Instead of rubbing your turkey with butter or oil before roasting it, rub it with a garlicky-herb mayo instead! This Mayonnaise Turkey has ridiculously crispy skin and turns out perfectly moist and juicy every time.
If roasting a whole turkey intimidates you, this easy recipe will walk you through the process step-by-step for a show-stopping bird everyone will still be talking about next year!
Table of contents
Mayo … on a Turkey? Yes!
Before roasting a turkey, rubbing it all over with some kind of fat is an absolute must. For years, I’ve rubbed my birds with butter — it adds tons of flavor, helps crisp up the skin, and turns the turkey a gorgeous golden brown.
This year, though, I discovered that you can use mayo on a turkey instead of oil or butter. I was skeptical at first, but I’m officially a mayo turkey convert!
This is a fairly classic dry-brined turkey recipe but instead of roasting it slathered with herb butter, we’re using a super flavorful herb mayo. The mayo keeps the skin crispy (and unlike butter won’t slide off!) and helps it brown, plus it makes the meat super juicy. To speed up the cook time and keep the turkey moist, I also spatchcocked my bird.
Make a mayonnaise roasted turkey the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving table this year! It’s got all the flavors of a classic herb roasted turkey, but it’s supremely moist with the crispiest skin imaginable.
Special Equipment You’ll Need
- Sharp Knife
- Heavy Duty Kitchen Shears
- Cutting Board
- Probe Thermometer
- Roasting Pan
- Turkey Baster
- Drippings/Fat Separator (only if making gravy)
The Key Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- 12 – 14 lb turkey. Choose a fresh turkey that hasn’t been injected with any flavorings or solutions. Plan on 1 pound of meat per person, and if you’ll be feeding a larger crowd I suggest roasting two smaller birds rather than one giant one to keep the cook time manageable and to prevent the turkey from drying out.
- Dry brine. Has all the components of a traditional wet brine, minus the water! To make it, you’ll need kosher salt, pepper, granulated sugar, and a few dried herbs and spices (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and rubbed sage).
- Mayo rub. The herby mayo rub adds so much flavor and moisture to our roast turkey! It’s made with full-fat mayo (choose a quality brand!), fresh garlic, lemon, onion powder, and a blend of fresh herbs.
- Aromatics. I always roast my turkeys on a bed of fresh herbs and aromatics (onion, carrot, celery, etc.) to amp up the flavor and to elevate the turkey from the roasting pan and encourage more even cooking.
- Turkey stock. A little stock at the bottom of the roasting pan keeps the turkey nice and moist.
Jenny’s Tip: If you have leftover herby mayo, it makes a great spread for leftover turkey/ham sandwiches too!
How to Make a Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey
- Thaw your turkey completely! If you purchased a frozen turkey, it will need roughly 24 hours per 4 pounds of meat to defrost fully. This recipe calls for a 12 – 14 lb. turkey, so it will need about 3 days to defrost completely.
- Spatchcock the turkey. I’ve given super detailed instructions on how to do this in the recipe card below, but spatchcocking simply involves removing the neck from the turkey and then pressing down on the breast bone until it lays flat. This reduces the cook time by nearly half and helps the meat cook more evenly so that every single bite is moist and tender. So long as you have a good pair of kitchen shears on hand, spatchcocking a turkey is surprisingly easy!
- Rub with the dry brine and chill uncovered in the fridge. Work the seasoned salt into every nook and cranny of the turkey (including under the skin). Once that’s done, transfer the turkey to the fridge and let the dry brine work its magic for 24 – 48 hours. The key to super crispy skin is to chill the turkey uncovered so the skin can dry out slightly.
- Slather with herby mayo. Add the herbs and aromatics to the bottom of the roasting pan and place the turkey on top. Rub it liberally with the herb mayonnaise.
- Roast at 400ºF. I start basting my turkey at the 45-minute mark and pull it out of the oven when the thickest part of the turkey leg reaches 170ºF.
Cook Times and Temps to Note
The exact cook time will depend on the size of your turkey and your oven. This recipe calls for a 12-14 lb. turkey, which roasts in 90 minutes to 2 hours at 400ºF in my oven.
You’ll know it’s done when the turkey’s internal temperature reaches 165ºF at the thickest part of the thigh and 155ºF at the thickest part of the breast.
Remember: You need to set your turkey on the counter 1 hour before you plan on roasting it! Transferring the turkey straight from the cold fridge to the hot oven will increase the cook time and cause the meat to cook unevenly.
Sides to Serve with Your Bird
As much as I love this moist and tender turkey with mayo rub, Thanksgiving is really all about the sides for me! Here are the ones I always have to have on the table:
- Apple Sausage Stuffing
- Herby Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
- Orange Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce
- Homemade Green Bean Casserole
- Extra Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
- Salted Chocolate Pecan Pie
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More No-Fail Ways to Cook a Turkey
- Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey
- Buttered Cheesecloth Turkey
- Maple-Bourbon Glazed Turkey
- Slow Roasted Turkey Thighs
- Actually Juicy Roast Turkey Breast
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Herby Mayo Rubbed Turkey
Ingredients
Turkey
- 12-14 lb turkey defrosted
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 yellow onions quartered
- 3 large carrot roughly chopped
- 4 ribs of celery roughly chopped
- 1 bulb of garlic top removed to expose the cloves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs sage
- 2 cups turkey stock
Herby Mayo
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped rosemary leaves
- 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped sage leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dry brine. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and sage. Set aside.
- Spatchcock the turkey. First, remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and make sure it’s completely defrosted (if using a frozen turkey). Place the turkey on a large cutting board and pat it very dry with paper towels. Arrange the turkey breast-side down on the cutting board with the legs facing you. Using heavy-duty kitchen shears, cut along one side of the turkey spine, separating it from the ribs. Be sure to cut as close to the spine as you can so that you do not end up discarding any more of the turkey meat than necessary. Repeat on the other side of the spine. Flip the turkey so that the breasts face upward and the legs face outward. Using the palm of your hands, press along the breast bone. You should hear a small crack and the bird should lay flat.
- Cover the turkey in the dry brine. Use your fingers to separate some of the skin from the breast and leg meat to create some space. Sprinkle the salt mixture liberally all over the turkey. Rub the salt mixture into the turkey, including on the underside and under the skin so that the bird is well coated. Place the turkey on a baking sheet, breast side up, and transfer to the fridge uncovered for 24 hours, up to 48 hours.
- Make the herby mayo. Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour or two before you plan to cook it. Combine the mayo, garlic, lemon zest, herbs, dehydrated onion, salt and pepper in a small food processor and blend until smooth.
- Preheat an oven to 400 F.
- Prep the turkey for the oven. Add the onions, carrots, celery, herbs, and garlic to the bottom of a roasting pan and pour in the turkey stock. Place the turkey, breast side up, in the roasting pan on top of the veggies. Smear the herby mayo all over the turkey (reserving some for leftover sandwiches, if desired!). Transfer the roasting pan to the oven.
- Roast and baste the turkey. Start basting the turkey with the pan juice about 45 minutes to an hour into the cooking, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the turkey leg reaches 170 F (160 F for the breast), about 90 minutes to 2 hours total cooking time. Remove the turkey from the oven and carefully transfer just the turkey to a large cutting board and loosely tent it with foil. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- You can discard the vegetables in the roasting pan and use the drippings to make my foolproof gravy.
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