(playful jazzy music)
I'm Kelly Senyei with http://www.epicurious.com,
and this is how to put butter under turkey skin.
The first thing you want to do
is loosen the skin away from the body.
So very gently and carefully,
I'm going to separate the skin from on top of the breast.
Just really carefully work your hand under there,
you don't wanna poke through the skin.
Otherwise, once the turkey is roasting,
all that moisture is going to escape.
And what you're doing here
is you're creating little pockets
so that once you put the butter in there,
it can spread all over.
After you've loosened up the skin on both breasts,
you can do the same thing over both legs.
Careful not to tear the skin.
And once we have that loosened up,
we're gonna use our softened room temperature butter,
and we're gonna spread it underneath the skin.
The key here is it has to be soft,
otherwise it won't spread very easily.
And you can figure about one stick of butter
for a 14 to 16 pound turkey.
And adding all this butter underneath the skin
is gonna make it really rich and moist.
Don't forget about the legs.
And if you see any large pats of butter,
you can use your hands to spread them
on the outside of the skin.
And that's putting butter under the turkey skin.
For more recipes and tips,
head over to http://www.epicurious.com.
FAQs
Starting around the neck, run your hand between the skin and meat of turkey, gently separating them. Do the same from the other side of the bird, loosening the skin around thighs and legs. Now use about two thirds of the compound butter to rub over the meat, under skin of turkey.
How do you put butter on the skin of a turkey? ›
Get your turkey and use a spoon to work your way between the skin and the meat. Start at the side of the cavity just above the leg and work gently up towards the breastbone and towards the back so you create a large cavity. Pick up half of your butter and push it into the cavity you've created.
How to get butter to stick to turkey? ›
Cut a 20-inch piece of cheesecloth and fold twice, creating 4 layers. Submerge the cloth in the melted butter, making sure it is completely saturated with it. Gently squeeze the cloth, then re-form so there are 4 layers and place on top of the turkey, covering it completely.
How to stuff a turkey under the skin? ›
If you're careful you should be able to pull all the skin away from the meat, keeping it attached at the sides. Go slowly and try not to make any holes! Lift the loose skin at the neck end and spoon the stuffing between the skin and the breast, tucking the flap of skin underneath to stop anything leaking out.
Should I inject my turkey and put butter under the skin? ›
This is why you should use a turkey injection!
By using my savory turkey injection, you can cook a moist and tender turkey without any need to brine the turkey. The turkey butter injection will add richly flavorful seasoning to the meat while also keeping it moist.
Is it worth putting butter under turkey skin? ›
Impart rich flavor and add moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey by adding a layer of butter under the skin before roasting. Learn how to do this simple (but genius) technique for a delicious Thanksgiving turkey. I'm Kelly Senyei with http://www.epicurious.com, and this is how to put butter under turkey skin.
Does butter crisp turkey skin? ›
Next, just before you're ready to put the turkey in the oven, give it a generous rub of oil. Many people like to use butter for this, but using oil will actually yield a crispier skin because butter is 20% water.
Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey? ›
"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan.
Should I cover turkey with foil when cooking? ›
To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.
Why is my butter not sticking to my turkey? ›
Why isn't the butter sticking to the turkey? The bird may be condensating or your butter may be too cold and firm. Make sure the turkey comes to room temperature for an hour and pat it with paper towels to remove moisture before you butter it.
A smoked Thanksgiving turkey recipe with seasoned real butter stuffed under the skin, rubbed onto the skin and then brushed on while it cooks in the smoker.
Should I put rub under turkey skin? ›
Dry rubs and pastes are rubbed into the skin, which should be scored first with a meat tenderizer to allow the flavor to permeate the turkey. Rub the spices under the skin and on the outside of the turkey before roasting.
How do you tuck butter under turkey skin? ›
Starting around the neck, run your hand between the skin and meat of turkey, gently separating them. Do the same from the other side of the bird, loosening the skin around thighs and legs. Now use about two thirds of the compound butter to rub over the meat, under skin of turkey.
What to use if you don't have a turkey injector? ›
However, since you cannot inject a turkey with dry ingredients, you will need to blend your spices and mix them into oil, broth, or another flavorful liquid. Some cooks prefer mixing their herbs and spices into melted butter or duck fat, which are excellent for achieving a succulent turkey.
Does Butterball inject their turkeys with butter? ›
In fact, there is no actual butter in or on a Butterball turkey. The fresh turkeys are injected with a basting solution made of salt water and “common household spices,” one brand representative told me. Butterball will not share the ingredients of its secret basting formula.
Should you baste your turkey with butter? ›
In the last hour of cooking, you can baste the turkey in additional melted butter or olive oil instead of the pan juices to really make sure that skin turns golden brown.
