Thanksgiving feast is incomplete without the turkey. To have a crazylicious turkey treat on the holiday feast, try Alton Brown’s Good Eats roast turkey. It is thawed and infused with the most decadent spices and herbs. So, get ready to give a celebrity chef twist to a classic Thanksgiving mascot.

I saw this roast turkey recipe by Alton Brown on Good Eats. This turkey has a golden flaky crust with tender and juicy skin on the inside. The roast turkey for Thanksgiving is kept for about 8 to 16 hours in the brine. It’s infused with the flavors of onion, rosemary, sage, ginger, and many other spices. Pat dry the turkey before adding the aromatics into the cavity and coating it with canola oil. So, let’s transform our classic turkey into a work of art.

To make Alton Brown’s Good Eats roast turkey, you should know the equipment and the ingredients required. Read the lists below along with the instructions. I’m sure it’ll look and taste as amazing as described below. This recipe takes two to three days to get ready, but the result is worth it.

What Equipment Will You Need For Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey?

• Bowl- Use a bowl to make the aromatics mixture for the turkey. You can also use small bowls to keep chopped apples, onion, and spices, or other ingredients before using them in the recipe.
• Pot- Use a large pot to make brine for the turkey. 
• Spatula- To stir the ingredients on the brine and to braise the turkey, you’ll need a spatula. 
• Spoon- Mix the ingredients of the aromatics in the bowl using a spoon. 
• Bucket- Use a 5-gallons bucket to immerse the turkey in it and to safely thaw it before roasting. 
• Roasting tray- Roast the turkey by placing it on the roasting tray. 
• Oven- Oven is the main equipment for this recipe. 
• Aluminum foil- After you’re done with roasting the turkey, remove it from the oven and loosely wrap it in aluminum foil. The foil maintains the moisture of the turkey and keeps it tender. 

How Much Time Do You Need To Make Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey?

What Ingredients Will You Need For Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey?

• Turkey- Turkey is the main ingredient in the recipe. Use a 16 pounds frozen young turkey for this recipe. 

For the Brine: 

• Kosher Salt- Add a cup of kosher salt for the brine to enhance the flavor of the turkey. 
• Sugar- Add half cup of light brown sugar to balance the strong flavors in the turkey. 
• Vegetable stock- Vegetable stock gives body to the brine. Add a gallon of vegetable stock to the brine to braise the turkey. 
• Peppercorns- Add a tablespoon of black peppercorns to add heat and spiciness to the turkey. 
• Allspice berries- Add allspice berries to the brine to add more spicy flavors to the turkey. 
• Ginger- Chop candied ginger to add a spicy flavor to the turkey. 
• Heavily iced water- You can also add water to the bucket and then put ice cubes in to safely thaw the turkey. It prevents any bacterial action on the outer skin of the turkey. 

For the Aromatics:

• Apple- Slice a red apple and add it to the turkey cavity to infuse its skin with a mildly sweet and tart flavor of red apple. 
• Onion- Slice half an onion to add aroma and slightly sweet flavor to the turkey. 
• Cinnamon- Add a cinnamon stick to the cavity of the turkey and it’ll add spicy and aromatic flavor to the turkey. 
• Water- A cup of water will perfectly blend all the flavors and will infuse into turkey skin with all the aromatic flavors. 
• Rosemary-  Put at least four rosemary sprigs into the turkey cavity to give an earthy lift to the turkey. 
• Sage- Along with rosemary sprigs, add six sage leaves to give a fresh aroma and flavor to the turkey roast.  
• Canola oil- Canola oil will help in maintaining the inner moisture of the turkey skin while roasting it. Coating it with canola oil will help with roasting the turkey and glazing its outer skin while making it flaky. 

Steps To Make Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey

1. Before Roasting

Three or two days before roasting the bird, start with thawing the turkey in the refrigerator at 38 F. 

2. Prep the brine

Add brown sugar, peppercorns, candied ginger, allspice berries, and salt to a large pot containing vegetable stock over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and keep it aside to cool. Then, keep it in the refrigerator.  

3. Brine the turkey

A day before roasting the turkey, add water, ice, and brine to a 5-gallons bucket. Put the thawed turkey in the bucket with the breast side down. Fully immerse the bird in the bucket. Cover it and refrigerate it for about 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird halfway. 

4. Roast the turkey

Remove the bird from the brine and rinse it inside out with cold water. Pat dry the bird and preheat the oven at 500 F. Add a cup of water to a microwave-safe dish. Now, add onion, apple, cinnamon stick and microwave it for about 5 minutes. Add these aromatics along with sage and rosemary to the turkey cavity. Tuck the wings of the bird underneath it and coat its skin with canola oil. 

5. Serve

Roast the turkey in the oven for about 30 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350 F and roast it further for about 2 to 2.5 hours until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 161 F. Remove from the oven and loosely wrap the turkey in a foil. Let the turkey rest for about 15 minutes before carving. 

Nutritional Information

How Will Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey Look and Taste?

Alton Brown’s Good Eats roast turkey has a crispy golden crust. It’s flavored with the seasoning spices like salt and pepper. Each forkful bite of the turkey is juicy and infused with the flavors of apple, onion, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorns, allspice, and herbs like rosemary and sage. Try this recipe for Thanksgiving and surprise your guests with an unforgettable turkey treat. 

Recipe Card

If you tried this recipe, share your experience in the comments below. Try other thanksgiving recipes and enjoy your feast.