| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 15 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 10 to 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 bunch fresh sage
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- One 14- to 16-pound turkey
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks (half the size of dice)
- Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
- 16 ounces beer, pilsner preferred
- 1 1/4 cups pecan halves, roughly chopped (no little bits, no dust)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 4 to 6 leaves fresh sage
- 1 cup honey
Instructions
- For the turkey and brine: In a large pot on medium-high heat, add 6 quarts (1 1/2 gallons) water, the salt, peppercorns, lemon, sage and thyme. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook until the salt is dissolved and the water is fragrant. Let cool.
- Put the turkey in a roasting bag, large plastic bag or a bowl large enough to fit it with still more space to give. Pour in the brining liquid and seal or cover. If there’s not enough room for all of the liquid in the brine, be sure to at least include the herbs, lemon and peppercorns in with the turkey for brining. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.
- When ready to cook, remove from the refrigerator and discard all of the brining liquid and solids. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Place the turkey breast-side up on a wire rack resting in a roasting pan/baking dish and allow to sit on the countertop for about 2 hours to come to room temperature.
- For roasting: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Using your finger, gently release the skin from the muscle of the turkey and insert the butter pieces between the layers all over the bird. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Put the roasting pan in the oven, pour the beer into the bottom of it and lower the heat to 350 degrees F. Roast, basting every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 160 degrees F, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Let rest for 30 to 45 minutes before glazing and slicing.
- For the glaze: In a large nonstick pan on medium heat, add the pecans and cook, tossing, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove the pecans to a plate and add the butter, paprika, pumpkin pie spice and sage to the same pan. Once the butter is melted and the pan is fragrant with sage, remove the sage and add the honey and pecans to the pan. Raise the heat until the mixture begins to simmer, then remove from the heat. Pour over the rested turkey, slice and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 897 |
| Total Fat | 46 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Protein | 89 g |
| Cholesterol | 331 mg |
| Sodium | 1559 mg |
Reviews
We’ve been making this recipe for several years for Thanksgiving. We make it with chicken instead of turkey. About 15 minutes before the chicken comes out, I brush some of the glaze (without the pecans) so the warm oven will marry it it’s the skin. It is so amazing!!
ingredients include a pilsner beer. is this for the brine or pecan topping?
Looks good but no mention of beer in directions
Looks good but no mention of beer in directions
I may try this this year. It looks yummy! Did anybody else notice after Sunny stuck her hand in the turkey she took off her ring and Jeff put it on without washing the ring? I hope they threw away the rest of the cubed butter that was left after the turkey was coated.
Made this last year and my family loved it! My kids normally won’t eat turkey, but they loved it so much they requested it for this year! Thanks Sunny for such a great recipe!
Loved this recipe so much last year for thanksgiving that we are doing it again this year! Thanks Sunny & the Kitchen!
So easy to make and absolutely delicious! ( also great for chicken)