This turkey rub is a blend of savory spices that come together to make the ultimate poultry seasoning. Homemade spice rub will add plenty of flavor to your Thanksgiving turkey, and also works well with chicken, pork and beef.
When I want to make a turkey that’s sure to impress, I use my homemade turkey rub as the primary seasoning agent. I serve my turkey with classic side dishes such as sweet potato casserole and cranberry relish for a memorable meal.
There are so many different ways to prepare a turkey, from brining to roasting to deep frying and more! This turkey rub turns an ordinary roasted turkey into something extraordinary. Best of all, it takes just 5 minutes to make!
This recipe is made with a variety of herbs and spices including salt, brown sugar, paprika, pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic powder and onion powder.
The Secret to Irresistibly Flavorful and Moist Turkey: Turkey Rub Under the Skin
As Thanksgiving approaches, turkey takes center stage. For many families, roasted turkey is the crowning jewel of the holiday feast. However, cooking turkey can be tricky. With its lean white meat, turkey has a tendency to dry out in the oven, leaving you with a disappointing end product.
The solution? Turkey rub under the skin This simple technique transforms your holiday bird from dry and bland to irresistibly juicy, flavorful and fragrant Read on to discover the secret behind amazingly delicious turkey.
What is Turkey Rub Under the Skin?
Turkey rub under the skin refers to the process of loosening the skin from the turkey breast and directly applying a flavorful rub onto the meat before roasting. The rub is usually a blend of dried herbs, spices, salt, pepper and oil.
As the turkey cooks, the rub permeates the meat, infusing it with flavor. The layer of fat between the skin and meat bastes the turkey from the inside out. This keeps the meat incredibly moist and prevents it from drying out. The skin becomes super crispy and full of flavor in the process.
Benefits of Turkey Rub Under the Skin
There are several advantages to rubbing the seasoning directly onto the turkey meat rather than just sprinkling it on the skin:
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The meat absorbs more flavor when the rub is applied under the skin. The direct contact between the rub and meat allows the spices, herbs and seasoning to penetrate deeply.
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It helps keep the turkey breast meat juicy and tender. The fat under the skin bastes the meat while it cooks.
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The skin gets ultra crispy and full of flavor. As the fat renders, the seasoning crusts onto the skin.
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It’s easy to control the amount of seasoning and salt used. You can customize it to your taste.
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The turkey is infused with lots of flavor in every bite without relying on gravy or sauce.
How to Apply Turkey Rub Under the Skin
Applying turkey rub under the skin is simple. Here is a step-by-step guide:
Ingredients:
- Whole turkey
- Dry turkey rub (recipe below)
Tools:
- Sharp paring knife
- Spoon or your fingers
Step 1: Pat the turkey dry. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity. Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat very dry with paper towels.
Step 2: Loosen the skin from the breast. Starting at the neck cavity, use your fingers to gently loosen the skin from the breast meat, being careful not to tear it. Do this over the entire breast and thigh areas.
Step 3: Rub the seasoning under the skin. Use a spoon or your fingers to rub the dry turkey rub all over the meat under the skin. Completely coat the breast and thigh areas.
Step 4: Tie the legs together. Use kitchen string or silicone bands to secure the legs together. Tuck the wing tips under the body.
Step 5: Roast the turkey. Place the seasoned turkey on a roasting rack in a pan. Roast in a 325°F oven until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
Let rest for 20 minutes before carving. The turkey is ready to serve!
Making Turkey Rub for Under the Skin
You can buy pre-made turkey seasoning rubs, but it’s easy to make your own from ingredients you likely have in your pantry.
Here is a simple 5-ingredient turkey rub recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
- Use 1-2 tablespoons of the rub per pound of turkey.
- Store any extra rub in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
This basic rub adds savory, smoky and herbaceous flavors. Feel free to tweak it to your taste by adding dried thyme, rosemary, oregano or other herbs and spices.
For a sweet and spicy rub, try this brown sugar cinnamon version:
Ingredients:
- 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Rub 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture over each pound of turkey under the skin.
- Store extra rub in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
The brown sugar gives the rub a lovely caramelized flavor when roasted. The paprika and cinnamon add warmth, sweetness and spice.
Flavorful Herb Butter Under Turkey Skin
In addition to dry rubs, herb-infused butter is amazing for keeping turkey tender and adding flavor.
Try this easy compound butter recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1⁄2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine the butter and all ingredients.
- Mix thoroughly until fully incorporated.
- Form into a log and wrap in parchment. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Slice rounds of the chilled butter and rub under turkey skin before roasting.
As the turkey cooks, the flavorful herb butter fills the meat with aroma and keeps it incredibly moist. It takes roasted turkey to new heights!
Trussing Your Turkey
For even cooking and a picture-perfect presentation, truss the seasoned turkey before roasting. Trussing involves tying the legs together and securing the wings to hold everything in place.
Here’s a simple method:
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Place the turkey breast-side up on a work surface.
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Tie the legs together at the bottom of the drumsticks using kitchen string or silicone bands.
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Pull the thighs away from the body and tie kitchen string around the body to secure them.
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Insert the wing tips behind the back and tie them down to the body with string.
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Turn the bird over and adjust any excess skin around the neck cavity. Use toothpicks to secure any loose skin.
Trussing tightens and compacts the bird for more even cooking. The tidy, uniform shape also makes for beautiful presentation at the table.
Make Thanksgiving Turkey Amazing
Turkey rub under the skin is a game changer for holiday roast turkey. The simple process of loosening the skin and rubbing the meat with flavorful dried and fresh herbs transforms your turkey. The result is incredibly juicy, fragrant and full of flavor.
The key steps include:
- Loosen the skin from the breast and thighs
- Rub your favorite dry seasoning rub or herb-infused butter under the skin
- Truss the turkey for even cooking
- Roast at 325°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F
Bring your Thanksgiving turkey to the next level this year with these helpful tips. Your holiday guests will be coming back for seconds and raving about your moist, delicious turkey!
Frequency of Entities:
turkey: 36
rub: 17
skin: 16
breast: 4
herb: 4
seasoning: 3
meat: 3
flavor: 3
roast: 3
cook: 3
juicy: 3
thanksgiving: 2
tender: 2
holiday: 2
delicious: 2
dry: 2
legs: 2
thighs: 2
truss: 2
tie: 2
kitchen string: 2
butter: 2
roasting: 1
center stage: 1
roasted turkey: 1
crowning jewel: 1
holiday feast: 1
cooking turkey: 1
dry out: 1
oven: 1
solution: 1
simple technique: 1
bland: 1
read on: 1
process: 1
loosening: 1
directly applying: 1
blend: 1
dried herbs: 1
spices: 1
salt: 1
pepper: 1
oil: 1
permeates: 1
infusing: 1
layer of fat: 1
bastes: 1
inside out: 1
super crispy: 1
full of flavor: 1
several advantages: 1
rubbing: 1
sprinkling: 1
absorbs: 1
flavor: 1
penetrate: 1
deeply: 1
keeps…juicy: 1
tender: 1
gets ultra crispy: 1
as the fat renders: 1
seasoning crusts: 1
easy to control: 1
customize: 1
taste: 1
without relying: 1
gravy: 1
sauce: 1
step by step: 1
guide: 1
ingredients: 1
tools: 1
sharp paring knife: 1
spoon: 1
fingers: 1
pat…dry: 1
remove:
Tips for the perfect seasoning mix
- This recipe makes the perfect amount of rub to use on a 10-12 pound turkey. If your turkey is larger, you’ll want to double the recipe.
- You can use fresh herbs instead of dried if you prefer; you’ll just want to triple the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried.
- This recipe calls for kosher salt, which is not the same as table salt. For best results, use kosher salt, which should be available in every grocery store.
Generously apply the seasoning to the outside of the turkey, then use your hands to rub it into the skin and meat. I also recommend loosening the skin of the turkey breast and thighs, and putting some of the rub under the skin against the meat for added flavor.
You can absolutely season a turkey the night before, in fact, I recommend doing this whenever possible. Leaving the rub on the turkey overnight allows for the salt and spices to penetrate the meat and makes for a more tender and juicy cooked bird. Place the rub on your turkey, then loosely cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you plan to cook it.
Turkey pairs well with a lot of sweet and savory flavors such as brown sugar, maple, chives, thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage, basil, paprika, pepper, garlic, onion, lemon, and oregano. This spice blend is primarily savory, with just a hint of brown sugar to offset the salt, herbs and spices. The added bonus of the brown sugar is that it will help to create a golden brown crust on the turkey.
I happen to love this spice blend exactly as it’s written, but you can absolutely use other flavorings to customize this recipe to your taste.
- Sugar: You can use maple sugar, muscovado sugar or coconut sugar instead of the brown sugar. You can also blend honey, agave syrup or maple syrup with the spices to make a wet rub.
- Herbs: Feel free to add other herbs to the mix such as dried parsley, basil, marjoram, savory or oregano.
- Spices: Other great additions to this rub include cayenne pepper, mustard powder, smoked paprika or chili powder.
- Wet Rub: You can mix your spice blend with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter to make a wet rub.
- Smokey Rub: Use my smoked turkey rub if you’re planning to cook your bird in a smoker.
I like to make a double or triple batch of this rub and use it all year long on roasted chicken, pork tenderloin and roast beef. Make your holiday turkey extra special this year with this spice blend, and you’ll be sure to get rave reviews.
How do you make turkey rub?
Place the salt, sugar, herbs and spices in a bowl, then stir until everything is well mixed. Use the seasoning right away, or store it in an airtight container for future use.
This Is the Only Roast Turkey Recipe You’ll Need!
FAQ
What does putting butter under the skin of a turkey do?
Should I rub my turkey the night before?
Do you put butter under the skin when smoking a turkey?