Thaw Turkey: Ensure your frozen turkey is fully thawed before you start the brining process. To thaw in the refrigerator, you need 5 days for every pound of turkey so for a 12-14 pound turkey you will need close to 3 days. Read: How to Thaw a Turkey for more tips and tricks!

Spatchcock or Not: decide whether you want to spatchcock your turkey or not! The process of spatchcocking is actually super easy (as long as you have some sharp/strong kitchen shears). This method does tend to result in a more consistent cook of your turkey - and shorter cook time). Read: How to Spatchcock a Turkey here!

3 Days Before Cooking: Combine kosher salt, zest and minced herbs in a small bowl. Pat turkey dry with a clean paper towel. Rub dry brine all over including under the skin, where possible. Place in a brining bag OR on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator. 

Night Before Cooking: The night before you are set to cook, remove the plastic wrap or brine bag. Place the dry brined turkey back on a wire-rimmed backing sheet and return the bird to the refrigerator. This allows the skin to dry out and will result in an extra crispy skin. Note: this step is optional! 

Day of Cooking: Remove from refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cooking to allow the bird to come closer to room temperature. Feel free to pat dry with a clean paper towel; do not rinse!

At this point you can continue on cooking your turkey how you want - keep reading for our go-to roasted method.

Oven + Roasting Pan: preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (we will reduce later) and ensure you have a roasting pan + rack (which lifts the turkey off the bottom of the pan and allows it to cook a bit faster). Add the chicken broth, onion, and rosemary/thyme to the bottom of the roasting pan. Ensure turkey is sitting in the roasting pan on top of the roasting rack, breast-side up. 

Prepare the Turkey: Combine the Herbed Butter ingredients and set aside. Pat turkey dry (outside and inside the cavity) with a clean paper towel. If stuffing, add your onion, orange, and herbs to the cavity of the cavity. Using your fingers gently separate the skin from the turkey breasts as much as you can. Push 3-4 tabs of butter underneath the skin.  Take the Herbed Butter mixture, that you set aside, and spread all over the outside of the turkey. 

Place Turkey in Oven: place turkey inside the oven and turn the temperature down to 325 degrees F. Do not cover the turkey initially with aluminum foil - allow it to cook and once it starts to turn brown you can tent with foil, as-needed.  

Roast: Let turkey roast 13-16 minutes per pound. 

Baste: Melt the Basting Butter and use that to baste the turkey with a basting brush every 30-40 minutes. Once the Basting Butter is all used up simply use the basting liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan. 

Internal Temp: A turkey is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temp of 160 degrees F. at the thickest part of the meat (usually the thigh + breast). About halfway through the estimated cook time start checking the internal temperature so you can project how much longer will be needed. Again, if you notice certain parts of the turkey skin browning too quickly feel free to place a piece of foil over a specific area or tent the whole turkey if the whole thing is browning. 

Rest: Once the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. remove from oven. Lift the roasting rack up and out of the roasting pan and place on a cutting board. Cover with foil and let rest 20-30 minutes. The turkey will continue cooking and residual heat will continue to raise the internal temperature 5 degrees. Transfer any liquid remaining in the bottom of the roasting pan to a glass measuring cup or fat separator so you can use it to make turkey gravy. Don't forget to save the carcass to make homemade turkey stock. 

Carve + Serve: Follow this tutorial to learn how to carve your turkey then serve with homemade turkey gravy and all of your other favorite thanksgiving side dishes!