Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 14-pound turkey, giblets removed, washed and dried
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Fresh thyme, for garnish
Directions
Mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle some of the spice rub inside the cavity of the turkey. Separate the skin from the breast meat with your fingers, starting at the top of the breast and sliding to the right and left, then working down. Massage some of the rub onto the meat under the skin. Sprinkle the remaining rub on the turkey's skin. Place the turkey on a sheet tray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours so the flavors can marry.
Set a rack at the lowest position in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Drizzle the outside of the turkey with a few tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey about 3 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Transfer the turkey to a platter, cover loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.
Photograph by David Malosh

Photo: Oven-Roasted Turkey Recipe

















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By jangathing_11197316
Kankakee, IL
on April 10, 2013
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This recipe is awesome! I also injected my 12lb turkey with a mixture (1/4 cup of Italian salad dressing (strained and 3/4 cup melted butter then rubbed it with the rub in this recipe. I cooked mine in my Nesco electric roaster preheated to 400 degrees for 25 minutes, turned it down to 200 degress and cooked it all night. I put my turkey on at 10 pm and it was done at 10 am. This was the most flavorful and moist turkey I have every made. Do NOT skip the refrigeration overnight step.
By foodlover24x7
on December 09, 2012
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Easy and Delicious. Marinated overnight and the flavor went through the entire turkey. The meat was also moist. I cooked this for Thanksgiving, my first atempt at cooking a turkey, and my 70-year old aunt repeatedly commented on how delicious it was and that she had never tasted a turkey so good.
By Erin Peters
New Jersey
on December 04, 2012
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Great turkey.... kept its flavor when the skin was taken off. I didn't marinate it overnight - missed this step! - but it still came out wonderfully. Highly recommend!
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