Name: Chipotle-Butter Turkey
Total time: 210 min
Ingredients: One 12 to 14-pound turkey, rinsed and patted dry; Kosher salt; Black pepper; 2 sticks unsalted butter; 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar; 1/3 cup minced chipotle chiles in adobo; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 1 tablespoon chopped thyme plus 4 sprigs; 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise; 1 lime, quartered; 4 oregano sprigs; 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Food & Wine's Justin Chapple soaks smoky chipotle butter in cheesecloth and drapes it over turkey while roasting, yielding superjuicy, delicious meat and skin. Slideshow: More Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Justin Chapple

Updated on November 1, 2015

Chipotle-Butter Turkey — Photo: © Nicole Franzen

Active Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 30 mins

Yield:

10 to 12

Ingredients

One 12 to 14-pound turkey, rinsed and patted dry
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup minced chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chopped thyme plus 4 sprigs
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
1 lime, quartered
4 oregano sprigs
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Directions

Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rack set in a roasting pan and let come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the vinegar, chipotles, minced garlic, dried oregano and chopped thyme; let cool slightly. Transfer half of the chipotle butter to a small bowl and refrigerate until spreadable, about 20 minutes.
Run your fingers under the turkey breast and thigh skin to loosen it, then spread the chilled butter under the skin and over the breast and thighs. Stuff the turkey cavity with the head of garlic, the lime wedges and the thyme and oregano sprigs. Dampen an 18-by-18-inch double-layer piece of cheesecloth with water and squeeze dry. Soak the cheesecloth in the remaining chipotle butter and drape it over the breast and legs; pour any remaining butter on top.
Roast the turkey for about 30 minutes. Add the stock to the roasting pan and continue to roast for about 1 hour and 45 minutes longer, rotating the pan a few times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165°.
Carefully peel the cheesecloth off the turkey. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes. Skim the fat off the pan juices and transfer to a gravy bowl. Carve the turkey and serve with the pan juices.