How Do You Season a Turkey?

To season a turkey, pat it dry, then rub poultry seasoning under the skin and all over the outside, about 1 tablespoon for every 2 pounds of bird. Do it the night before and leave the turkey uncovered in the fridge, so the salt has time to work its way in and the skin dries out enough to crisp. A light dusting inside the cavity is plenty.

That is the short version. Below is what goes in a good turkey seasoning, how much to use for the size of your bird, and the one label to read before you open the spice cabinet.

What do you season a turkey with?

Turkey is mild. It needs salt to taste like anything, and it likes the same things chicken likes: garlic, onion, black pepper and a few herbs. That is really the whole list. Sage, thyme and rosemary are the classic holiday herbs. Basil, oregano and coriander go a little brighter. A pinch of cayenne will not make it spicy. It just keeps the bird from tasting flat.

You can mix that yourself, or use one blend that already has it sorted. Ours is Anything With Wings. The whole ingredient list, in order: sea salt, organic garlic, organic coriander, organic onion, organic black pepper, organic cumin, organic basil, organic cayenne, organic oregano and organic ginger. It is USDA Certified Organic with no MSG, no fillers and no anti-caking agents.

Notice that sea salt comes first. That matters for the next part.

How much seasoning does a turkey need?

For a seasoning blend that has salt in it, plan on about 1 tablespoon for every 2 pounds of turkey.

• Bone-in turkey breast, 6 to 7 pounds: about 3 tablespoons.
• 10 to 12 pound turkey: 5 to 6 tablespoons.
• 14 to 16 pound turkey: 7 to 8 tablespoons, which is about half a cup.
• 18 to 20 pound turkey: 9 to 10 tablespoons.

If you have read our guide to how much seasoning to use per pound of meat, you will see this is about half the usual amount. That is on purpose. A whole turkey is a lot of bone, and you pay for the bone by the pound but you do not season it.

Read the label on the turkey first

Before you season anything, look at the wrapper. Many supermarket turkeys are sold already salted. The label will say "enhanced," "self-basting," or "contains up to" some percent of a solution.

If yours says that, the salt is already inside the bird. Cut a salted seasoning blend to about half, or switch to a salt-free one. Our salt-free blend is Zilch. Nada. None., and it lets you pile on the garlic and herbs without stacking salt on top of salt.

If the label just says "turkey," you have a plain bird, and the full amount above is right. We go deeper on the salt question in Do You Need Salt to Dry Brine a Turkey?

How to season a turkey, step by step

1. Thaw it all the way and pat it dry. Paper towels, inside and out. Seasoning slides right off a wet bird.
2. Loosen the skin. Slide your fingers between the skin and the breast meat, then down over the thighs. Go gently so the skin does not tear.
3. Season under the skin. Push about half of your seasoning under there and spread it around with your fingers. Most people skip this step, and it is the one that seasons the meat.
4. Season the outside. Use the rest on the skin. Do not forget the legs, the wings and the back.
5. Dust the cavity. A light sprinkle is enough.
6. Let it rest in the fridge. Set the turkey on a rack in a pan, uncovered, on the bottom shelf. Overnight is ideal.
7. Add butter or oil right before roasting. Rub a little over the skin for color. Do not rinse anything off.

Then roast it the way you always do. The turkey is done when a thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh.

Why the night before is better

Time does two jobs. The salt in the seasoning pulls a little moisture to the surface, dissolves in it, and then soaks back into the meat, so the flavor ends up inside the bird instead of sitting on top. And the cold fridge air dries the skin, which is what lets it turn crisp and brown in the oven.

Eight to twelve hours is plenty for most turkeys. A big one, over 16 pounds, can go a full day.

No time? Season it at least an hour before it goes in the oven. You will get good flavor on the outside, just not as much inside. Nobody at the table is going to send it back.

Do not forget the pan

Everything you put on the turkey ends up in the drippings, and the drippings become the gravy. So taste the gravy before you add any salt to it.

For the mashed potatoes and the green beans, we keep it simple: salt, pepper and garlic, which is exactly what is in The OG. If you are planning the whole table, our Thanksgiving dinner guide walks through every dish on the plate.

Quick answers

Should you season a turkey the night before?

Yes, if you can. Season it 8 to 24 hours ahead and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator. The meat seasons through and the skin dries so it crisps. If you run out of time, an hour ahead still helps.

Do you season a turkey under the skin or on top?

Both. Put about half of the seasoning under the skin, directly on the breast and thigh meat, and the rest on the outside. Seasoning that sits only on top of the skin flavors the skin and not much else.

Do you rinse the seasoning off a turkey before roasting?

No. Leave it on. Rinsing washes away the flavor and wets the skin you just spent a night drying. Rub on a little butter or oil and put the turkey in the oven.

That is the whole job: dry bird, seasoning under the skin, a night in the fridge. If you are cooking for a crowd this year, Anything With Wings comes in a 5 oz resealable pouch, which is the size we would buy for a holiday bird with some left over for the leftovers. Free shipping kicks in at $25.