This year, for the first time, I made a turkey that I was completely happy with—and the best part? I kept it simple and used ingredients already in my pantry.
I’ve learned that cooking turkey doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious. And my past failed attempts, with many steps, prove it.
Many recipes call for brining with salt, citrus, and other ingredients that ultimately get discarded. Then there’s the extra step of marinating, followed by the messy process of spreading butter under the skin.
This recipe simplifies the process. We’re skipping most of that while still achieving an incredibly juicy and flavorful turkey.
Instead, we’ll marinate the turkey and let time do most of the work. We’ll also spatchcock the bird for quicker, more even cooking.
Finally, towards the end of roasting, we’ll baste the skin with melted butter to create a crispy, golden crust—a much easier task than wrestling with cold butter under raw skin.
What is Spatchcocking?
Spatchcocking is a method where the turkey’s backbone is removed, allowing the bird to lay flat. This ensures even roasting and significantly reduces cooking time.
And don’t toss the backbone! Roast it and the giblets alongside the turkey for a flavorful treat or save it to make a rich, savory stock.
What You Will Need
For this easy roasted turkey recipe, we’re using a flavorful dry rub marinade made with a blend of everyday pantry staples that you most likely have in your fridge already, especially if you cook Vietnamese or Asian food.
Gather the following ingredients to make this easy Asian-style roasted turkey recipe:
- Turkey: I got a fresh, not frozen, small turkey (about 11 lbs total) for $0.99/lb at Costco.
- Old Bay Seasoning: Old Bay Seasoning primarily includes celery salt, which matches the signature aroma of celery when roasting but without using the fresh vegetable.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: Garlic powder and onion powder are substitutes for fresh aromatics as well. Remember, we are keeping this super simple.
- Italian Seasoning: The shortcut for that herby touch without chopping fresh herbs and they are equally delicious. Italian seasoning is a blend of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. This the non-Asian blend of aromatics to keep it a bit traditional.
- Chicken Bouillon Powder: The ultimate Vietnamese and Southeast Asian seasoning secret for making dishes irresistibly flavorful that gives the turkey an Asian-inspired twist. Chicken bouillon powder is a blend of salt, sugar, MSG, and other spices.
- Chinese Five-Spice Powder: Another layer of Asian spices. Chinese five spice powder typically contains a mixture of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and peppercorns. The fifth spice may vary between brands, but it doesn’t a noticeable difference for this recipe.
- Salt: Although there is salt in Old Bay Seasoning and chicken bouillon powder, we will need a bit more to adequately marinate the turkey. I’m using fine ground sea salt for the dry rub and a bit of coarse sea salt to clean the turkey (for those who still believe in cleaning poultry properly before cooking).
- Salted Melted Butter: If unsalted butter is all you have, just add a touch more salt. We will melt this first and then use this midway through roasting for basting making the crisp golden and crisp at the very end.
How to Make It
Step 1: Prep the turkey
Start by giving the turkey a thorough exfoliating scrub with coarse sea salt (about 1 heaping tablespoon, if available). This helps remove any slimy residue and reduces any unpleasant poultry odor.
Be sure to remove the hidden bag of giblets and neck—yes, the one your husband insists isn’t there.
After scrubbing, rinse the turkey thoroughly, inside and out, along with all its parts, to remove the salt. Pat everything dry with paper towels.
Lay the turkey breast-side down. Using kitchen shears or a large sharp knife, carefully remove the backbone. Flip the turkey over and press firmly on the breastbone to break the wishbone and flatten the bird.
Transfer the turkey, along with the neck, backbone, and giblets, onto a baking tray or roasting rack.
Step 2: Make the dry rub
Combine Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon, Chinese five-spice powder, Italian seasoning, and salt.
No need for the butter right now.
Rub the dry marinade generously all over the turkey. Make sure to rub the seasonings all over the skin side and on the opened side. If you’re planning on roasting the giblets, backbone and backbone, make sure to rub those down with the seasonings too.
Let it sit covered in the fridge for 3 days.
Yes, it needs that long for the marinade to penetrate through the thick turkey meat and make it flavorful.
Step 3: Roast
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Face the turkey skin side up. Tuck the wings behind the shoulder to prevent burning. Roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
At the halfway mark (40 minutes), melt the butter in a small sauce pan and brush it all over the turkey skin. Brush it again with the pan drippings.
Continue roasting for another 40 minutes or until the deepest part of the thighs reaches 170°F.
Step 4: Serve
Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving. Don’t forget that you can also enjoy the backbone and giblets, or save them for stock.
Print
Easy Asian-Style Turkey
- Total Time: 73 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
Forget complicated steps and enjoy this super-easy Asian-style turkey recipe with a simple dry rub marinade. Spatchcocked for quick, even roasting, it’s moist, delicious, and packed with bold Asian flavors.
Ingredients
- 11 lbs turkey
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
Instructions
- Wash the turkey (Optional): Give the turkey a thorough exfoliating scrub with coarse sea salt (about 1 heaping tablespoon, if available). This helps remove any slimy residue and reduces any unpleasant poultry odor. Remove the bag of giblets and neck and give those a good scrubbing too. Rinse the turkey thoroughly, inside and out, along with all its parts, to remove the salt.
- Prepare the turkey: Pat everything dry with paper towels. Lay the turkey breast-side down. Using kitchen shears or a large sharp knife, carefully remove the backbone. Flip the turkey over and press firmly on the breastbone to break the wishbone and flatten the bird. Transfer the turkey, along with the neck, backbone, and giblets, onto a baking tray or roasting rack.
- Make the dry rub: Combine Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon, Chinese five-spice, Italian seasoning, and salt into a paste. No need for the butter right now.
- Marinate: Rub the dry marinade generously all over the turkey. Make sure to rub the seasonings all over the skin side and on the opened side. If you’re planning on roasting the giblets, backbone and backbone, make sure to rub those down with the seasonings too. Let it sit covered in the fridge for 3 days.
- Roast: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Face the turkey skin side up. Tuck the wings behind the shoulder to prevent burning. Roast for one hour and 20 minutes. At the halfway mark (40 minutes), melt the butter in a small sauce pan and brush it all over the turkey skin. Brush it again with the pan drippings. Continue roasting for another 40 minutes or until the deepest part of the thighs reaches 170°F.
- Rest and serve: Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving. You can also enjoy the backbone and giblets, or save them for stock.
Notes
If using a larger turkey, add 8 minutes per additional lb.
- Prep Time: 3 days
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Entree, Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American, Asian, fusion, Vietnamese
