separate settings for baking and for roasting.

You can also leave the temperature the same and instead, shorten the cooking time by 25 percent. For example, if your recipe calls for 60 minutes in the oven, check the food after 45 minutes instead.

However, keep in mind, some convection ovens actually make a heat adjustment for you. That is, if you set a convection oven for 350ºF, it might actually set itself to 325ºF to compensate. So, check your manual before making adjustments.

What can I use instead of butter for turkey?

Instead of butter, you can use mayonnaise, like this recipe does.

Why Use Mayonnaise

It may sound unusual, but when you cover your turkey with mayonnaise, it bastes it during the roasting process, keeping the meat moist and tender.

Will The Turkey Taste like Mayonnaise?

No, it doesn’t make the turkey taste like mayonnaise. 

How to Tell if The Turkey is Done?

FDA recommended internal temperature for cooked turkey should be 165°F. 

The turkey will continue to cook for several minutes after you take it out of the oven, so take it out before the meat reaches those target temperatures.

For best results, take the the turkey out when the breast reaches 155°F to 160°F and the thighs 155°F to 165°F.

White breast meat can easily dry out if its temperature gets too high, and thigh meat can handle a higher internal temperature without drying out.

How Long Should You Let The Turkey Rest

Ideally, your turkey should rest 30 to 45 minutes to let the juices redistribute.

If you skip this step, the juices will dribble out when you slice it, and the meat will be dry.

Don’t tent the turkey with foil to keep it warm while it’s resting. It’s unnecessary and will make the skin soggy. As long as the turkey is intact, it will cool quite slowly.

This is the perfect time to make the turkey gravy.