Juicy Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey Recipe With Crispy Golden Skin (No Basting) by Donna John

By now you know how much I like to use mayonnaise in recipes. Mayonnaise can affect the texture (juicy, crispy, moist, tender) and add so much flavor to a recipe. Some of my favorite recipes using mayonnaise are mayonnaise cod, crispy potatoes, butterflied chicken, mayonnaise eggs, mayo mashed potatoes and crispy baked mayonnaise chicken.

I'm not the only one who knows the secret to using mayonnaise in recipes. Food Network's Ginevra Iverson covers her roasted turkey in a mayonnaise mixture. She mixes the mayo with paprika, dried herbs and a little hot sauce, then covers the entire turkey – inside and out – with the mixture. The result is a juicy, crispy, moist roasted turkey with golden skin.

"Who needs butter?" she writes on the the Food Network's website. "A slather of mayonnaise on your turkey pulls double duty by standing in as a flavorful rub as well as adding moisture and fat to often dry meat. And what's particularly great is that it browns the skin beautifully without the constant basting that most birds need."

Photo credit: all photos under license from BigStock

To make this high-protein mayonnaise roasted whole turkey recipe you will need mayo, paprika, parsley flakes, garlic powder, dried thyme, ground sage, hot sauce, a whole turkey (check out the health benefits of turkey), onion, garlic, bay leaves and fresh herbs. 

I made this juicy turkey for Thanksgiving everyone loved it. The meat was juicy and the outside golden and crispy. This may be your new way to cook that holiday turkey!

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours (ovens vary)
Total Time: 3 1/2 hours
Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 4 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground sage
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne
• 1 10- to 12-pound turkey, cleaned, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved across the garlic cloves
• several sprigs fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, rosemary and sage, etc.)
• 2 bay leaves

Here's how to make it: 

1. Mix together the mayonnaise, paprika, parsley, garlic powder, thyme, sage, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper in a bowl. Rub the mayonnaise mixture all over the turkey, inside and out. 
2. Stuff the cavity with the onion, garlic, fresh herbs and bay leaves. Put the turkey into a roasting pan breast side up. Tent with aluminum foil. 
3. Bake the turkey in a preheated 325-degree F oven for 2 hours. Uncover and turn the oven temperature up to 425 degrees F. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Cook until the internal temperature of the turkey is 165 degrees F in the thigh, about 30 to 45 minutes. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving. (You can strain the pan drippings and serve them on the side, or reserve them and blend into your favorite turkey gravy recipe for extra flavor.) Store any leftover turkey in an airtight container for up to three days.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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