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Over the years, we’ve cooked turkey every which of way, roasted and basted, and basted, and basted with all kinds of combinations of ingredients, roasted in a bag, fried (of course), we’ve brined and have gone brine-less. Honestly, I’m no expert, but I will say this, less is best in my book. Less messing. Less stuff. Less time.
This recipe I’m sharing with you today for a Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey definitely calls for less. It’s pretty straightforward. And no, it doesn’t taste like mayonnaise. This is just one of the methods we use, but after great results each time, moist turkey, that tastes like turkey, hand-down, it’s our preferred way so far.
Before I get to the mayo method, let’s talk turkey.
A few things we’ve learned about cooking turkeys along the way:
- Bigger isn’t always better. A large turkey doesn’t equal large taste. So if you have a big group to feed, I’d recommend getting two smaller turkeys. Smaller turkeys (I’d say 12-13 lbs) are harder to come by, but look for them. Hunt them down.
- No additional “stuff.” You may need to call around to find a turkey without all the junkity-junk, but it’s worth it. You may pay more per pound, but you won’t be paying for all that extra plumping or whatever it is. A good rule of thumb someone once told me is no more than 4 ingredients on the packaging. Remember, less is best.
- Use a meat thermometer and cook for proper time. Turkey doesn’t need to take 4 hours to cook. I promise. Make sure you have a good meat thermometer that stays in the turkey (the thickest part of the thigh) and can be monitored from outside the oven. Most modern ovens have a built-in thermometer that can be programmed. Whatever you use, be sure to test it ahead of the big day.
- Cook temperature and time for roasting a turkey is basic and simple. Roast high for a short time, then turn down until internal temperature of the breast reaches 160°F. See recipe below for temperatures, etc. You’ll be surprised how quickly it reaches the proper internal temperature, depending on size, 2 hours or less!
-Let it rest. That turkey has been working and it’s hot man. Let it rest, covered, for at least 20-30 minutes (depending on size) before carving. It will help retain the juices and all the goodness.
-To brine or not to brine? If you like to brine and you’ve got the time, brine away…brine until you dine, in the sunshine, it’ll be fine. We’ve brined and we’ve gone brine-less. Honestly, I tend to be bad at planning, so I usually forget until it’s past the prime time to brine. Plus, I think when you invest in a good turkey, as mentioned before, with no additives and plumped up with extras, not too large, and roasted correctly, you might find that brining may not be all that necessary.
- And finally, practice. Cook turkey more than just during the holidays. Try out different techniques. Brine, don’t brine. Test different basting combos. Feeling confident about cooking your turkey, will help make the day of celebrating more enjoyable for you. And tasty too!
Okay, now for this mayonnaise turkey deal. I know, it sounds weird, but like I said before, it does deliver a moist and tasty bird. And, it’s simple. I’ll show ya. Mix herbs (fresh or dried) with mayonnaise. I used herbs I had on hand. Feel free to experiment with different herb and seasoning combinations.
Chopped celery, and onion, salt, pepper, and a stick of butter for good measure, round out the ingredients needed, other than the bird.
Prep your turkey in a roasting pan. Make sure it’s thawed y’all, I’ve made that mistake before. Rub the mayo/herb mixture all over and inside of the turkey. Season with salt and pepper, add the celery, onion, inside and out, and tuck the butter in the cavity.
Roast in 450°F oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F, and insert the meat thermometer at this point in the thickest part of the breast. Be careful to not touch bone. Continue roasting, uncovered, until thermometer reaches 160°F. If you’re concerned with the legs getting dried out, cover them partway through cooking with foil. Sometimes I do, this time I didn’t. Keep an eye on it during cooking to see if it’s needed.
Let it rest and carve.
Now enjoy with your favorite side dishes and of course gravy!
Speaking of gravy, save those drippings in the roasting pan. You’ll need those for the gravy. Check out the gravy recipe.
Enjoy!
And Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!
Ingredients
- 12-14 lb. whole turkey, (totally thawed, tee-totally thawed)
- 6-7 fresh sage leaves, rough chopped
- 5-6 fresh thyme stems
- 2-3 springs of rosemary
- 2-3 springs of oregano
- 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise
- 1-2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1-2 tablespoons pepper
- 3 stalks celery, rough chopped
- 1 large onion, rough chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, salted
- (adjusts all seasonings & mayonnaise as needed for size of bird)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Lay turkey in a roasting pan.
- Remove leaves from herbs stems. Add sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano to mayonnaise; combine well. Rub mayonnaise/herb mixture all over outside and interior of bird.
- Liberally salt, and pepper turkey. Add the celery, and onion, inside and out, and tuck the butter in the cavity.
- Roast turkey in 450°F oven for 30 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350°F, and insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful not to touch bone. Continue roasting, uncovered, until internal thermometer reaches 160°F. Cover legs with foil partway through roasting if desired. Depending on size of turkey, total cook time will be around 1 1/2-2 hours.
- Remove from oven. Cover with foil and let rest for at least 20-30 minutes (depending on size) before carving.
- Remember to reserve turkey drippings and juices for gravy.
I’m joining in Food Network’s (Virtual) Communal Table for Thanksgiving. Follow along on twitter using the hashtag #pullupachair and Check out these other great Thanksgiving items from other participants:
Eat Be Mary: She’s Mulling It Over Wine
Cookistry: Bread With Ancient Grains
Celebrity Chefs and Their Gardens: The American Hotel Peconic Clam Chowder
Picky Eater Blog: Butternut Squash Soup With Thyme and Parmesan
Good Food Good Friends: Mushroom Soup
Mains:
Examiner.com: Grilled Quail with a Warm Beet, Frisée, and Pistachio Salad
She Wears Many Hats: Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey
Sides:
Living Mostly Meatless: Vegan-Friendly Corn Casserole
Healthy Green Kitchen: Red Kuri Squash Pie
The Naptime Chef: Crispy Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes
Gluten-Free Blondie: Apple and Cranberry Studded Stuffing
Eat Drink Man Woman Dogs Cat: Blue Cheese and Rosemary Celebration Potatoes
Burnt Lumpia: Turkey, Sweet Potato and Cranberry Empanadas
Panfusine: Pan Fried Polenta Seasoned With Cumin, Ginger & Black Pepper
Homemade Cravings: Warm Brussels Sprouts and Cranberry Slaw
Bakeaholic Mama: Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Crispy Prosciutto
Show Food Chef: Beer-Braised Brussels Sprouts
T’s Tasty Bits: Sweet Empanadas with Pumpkin and Lupini Beans Filling
The Amused Bouche Blog: Braised Kale
The Little Kitchen: How to Make the Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Desserts:
The Macaron Queen: Macaron Tower
Poet In The Pantry: Amaretto Apple Crisp
Farm Girl Gourmet: Pumpkin Coconut Panna Cotta
That’s Forking Good: Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Blondies
Out of the Box Food: Out of the Box Food Maple Pumpkin Pie
Cake Baker 35: Orange Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Lisa Michele: Pumpkin, Pecan, Cheesecake Pie
Food For My Family: Buttermilk Custard Pear Pie
Simple Bites: Black-Bottom Maple Pumpkin Pie
A Cooks Nook: Swedish Apple Pie
Yakima Herald: Pretzel Jell-O Salad
How Does She: Three of Our Favorite Desserts
Dollhouse Bake Shoppe: Thanksgiving Candy Bar Name Plates
Sweet Fry: Pumpkin Latte
Tasty Trials: Spiced Apple Panna Cotta With Caramelized Apples and Caramel Sauce
An Uneducated Palate: Puff Pastry Apple Tart
Frugal Front Porch: Mini Cheaty Cheesecakes
Even more:
Kitchen Courses: Thanksgiving for Six People Under $60
A Curious Palate: The Communal Table
Ooh, this looks so good, Amy! I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving now!
Seriously, this is just incredible. I am dying thinking about trying this out.
Now that is one beautiful bird! I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year for the family so I need to start preparing my menu. I’ve cooked my own turkey before but it’s always nice to see what others are doing for their families and for a refresher course!
Thanks for sharing your turkey cooking tips, super helpful!
ok, so my ex-uncle (long family drama story) used to make turkey like this and i have to say that it is the BEST roasted turkey i’ve ever had. it definitely doesn’t taste like mayo, which is good because i actually don’t love mayo, but moist and juicy and perfect every time! i’m so glad you posted it…there was no way i was ever going to get the recipe from him
Fresh herbs and a moist turkey? I’m in! Looks fabulous, Amy.
That has got to be the most beautiful roasted turkey I’ve ever seen. I really want to try this now!
Your turkey looks amazing! I would have never thought mayonnaise…but it makes complete sense!
I am intrigued!
I never knew mayo could be used! That’s genius even for a mayo-hater like myself. Luckily, I still haven’t had to host Thanksgiving so I’ll just stash this recipe until next time…maybe I’ll stop making excuses for next year!
This is the basic recipe I’ve used for at least a decade (minus the stick of butter in the cavity). It always comes out moist and juicy! Never a mayo taste for those of you a little concerned. I do vary the herbs and seasoning from year to year – my hubby favors more of a Cajun seasoning on his bird so that will be the plan for this year.
I have to admit, when I saw mayonnaise in the title I was a little spooked, but those pictures have sold me. That turkey looks great!
I love this!! I’m kind of a mayonnaise snob and prefer to make my own, but it would be well worth it I think. Mayo has magical properties, I’m finding out. I can only imagine how delicious it makes this turkey taste! Thanks for a great, unique idea for Thanksgiving!
Oh my! My husband calls me a saucy kind of girl, well, because I spread mayo on everything. I’ll take sage mayo, honey mayo and chipotle mayo and slather it on fries, fish… you get the picture. This is one beautiful hunka saucy Turkey. I need to try.
Now that is a gorgeous bird! Seriously Amy, that look like one of the tastiest turkeys I’ve seen and, as usual, your photos are gorgeous.
O.
M.
G.
I am literally salivating. I can only imagine how wonderful this is. Having only helped cook turkeys in the past, all of these tips help. Thanks for a great post!
Wow, never would have thought about mayonnaise as a roasting medium – Brilliant!! I’ll have to put this to work!
Wow.
Sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for that gravy recipe. I have never seen such beautiful turkey gravy.
Well, I’ll be. I have never, ever heard of the mayo method. But I’m loving it! i think I’ll try it out with a turkey breast this weekend. I’m thinking this will be on our table for Thanksgiving!
I am so glad you posted this! Ever since you talked about it in Montana I’ve been anxious to try it.
Gorgeous turkey photos, by the way!
Beautiful photos and such an incredibly interesting method – and I totally agree with you – less is sometimes more!
WOW that is one good looking turkey! I’ve never heard of using mayo but the results speak for themselves.
OK, now we have to make a mayonnaise turkey video for GardenFork
I could do this! My favorite turkey and one I have to make every year is one that has herb butter slathered all over it, but I loosen the skin and put the butter between the skin and the breast meat. I think I’m going to try adding some mayo and more herbs and get a bit different flavor this year…I most often do sage and though we love it, I’m ready for rosemary!
Your turkey is gorgeous…and now I’m sort of craving some. Bad.
mmmm. Like Sarah, I was a little weirded out on first impressions/mayonnaise in the name. But these pictures are amazing. I am not even a fan of turkey and I want to fork my screen.:)
That sounds incredible! I have a chicken recipe for a baked chicken where you roll it in a combination of mayo and coarse ground mustard and then in seasoned fresh bread crumbs. It is the best chicken because it’s super simple and stays really moist. I never thought to slather it on a turkey though!
You made turkey look beautiful.
Yummy! I am SO ready for turkey now. Gobble, gobble!
Amy….. This is very different from how I usually approach my Thanksgiving turkey, but I guarantee you, I’m making it YOUR way this year. I cannot get over the color and texture of that skin! That turkey is sheer perfection.
Very interesting! I can just imagine how wonderfully crispy that skin is. It looks gorgeous!
This sounds carzy amazing! I would have never thought to use Mayo!
That looks soooo delicious!! Do you think you could come to my house for Thanksgiving and bring the turkey??
this looks delicious. can’t wait to try.
this is one gorgeous looking bird. I especially love the golden crust it has. Can’t wait to give this one a try.
I saw this turkey on Pinterest and just had to find it’s source. What an amazing looking turkey! As I’m in Scotland we don’t do Thanksgiving, but I think I may do this for Christmas which is when we eat our Turkey.
That looks delicious. I never would have thought mayo for a turkey.
This makes a lot of sense! Since mayo is mostly oil, it will help to brown the bird because it conducts heat so well. I generally use butter, but it’s the same idea. either way, I love your choice of fresh herbs. Happy Thanksgiving:)
This looks amazing. My husband and I were just talking about doing “something different” for THE MEAL this year, and this looks like just the turke–I mean, just the ticket. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks, Amy. Gorgeous photos.
This turkey looks amazing! It is going to be just Grumpy and myself this year so I will probably cook a turkey breast – but I think this is how I’m going to do it! Thanks for such a great post.
One time I walked into the kitchen and my old roommate was coating chicken breasts in mayo. I thought she was crazy because I had no idea you could do that! She shared a piece with me and it’s soooo good. I’ve been hooked since.
I will test this out on a small bird next weekend and this wil be on the Xmas table if all the family like it. thank you
This is a beautiful turkey, and an awesome recipe. Excellent advice in the “talk turkey section too. I’ve learned some of that the hard way. Like not trusting your thermometer and have a turkey raw at the center.
Wow, what a gorgeous turkey! So glad to be sharing a virtual Thanksgiving table with you today!
Great looking turkey! Nice to share the communal table with you!
This looks delicious. Those turkey pics have me dying for it to be Thanksgiving already! Thanks for sharing.
WOW!! Beautiful turkey!!! I love your pictures!!
You are amazing. Simple as that. Best looking bird I’ve ever seen!
These pictures are making me salivate! I am going to try your recipe this weekend. Thanks!
I handed over (well, begged) turkey duty to my BF’s SIL a few days ago. THEN I saw THIS. Thank you for bringing back the excitement of roasting and craving a turkey, for me. It looks to be exactly how I’d want it. Who knew mayo could make a turkey that amazing?
I’m curious… do you know how long I would cook the turkey for at the 350 degrees if I have a 20-25 lb turkey? I’ve heard conflicting things from 5 hours to 7 and I’m worried I’m going to put the turkey in way too early and have it be sitting out for two hours while everything else cooks… thoughts?
Great write-up, Amy – thanks for sharing your trials so we may all learn from them!
I’ve heard that roasting the bird upside down helps keep the white meat moist – since it’s on the bottom it collects/receives more juices.
Thanks for sharing, Amy. I think I’m going to start my thanksgiving early after reading this post. I want to eat this now!
I used this recipe on my 28 lb turkey this Thanksgiving. It was so moist and delicous. I will never roast a turkey any other way!
Just wanted to say thank you for posting this! I used this recipe for my 21.5 lb turkey and it came out AMAZING! Probably the most moist and tender turkey I’ve ever had! The only thing I changed was I cooked at 325 for 4 hours (instead of 450 and then 350), but that’s just because I didn’t know what I was doing (having never cooked a turkey before) and wanted to follow the instructions on the turkey package as best I could.
I was looking over your blog but couldn’t take my eyes off that bird. Thanks for the tip. I will be trying this on Christmas day.
Thanks for the best turkey recipe e.v.e.r.
Hubby said he wants all poultry cooked like this from now on!
Just discovered your blog today – lovin’ it!! Have saved the recipe for the turkey and gravy – both will definitely be on my Christmas menu.
Beautiful photography! The picture with carved turkey is pure art – do you have any plans on posting about how to carve the turkey into this presentation – never have I seen such precision cut turkey. Please do post a tutorial.
Best turkey I ever cooked! I used Herbes de Provence in the mayo mix instead of your recommended herbs and the turkey came out moist, flavorful, and incredible! I will definitely make this again.
This is just beautiful, Amy. Gorgeous pictures.
This was wonderful!!! My family raved about this. It was good fresh from the oven and also good cold.
This is a keeper!!
Thanks,
Moe
Made this at Christmas time and loved it! Now I just made it with boneless skinless chicken breasts and my family loved it!!
Moe