Upside-Down Turkey Recipe (With Video and Step-by-Step)

Prep Time:

45 mins

Cook Time:

2 hrs 45 mins

Total Time:

12 hrs

Servings:

Our recipe for upside-down turkey flips the typical roasting method on its head, resulting in juicy, perfectly cooked meat and gorgeous, evenly golden skin. Unlike traditional recipes that start the bird breast side up, we place the turkey upside-down in a V-shaped rack set in a roasting pan. This gives the legs a chance to cook in the high heat of the oven while protecting the more delicate breast meat from overcooking. Lining the rack with buttered ciabatta keeps the skin from sticking and also makes it easier to flip the bird partway through the cooking process. After a few hours in the oven, you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeously browned bird, moist and juicy meat, and plenty of drippings for gravy.

cooked turkey on a serving plate with fruit vertical — Credit:
Brie Goldman

Why The Upside-Down Turkey Method Works

While some turkey recipes call for flipping the bird midway through and others let it be for the entire cooking time, they mostly begin the same way: setting the turkey breast side up in the roasting pan. This results in a beautifully browned skin but often with overcooked breast meat just beneath it. Meanwhile, the legs tend not to get as browned and crisp as the rest of the turkey since they're not exposed to as much airflow.

By starting the turkey upside down, we give the back and legs a head start in the dry, high heat of the oven. After 45 minutes, the bird is flipped breast side up and the temperature is reduced, which allows the skin of the breast to brown and the meat underneath to cook nice and gently. Placing the turkey on a bed of buttered ciabatta keeps the skin from sticking to the rack, leaving you a picture-perfect result for when it's time to carve.

Why We Dry Brine the Turkey

To keep the meat nice and juicy while also seasoning it throughout, we employ a simple dry brine, or a generous coating of kosher salt (and pepper), which penetrates the meat overnight. The salt draws out the moisture from the meat and is then reabsorbed along with the liquid, accomplishing a similar result to traditional wet brining.

Key Ingredients for Upside-Down Turkey

Turkey: Our recipe calls for a 14-pound turkey, which will cook to perfection in about two hours and 45 minutes. If you're starting with a frozen bird, be sure it's fully thawed before beginning this recipe (find defrosting tips below). If cooking a kosher turkey, which has already been salted, skip the overnight dry-brining step and season lightly with salt and pepper before roasting instead.

Kosher salt: This recipe was developed using Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has a lighter, flakier texture compared to other brands and therefore packs differently in a measuring cup. If you are using Morton's coarse kosher salt, opt for two tablespoons plus two teaspoons in step one.

Ciabatta: We like using sliced ciabatta to rest our upside-down turkey on, as its generous size is long enough to support the entire length of the breast. If you can't find ciabatta, you can substitute another sturdy oval or rectangular loaf instead.

Chicken broth: Adding two cups of chicken (or turkey!) broth to the roasting pan keeps the drippings from burning and helps form the base for a delicious gravy. Use homemade broth if you've got it, or choose a good-quality, low-sodium option from the store to avoid adding extra salt to the drippings.

How to Thaw a Frozen Turkey

It takes about 24 hours for every four pounds of turkey to thaw in the fridge, meaning that if you're using a 14-pound bird for this recipe, you'll need to factor in a solid three to four days for it to defrost. If you don't have that kind of time, you can fill a sink with cold water and add the turkey, still in its wrapping, being sure it's fully submerged. Let it hang out in there for six to eight hours to thaw, changing out the water every 30 minutes.

Directions

ingredients for turkey recipe from above — Credit:
Brie Goldman

Make dry brine; rub over turkey:

In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Rub mixture all over turkey, including inside body cavity.

Credit:
Brie Goldman
Refrigerate, covered, on a baking sheet:

Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least overnight and up to 24 hours, to allow seasoning to penetrate meat.

Credit:
Brie Goldman
Rinse, then pat dry; let sit at room temperature:

Remove plastic from turkey; rinse inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Heat oven; tuck wings and tie legs:

Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in lower third. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine.

Credit:
Brie Goldman
Trim and butter bread; place on rack in pan:

Trim bread to length of turkey breast (about 9 inches), then slice horizontally. Butter cut sides of bread. On a V-shaped wire rack set in a roasting pan, place slices side-by-side lengthwise, buttered-sides up.

Credit:
Brie Goldman
Set turkey on bread; roast:

Place turkey breast-side down, so it rests on bread (not directly on rack). Roast 45 minutes.

Credit:
Brie Goldman
Flip turkey breast-side up:

Remove from oven and, using a kitchen towel to hold neck side and a wooden spoon inside cavity for leverage, carefully flip turkey breast-side up.

Credit:
Brie Goldman
Add broth, return to oven, and reduce heat; continue to roast:

Pour broth into pan, then rotate pan and return to oven. Reduce heat to 350°F. Continue roasting, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165°F, about 2 hours more.

Credit:
Brie Goldman
Place turkey on platter; reserve drippings for making gravy:

Transfer turkey to a serving platter. Remove rack from pan; discard bread. Set pan with drippings aside to make your preferred gravy recipe (keeping in mind that drippings will be salty). Let turkey stand 30 minutes. Serve, garnished with figs, grapes, sage, and thyme.

How to Carve a Turkey

After letting your turkey rest for at least 30 minutes, it's time to carve it:

Remove the legs: Start by working with one leg at a time, pull it outward, and cut through the skin that separates the thigh from the breast. You'll hit the bone eventually, at which point you can bend the leg back from the body to pop out the joint. Slice through the joint and remove the leg.

Cut off the wings: Remove each wing by bending it backwards—just like you did with the legs—and slice through the joint to separate it from the body. Place wings on a serving platter.

Separate the breast meat from the carcass: Make long, smooth cuts alongside each side of the breastbone to separate the meat from the carcass, following along the curve of the bone as you go.

Slice each breast: Cut each breast crosswise into half-inch-thick slices; transfer to the platter.

Separate the drumsticks from the thighs and slice thighs: Cut through near the joint connecting each drumstick to the thigh to separate the two pieces, then place the drumsticks on the platter. Pull out the bone from each thigh using your hands or cut around it with your knife, then slice the thigh meat; add to the platter.