I looked everywhere online to find a way to sous vide a whole turkey. Nothing! The recipes either recommended taking the turkey apart (just not compatible with a traditional Thanksgiving), or getting a very small 10-pound turkey. So this is the way I did it, and it turned out awesome.
Sous Vide Whole Turkey
I looked everywhere online to find a way to sous vide a whole turkey. Nothing! The recipes either recommended taking the turkey apart (just not compatible with a traditional Thanksgiving), or getting a very small 10-pound turkey. So this is the way I did it, and it turned out awesome.
Ingredients
- 3 quarts organic chicken stock
- ¾ cup kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried savory
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 15 pound turkey neck and giblets removed
- 25- pound capacity brining bag
Instructions
- Combine chicken stock, salt, rosemary, thyme, savory, and sage in a bowl.
- Place turkey in the brining bag and fill with brine, making sure to fill the cavity. Transfer the bag to a 5-gallon pot filled with water. Slowly push the brining bag under the water while you seal it, squeezing air out as you go; remove as much air as possible so bag does not float.
- Attach a sous vide cooker to the edge of the pot. Wrap it in a dish towel for insulation. Cover the pot with plastic wrap to reduce evaporation. Set temperature to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C); cook for 18 to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Remove turkey from the brining bag and transfer to a large roasting pan. Discard brine.
- Bake in the preheated oven until nicely browned, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Cook’s Note
Any brining recipe will do. The amount of brine in this recipe works for a 15- to 20-pound turkey.
