Dry-Brined Turkey With Tangy Honey Glaze

Place ½ cup Diamond Crystal or ¼ cup plus 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar in a small bowl and work together with your fingers until incorporated. Place one 12–14-lb. turkey, neck reserved for gravy, giblets discarded, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. (If you don’t have this setup, place your turkey on a V-shape rack set inside a large roasting pan.) Sprinkle salt mixture all over outside of the turkey as well as inside the cavity of the turkey, patting to adhere and nudging some into every crevice. You won’t need all of the dry brine, but it’s good to have extra since some of it will end up on the baking sheet as you season the turkey. Chill bird, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.

Remove turkey from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid onto pan). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil and set rack back inside. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack and tuck wings underneath. Let turkey sit at room temperature 2–3 hours.

Place an oven rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 450°. Using your fingers, loosen turkey skin on breast. Work 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, under skin, spreading evenly over both breasts. Smear outside of turkey with another 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature.

Tie legs together with kitchen twine and pour 1 cup water into baking sheet.

Roast turkey, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp. honey, 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 3 sprigs rosemary, 3 garlic cloves, crushed, two 2x1" strips orange zest, and remaining 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting and keep glaze warm.

Reduce oven temperature to 300° and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 30 minutes and adding more water by ½-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast near the neck registers 150° (don’t worry; the temperature will continue to climb while the bird rests), 65–85 minutes longer. Skin should be deep golden brown, shiny, and crisp. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving.

Editor’s note: The dry-brine turkey recipe was first printed in our November 2018 issue as ‘Dry-Rubbed Roast Turkey.’ Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving recipes →