This recipe for Papa John’s Easy Turkey Recipe starts by making a simple brine, and then roasting it to perfection! The secret to this moist and flavourful turkey is letting it sit in the brine for 2-days before roasting. I am happy to share my dad, or Papa John’s Turkey recipe with you here:
Ingredients:
- 1- 11-15 lb. Turkey (Any kind but not Butterball)
- 2 apples, sliced thick
- 1 tbsp. Poultry Seasoning
- 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- 3 cups water
For The Brine:
- 2 cups Kosher Salt
- 2 cups White Vinegar
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
Directions:
Two days before your plan to serve the turkey you will need to place the turkey in the brine. To make the brine, add the salt, vinegar and brown sugar to a large pot. Stir the mixture until everything is dissolved. You do not need to heat it up first. Remove the neck from the turkey from the inner cavity and discard it. Let the turkey sit in the brine for at least 24 hours and even better to keep it in the brine for 48 hours for maximum flavour.
Remove the turkey from the brine and place on a baking sheet. Dry the turkey really good using paper towels.
Stuff the sliced apples inside the cavity. Tie the legs with string so that the apples won’t fall out.
Rub the turkey with butter, and season with pepper, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder.
Roast the turkey at 325 degrees for 4 hours. Remove the foil and baste the turkey. Cover the turkey once again with the foil and continue roasting for another hour. You can baste it as much as you like in the last hour. Using a thermometer check for doneness. The temperature must be 165 degrees to be done. When testing, stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey near the leg and breast to get an accurate temperature.
Let your turkey rest, covered for 40 minutes and at least 20 minutes. Slice your turkey up and serve!