Buttermilk Brined Roast Turkey with Gravy

Buttermilk brined roast turkey is infused with lemon, juniper berries, and fresh herbs to create the juiciest, most flavorful roast turkey imaginable. Paired with roasted grapes and rich gravy it is turkey heaven.

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This was one bomb-ace turkey friends!

No “hi, how are you” or an update on my life. I just need to get to the point that this turkey is amazing. And the secret? It’s all in the brine. Friends, meet buttermilk brined roast turkey and let me tell you why it will change your life.

The Magical Brine

You only have to be a halfway gung ho foodie to know that brining = fool proof flavor. Brining is a method of seasoning meat where you let the protein sit in a saltwater solution for a certain period of time before cooking it. Hello osmosis! The salt infuses with the meat making it tender AF.

I have brined so many things from pork loins to salmon in order to enhance flavor and tenderness. And brining a turkey is no new thing. BUT usually when we think of brined turkey’s we think of brined, deep fried turkey.

So here’s what’s different about my buttermilk brined roast turkey (if it’s not obvious).

I roast the turkey in the oven like a gosh darned civilized person.
I use a BUTTERMILK brine

A buttermilk brine is simply a brine that uses buttermilk instead of water as the brine liquid. Buttermilk is high in acidity which leaves your meat uber tender. So using buttermilk in a brine is doing double duty when it comes to tenderizing.

The first time I ate buttermilk brined anything was fried chicken at the famed and crazed diner here in west Michigan, The Southerner in South Haven. The juicy and tender white meat completely blew my mind.

What’s special about POP KITCHEN’S buttermilk brine?

I messed around with a couple buttermilk brines before landing here. I really love Tasting Table’s brine for their buttermilk fried chicken . But for a turkey I was thinking more of gamey, warming flavors. So I took what I really loved from Tasting Table’s brine (tons of lemon, fresh herbs) upped the salt to liquid ratio, and added juniper berries, mustard seeds, peppercorns, onion, and maple syrup to create a whole other animal. And I guess, with a whole other animal. You know, cuz it’s a turkey and not a chicken.

How to brine a turkey

The simple act of brining a turkey for this buttermilk brined roast turkey recipe is easy. Mix up some liquid, pour it over a turkey, and let it sit. But there are a couple qualifiers.

First, you need to dissolve the salt in a quart of hot water and let it cool before adding it to the buttermilk to ensure the salt is fully incorporated. You don’t want the salt mixture to be hot or warm as it will bring up the temperature of the turkey into unsafe territory. Mix the salt mixture in with the buttermilk and herbs once it has cooled.
Second, you will need a brining bag. I bought a set of two from Sur La Table for $12.99 (um, it’s $7.99 online!). I have also been seeing them all over grocery stores sold with the actual brining mix. Just buy one of those guys and keep out the brining solution.
Since my turkey was relatively small, the turkey is more fully submerged in the brine by tying a rubber band at the top of the brining bag. Do not use a metal pot. The acid will react with the metal and just, ew. You need to use a non-reactive container like plastic or glass. But a bag works best as you will need to use less liquid. After you’ve placed the turkey in the brining bag you can then place it in a large pot or roasting pan and place it in the refrigerator.
It takes at least 24 hours to brine a turkey, but you will need to rotate it a couple times throughout to make sure the entire turkey is evenly brined. Keep in mind that you will need to let the turkey sit out for one hour before roasting when you consider your timing.

The Spatchcock

The second reason why this buttermilk brined roast turkey will change your life is that it is spatchcocked. Any Alton Brown fans out there? Yes, the beloved spatchcocked bird, acclaimed by chefs and tv personalities every year around turkey time, is really all it’s cracked up to be. A spatchcocked turkey, or any other bird, is simply the removal of the backbone in order to lay the bird flat. It’s a simple procedure that takes 5-10 minutes with a good pair of kitchen shears.

But why?

Here is my list of why you should consider spatchcocking your buttermilk brined roast turkey this Thanksgiving:

It produces a more evenly cooked bird. The thighs and legs of the turkey are more exposed to the heat which means the breasts and thighs are finished around the same time. Can you say “ no more dried out white meat “? Also, if your breasts do finish before your thighs, like mine did, it is one quick cut to remove the the thighs and legs from the rest of the bird without totally butchering the turkey. That way, you can throw the thighs and legs in a bit longer without over cooking the breasts.

The thighs and legs of the turkey are more exposed to the heat which means the breasts and thighs are finished around the same time. Can you say “ no more dried out white meat “? Also, if your breasts do finish before your thighs, like mine did, it is one quick cut to remove the the thighs and legs from the rest of the bird without totally butchering the turkey. That way, you can throw the thighs and legs in a bit longer without over cooking the breasts.

Half the cooking time. Guys, this is a very serious thing. This 12.5 lb bird took me a little over 1 1/2 hours to cook while cooking the same bird traditionally would have taken me over 3. Um, duh!

Guys, this is a very serious thing. This 12.5 lb bird took me a little over 1 1/2 hours to cook while cooking the same bird traditionally would have taken me over 3. Um, duh!

Crispy skin everywhere. It totally annoys me when I roast a chicken and the back and thighs have soggy skin on them. Ew! Like I said above, all of the turkey is exposed to the heat, giving all the skin a chance to get brown and crispy.

It totally annoys me when I roast a chicken and the back and thighs have soggy skin on them. Ew! Like I said above, all of the turkey is exposed to the heat, giving all the skin a chance to get brown and crispy.

Easy Carving. Removing the backbone gives you a bit of easier access to the legs and thighs while carving. You also having a flatter base to work with while removing the breasts.

Removing the backbone gives you a bit of easier access to the legs and thighs while carving. You also having a flatter base to work with while removing the breasts.

Save oven space. Because the turkey is nice and flattened out it doesn’t take up the entire oven. You can easily fit another rack of food underneath. Like for instance this autumn ratatouille !

Because the turkey is nice and flattened out it doesn’t take up the entire oven. You can easily fit another rack of food underneath. Like for instance this autumn ratatouille !

You can ask your butcher to do it for you!

Now if you bought a frozen butterball like I did this is maybe not the case. But if you purchase a fresh turkey from the butcher just ask them to spatchcock it for you. It ain’t no thang for those pros to make a couple snips with their professional grade sheers!

If that doesn’t convince you to spatchcock your buttermilk brined roast turkey, I don’t know what will.

Okay, but how?

Here is a time lapse of me spatchcocking my bird. You can watch as many youtube videos as you please, but there’s really no way to learn than by doing it yourself.

I, and most sane chefs, recommend using a good quality pair of kitchen shears to get the job done. Here is an affordable pair while these are very high quality . But guess what guys? I just used generic scissors, a pairing knife and good ole elbow grease. You can do it too. Just know that cutting through the pelvis bone is the hardest part. Simply cut along either sdie of the spine of the turkey and you’re good! Be careful, the bones are sharp.

Once you’ve removed the spine, flip over your bird and do a little CPR on the breasts to break the breast bone and flatten it out. You will need to put in a good amount of effort. Call it strength training.

You will also need to take out the breast bone to make carving the breast much easier. Feel around by the neck in the breasts for the wishbone and slice it out with a pairing knife. Keep the back bone and cut it into 3 pieces for the gravy!

And that’s it!

Roasting your Spatchcocked Turkey

Now that we’ve gone through why and how you should spatchcock your buttermilk brined roast turkey, we need to actually roast it. Unlike a traditional turkey a spatchcocked turkey needs to be cooked on a large sheet pan like a jelly roll pan or a half sheet pan for a large turkey. If you have a flat baking rack that fits into your sheet pan even better.

Line your pan with tin foil, throw your aromatic veggies underneath the baking rack (onions, carrots, celery), and place the turkey on top. No need to season this beast. It will have plenty of flavor. Brush some melted butter all over the skin and toss it in a hot oven.

When I roast any poultry that has not been brined I do not baste it. The skin isn’t as nice and crispy in the end but the bird can really dry out from constantly opening the oven. With a brined turkey, you have a little more liberty to baste it every 30 minutes as it is nicely protected from over cooking with the brine.

Checking for doneness

There is really no accurate way to tell if a turkey is finished other than using a thermometer. Those pop up thermometers are often inaccurate and usually over roast a turkey. You are going to want to take the temperature in three places on your buttermilk brined roast turkey.

In the thickest part of the breast

Place the thermometer into the breast all the way down until it hits the bottom. Then pull up halfway. USDA guidelines require a turkey is cooked to 165 F but many chefs will pull it out when the breasts read 150F as it will continue to carry over cook once you take it out of the oven.

In the thickest part of the thigh

This is the extra meaty part near the hip. For leg and hip meat you want a temperature of 165 F.

In the thickest part of the leg

When you take the internal temperature, always be sure you are not touching the bone. I broke my bird apart because the breasts were done before the thighs and legs.

Gravy

Another added bonus to spatchcocking a turkey is that you can use the backbone to make a bit of stock to use for gravy. My buttermilk brined roast turkey had barely any drippings leftover so making a bit of stock is the best way to get that turkey flavor into your gravy.

Backbone stock

First, you sear your bits of backbone in a little oil. Then you add carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves and give it a quick sauté. Pour in some cold filtered water just to cover the bones and vegetables. Add in other aromatics like garlic, parsley stems, thyme, and peppercorns to add more flavor. Bring the stock up to a boil and then turn it down to simmer for 1 hour. By the time your turkey is ready so will your stock. Strain your stock and it’s ready for making gravy!

You’ve got this!

Friends, roasting a turkey takes some work. If this is your first time know that this is some serious Martha Stewart shit. But do not be alarmed. You can do it! I will be there to help you. Having trouble with your turkey? Send me a direct message over on Instagram and I will be around all of turkey day to respond to your inquiries.

This was a ton of information to throw at you but I hope that I have given you everything you need to have the most amazing turkey dinner ever.

Looking for more Thanksgiving Inspo?

I have created an entire Thanksgiving dream menu to go along with this buttermilk brined roast turkey for you here at POP KITCHEN to let your little culinary heart wander. You can get all the recipes for the dream menu here.

I have also started a Pinterest board adding some other bloggers’ gorgeous Thanksgiving inspired recipes I would recommend for your holiday table.

When you make this buttermilk brined roast turkey, at Thanksgiving or just for the heck of it, let me know! I absolutely love seeing your photos of POP KITCHEN recipes up on Instagram. Use the hashtag #popkitchen when you post photos of recipes you’ve made to your Instagram and tag @pop_kitch. I’ll share my favorite photos on POP KITCHEN’s account.

Like the recipe you’re seeing here? Tell your friends about it! Rate the recipe and share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Your voice helps develop how POP KITCHEN moves forward, and your recommendation helps POP KITCHEN grow. Like POP KITCHEN on Facebook and follow along with all of my recipe inspiration on Pinterest !

Recipe

Buttermilk Brined Roast Turkey with Gravy

Ingredients

12-14 lb turkey (for a larger turkey make more brine)
4 unpeeled carrots, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped into large chunks
2 bay leaves
1 quart water
1½ cup sea salt or kosher salt (not table salt)
1 Tbsp juniper berries
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
6 bay leaves
3 quarts buttermilk
5 cloves garlic
1 onion, roughly chopped
16 sprigs thyme
16 sprigs rosemary
20 sage leaves
zest and juice of 3 lemons (1 cup lemon juice)
½ cup maple syrup
Turkey backbone, cut into large pieces
2 unpeeled carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped into large chunks
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thympe
cold filtered water
2 -3 lbs seedless grapes
pure olive or canola oil
sea salt
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
½ cup white wine or sherry
2 cups turkey stock
Any drippings left from the turkey
You may not need to add sea salt as the brined turkey has more salt

Instructions

MAKE THE BRINE: In a medium size sauce pan bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Stir in the sea salt to dissolve. Add the juniper berries, mustard seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves and let cool to room temperature.
Once the salt mixture has cooled, add it to a large pot with the buttermilk, rosemary, sage, thyme, onion, garlic, maple syrup, lemon juice, and zest. Stir well to combine.
First remove any gizzards or neck pieces from the turkey. Then place your turkey in a brine bag and cover it with the brine mixture. To keep the brine covering the entire turkey, you may have to tie a rubber band around the brine bag to tighten it. Place the sealed bag in a large pot or roasting pan and place it in the refrigerator. Let it sit for 24 hours, flipping the turkey over 2-3 times during the process. An hour before roasting, take the turkey out of fridge, discard, the brine, and pat dry.
SPATCHCOCK YOUR TURKEY: After your turkey has finished brining then spatchcock your turkey. To spatchcock use poultry shears or, if you’re brave, some sharp scissors. Flip the turkey over so it is sitting on it’s breasts and the neck is facing you. Cut along each side of the backbone, snipping the rib bones as you go down. The hip bone will be the most difficult to cut through. Once the backbone is removed reserve it for making stock.
Flip the chicken over onto it’s back and spread the legs to the side. Press firmly on the breast to crack the bones and let the breast lie flat. Allow the turkey to sit for one hour before roasting.
ROASTING: Set the oven to 450 F/230 C/8 gas. Line a large jelly roll pan or half sheet pan with tin foil and top with chopped carrots, onions, celery and bay leaves. Place a baking rack over top of the vegetables and place the turkey on top. Brush the turkey with melted butter
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven heat down to 400F/200 C/6 gas and baste with butter every 30 minutes if desired.
After 45 mintues of cooking, check the temperature to get an idea of how far it has cooked. Check the temperature in the deepest part of the breast, thigh, and leg. You are looking for 150-165 F (65-74 C) for the breasts and 165 F/74 C for the legs and thighs. Remove the turkey once it has reached this temperature, cover with foil, and allow to rest 20-30 minutes before carving.
STOCK: Cut your reserved backbone into 3-4 pieces. Heat a large sauce pan and a tsp of oil on medium high heat and add the backbone pieces, browning each side, about 5 minutes. Toss in your chopped veggies and stir, continuing to cook for 2 more minutes.
Add enough cold water until the bones and veggies are just covered. Add a couple sprigs of fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, and 3 cloves of garlic. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce down to a simmer and allow to cook for 1 hour. Strain the stock and reserve for making the gravy.
ROAST GRAPES: To make roast grapes simply drizzle them with a little bit of oil and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and roast at 400 F for 1 hour, gently flipping every 15 minutes.
GRAVY: In a small sauce pan bring the wine or sherry up to a simmer and let it reduce down by half. Add the butter and let it melt. Whisk in the flour and let it cook for 1-2 minutes or until it has turned just slightly golden. Whisk in the turkey stock a little at a time making sure you have broken down all the lumps with each addition. Pour in any turkey drippings and increase the heat, bringing the gravy up to a boil,and whisking periodically. Once the gravy has boiled taste to see if it seeds any extra salt and pepper and serve over mashed potatoes and turkey.