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Carved turkey on a serving platter with orange slices and herbs.

Tini Turkey Recipe

Isabel
With over 50 million views on TikTok, this viral turkey recipe by Tini Younger is a must-try for Thanksgiving.
5 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 3 hours
Restin time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 10-12 lb. Turkey defrosted

For the wet brine for turkey

  • 8 Cups Water
  • 1 Cup Kosher salt
  • ¼ Cup Honey
  • ¼ Cup Brown sugar
  • 2 Oranges
  • 2 Heads of garlic
  • 2 Onions
  • 1 Bunch Rosemary
  • 1 Bunch Sage
  • 1 Bunch Oregano
  • 1 Bunch Thyme
  • 2 Bay leafs
  • 1 Teaspoon Pepper corns
  • 8 Cups Ice cold water

Garlic Herb Butter to rub the turkey

  • 2 Cups Unsalted butter at room temperature (500 grams/ 4 sticks)
  • 8 Cloves Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons Oregano leaves Remove the stems and reserve for the turkey cavity
  • 2 Tablespoons Rosemary leaves Remove the stems reserve for the turkey cavity
  • 2 Tablespoons Thyme leaves Remove the stems reserve for the turkey cavity
  • 2 Tablespoons Chives chopped
  • ½ Tablespoon Lemon zest
  • Juice of half of a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste About 1 teaspoon each

Liquid herb butter for injecting the turkey

  • 1 Cup Unsalted butter Melted (225 grams/ 2 sticks)
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Teaspoon pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon Ground thyme
  • ½ Teaspoon Onion powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Garlic powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Paprika

For the Turkey Cavity

  • ½ Onion
  • 1 Bunch Parsley
  • Herb stems
  • ½ Lemon

Vegetables for roasting pan

  • ½ Onion roughly chopped
  • 2 Carrots roughly chopped
  • 2 Celery stalks roughly chopped
  • 2 Cups Chicken broth

Instructions
 

Clean the turkey

  • Remove the bag of innards, the neck bone and any plastic inserts from the turkey cavity. Reserve the neck bones and innards if making gravy from scratch.

Prepare the wet brine

  • Slice the oranges, cut the onions in half and the heads of garlic in half.
  • Add all the ingredients to a pot except the ice water. Bring them to a boil.
  • Let the brine boil for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
  • Allow the liquid to cool down and add the 8 cups of ice water.
  • When the brine is completely cooled down transfer it to a container big enough to place the turkey and brine and that can fit in your refrigerator.
  • You can also use a turkey brining bag for this process.
  • Place the turkey in the brine and refrigerate covered for 12 to 24 hours.

Add the Garlic Herb Butter

  • Discard the brine and dry the turkey with paper towels.
  • Use about ⅓ of the garlic herb butter to rub the inside cavity of the turkey.
  • Melt the rest of the garlic butter and use a cooking brush to add the butter to the the outer skin of the turkey. It should be completely covered.

Inject the turkey with liquid butter

  • Inject the turkey with the liquid butter. Add it to the tights and breast poking different spots along the bird.
  • Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Add some chopped onion, celery and carrots to the bottom and about 2 cups of chicken stock.
  • Roast the turkey at 330F until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165F. It will take 2-3 hours depending on the size of your turkey.
  • Baste the turkey with the drippings every 30 minutes and also inject some of the liquid back every 30 minutes.
  • Allow the turkey to rest for 30 to 45 minutes before carving it.
  • Slice and enjoy.

Notes

Important tips
  • Thaw your turkey 2-3 days in the fridge.
  • For this recipe, buy a natural turkey (not brined).
  • Brine turkey in the fridge for 24 hours.
  • When cooking the turkey baste it and inject it with butter every 30 minutes.
  • Cover the turkey with foil or a cheese cloth to prevent burning the skin.
  • Cook the turkey until internal temperature is close to 165F, the temperature will continue to rise as the turkey rest.
  • Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
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