Sharing my secret to super juicy no brine roast turkey recipe that will make you a hero of your Thanksgiving dinner. It involves a bottle of champagne and melted butter! Seriously, unless you want to, you really don’t have to brine your bird any more.

You read that right, my friend. Not brining the turkey this year.
Year after year, my husband was in charge of our Thanksgiving turkey. Every year, he brought out a large bucket and made his brining solution to brine the bird. We always enjoyed the juicy turkey.
But I was curious if we could get that succulent turkey without hassle of brining. So this year, I started the testing early. You know, typical extreme type A over here. 😉

The real motivation was that I read this brine injecting method in Real Simple magazine (November 2016 issue) a while back, and I really wanted to try it. It said to inject a brining solution, or melted butter into the breast and legs before roasting.
Sounds intriguing, right?
Well, I tried this method, and happy to report – it works! I injected melted butter, because I’m using lots of herbs on the outside, but I think, next time herb infused melted butter, or even brown butter would be fantastic!!!
For this method, you’ll need a marinade injector, that you’ll fill with melted butter and inject into the meat before roasting. You don’t want to poke too many times into the bird though, or you may damage the skin. I showed you exactly how to do this in the video below, but here’s a quick visual. (And yes, I have 4 hands that multitask pretty good. Jealous?)


And that’s not the only magic trick I used for this Thanksgiving turkey recipe. This roast turkey is special one, because it’s also roasted in champaign!
I know, fancy, huh?
Champagne not only adds an amazing tang to the drippings, but it keeps the bird nice and moist!
I have to give credit to this recipe on Allrecipes.com though. It has so many rave reviews, and rightly so!
Now I’ll have to warn you about that tangy pan dripping. Because the champaign is reduced significantly, meaning the flavors are more concentrated, it has quite a tang. But IF used carefully, your gravy will be to die for!
And I’m not saying this lightly. We’re not talking boring, same old turkey gravy here. (Nothing against tried n’ true gravy, but let’s be honest, it can get a little boring.) We’re talking bold flavorful turkey gravy that’ll go around the table non-stop. I’m telling ya, when we had faux-Thanksgining in September, I had to get up and refill the turkey bowl 4 times!!! It was that good!
And when I say, use the dripping carefully, I mean add it little by little and adjust it to your taste. You can get the complete gravy recipe here.


Now go on and give this recipe a test run before the big day. And please share your feedback. Thank you!!!!

Super Juicy No Brine Roast Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (I used 14lbs turkey)
- 1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter softened, divided
- 1 tablespoon grated garlic about 4-5 cloves Note 1
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon rubbed dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 apples cored and roughly chopped, optional
- 2 large carrots roughly chopped, optional
- A bunch of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, marjoram
- 1 bottle (750ml) champagne
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Begin to thaw the turkey in the refrigerator 2-3 days before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Pull the neck and giblets out of the cavity. Wash and dry the turkey with paper towels. Carefully run your hand under the breast skin to create a pocket.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 stick of butter, garlic, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and lemon juice. Mix until well combined.
- Smear the butter evenly all over the turkey and under the breast skin. (If the skin is wet, butter won’t stick. So make sure to dry the skin with paper towel well.) Place the turkey breast side up on a V rack in a large roasting pan.
- Fill the turkey with carrots, apples and fresh herbs.
- If desired, tie the legs of the bird with twine. (I prefer this method over whole trussing, because it’s easier.)
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a bowl.
- Using a marinade injector, slowly inject each thigh and breast halves with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Pour champagne and chicken stock over the turkey and into the cavity.
- Roast the turkey until it’s golden brown, about 3.5 hours for 14lbs turkey, basting it every hour using a turkey baster. (Check on turkey after 2 hours. If skin isn’t browning fast enough, increase oven temperature by 50°F/10°C. If the skin is browning too much, cover with a foil.)
- The turkey is cooked, when the deepest part of breast and legs registers 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the turkey from oven, cover with foil and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
- Reserve pan juices to make gravy. But add the drippings into the gravy little at a time, as the champagne is reduced and flavors are concentrated. So adjust it to your taste.
Vanessa Battle says
Can I leave it sitting in the champagne over night if I season the day b4
Shinee says
Hi, Vanessa. I wouldn’t. Add the champagne right before roasting.
Kristine says
Definitely a 5 Star recipe!!!!!
Shinee says
Thank you SO much!!!
Kristine says
By far the BEST turkey recipe! I used a recipe similar to this one last year but this recipe just perfected it! Delicious juicy turkey. The gravy was a big hit as well. I did choose to do a dry brine rub the night before and omitted the salt from the butter herb mixture. Finally found a turkey recipe that is absolutely perfect. I will be using this recipe every year. Thank you
Shinee says
So glad you tried and loved this recipe, Kristine!!! And I agree it makes the best gravy!! Thank you so much for your feedback!!
Anna says
Thank you for sharing your recipe! Can’t wait to try it tomorrow. Can you confirm the roasting time for a 20 lb turkey?
Shinee says
Hi, Anna. I’d estimate about 5 hours for 20lb turkey.
Michelle says
This recipe sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it. I was wondering if there’s another wine substitute instead of champagne. Also, I’m considering seasoning my turkey and freezing it, to cook at a later time, do you have any suggestions on how it should be seasoned before freezing? For example should the wine be poured on the turkey before I freeze it or just when cooking? Thanks so much!
Shinee says
Hi, Michelle. What’s the reason for seasoning and refreezing the turkey? I actually wouldn’t recommend refreezing the turkey. And no, add wine only when ready to put it in the oven. You can use any white wine in place of champagne.
Michelle says
Just in general when we buy meats but are ready to cook them we season the raw poultry and freeze. It helps add flavor, preserves the meat a little longer and less prep when it’s actually time to cook it.
Shinee says
Interesting. I’ve never tried that before, so I had no idea.
Stephanie says
Hi! This is going to be my first year making a turkey and I can’t wait to try this recipe. Quick question, can I not baste the turkey? Also, I don’t have a roasting rack so I plan to put some rolled foil underneath to lift it up, would that work with this recipe?thank you!
Shinee says
Hi, Stephanie!! I’m excited for your first roast turkey!!! You can skip the basting part. And yes, you can put rolled foils, but putting some vegetables would be even better. Like quartered apples, carrots, etc. Good luck! Let us know how it goes. Happy Thanksgiving!
Robyn says
Can I make this Turkey in a roasting bag, and get the same great result? Have you tried this before..??
Shinee says
Hi, Robyn. I have never used a roasting bag with this recipe to give an advice.
Leighann Forbes says
Hands down the BEST turkey recipe I’ve ever made! Every bit of the bird was done to perfection, was so juicy, tender and tasted AMAZING!!! I will make this every single year. Not to mention the gravy that these drippings give you. It was Thanksgiving Bliss thanks to this crazy-good recipe! Thank you!!
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you loved this recipe, Leighann!! And yes, the dripping makes the gravy SO amazing!! I appreciate your feedback. Happy Thanksgiving!
Lorin says
I have an almost 23 pound turkey. What time should I start cooking for a 2:00pm dinner?
Alicia Hanley says
You’re looking at almost 5hr45min of cooking time and 30 minutes to let cool before serving, so I’d start prepping at 7am or sooner depending on how long it takes you to prep.
Shinee says
Hi, Lorin. I agree with Alicia. I’d estimate 5-6 hours to cook 23 pound turkey. Start preparing it around 6-7am, with a goal to put it in the oven no later than 7:30am. Hope this helps and please let us know it turns out. Happy Thanksgiving!
Shirlet says
Awesome receipt
Shinee says
Thank you, Shirlet!!
Tayt says
Is it possible to omit the champagne? I understand it would alter the flavor of the drippings/broth, Is there a way I could make up for that?
Shinee says
Hi, Tayt. Sure, you can do that. You can use chicken stock. And if you’d like, you can add some halved lemon in the pan. Let me know how it turns out, if you try it.
Kristine says
Can you use a roasting bag with this recipe?
Shinee says
Hi, Kristine. Unfortunately, I’ve never used roasting bag with this recipe to give you an accurate advice.
Tessa says
what kind of champaign is recommended?
Shinee says
Hi, Tessa. I use Korbel Brut champagne.
Michelle says
Can you taste the champagne at all or does it cook off? My husband doesn’t like when I cook with wine. It sounds amazing though. Thx
Shinee says
Hi, Michelle. I’d say you won’t taste the champagne in the meat, but the dripping will have concentrated taste that I think adds amazing flavor to the gravy.
Allie says
Hello! Can I use this same recipe/method in a roaster oven?
Shinee says
Hi, Allie. I’ve no experience with a roaster oven, so I have no advice.
Janine says
I’m also planning to use a turkey roaster! I think I’m just going to use this recipe but adjust the cooking times to what the roaster instructions say! Without opening to baste it at all.
Shinee says
Thank you for sharing, Janine. And I’d so appreciate if you’d come back and share your feedback after you’ve tried it.
Ali says
We are excited to try this recipe. Can you tell me what I can do if we don’t have an injector?
Shinee says
Hi, Ali. Bummer, then you won’t be able to inject butter into the breast. I’d say, just skip that step then. But I do think that’s the secret to juiciest turkey, but it’ll still be good.
Carolyn says
I use to hate turkey! But 2 years ago I found this recipe and now I dream about this turkey all year long!!! Best turkey ever.
But- i have a quick question. This year my turkey will be 22 pounds. Should I double the recipe?
Shinee says
Hi, Carolyn. I’m SO happy to hear that you love this recipe. Yes, but you don’t need to double all the ingredients. Just double the butter mixture, and leave the champagne and broth amounts the same. Hope you enjoy!!
Stefan says
Best turkey I’ve ever been had and I don’t care for turkey! Will be making it this thanksgiving again because it was such a hit.
Shinee says
Wow, your feedback means a lot to me, Stefan. Thank you SO much!!!
Corinne says
Late post, I used this recipe for our Thanksgiving Turkey. I have got to to say my turkey was awesome and amazing. I had so many compliments about the turkey. How it was so moist and tasty. I will definitely keep using this recipe. Thank you, Shinee for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Shinee says
Awesome!! So happy that it was a hit, Corinne!! I really appreciate your feedback!
Casandera Hochhalter says
This will be my 2nd year using this recipe! Last year I used it on Thanksgiving and it was AMAZING and than again for Christmas and everyone loved it including the gravy. I didnt host Thanksgiving this year but I am doing Christmas and I’m so excited to make my 3rd turkey using this recipe! Thank you so much.
Shinee says
Aww, so great to hear you loved this recipe, Casandera!! Thank you for your feedback. Merry Christmas!!!
Andrea says
Going to cook this is an XL power pressure cooker 10Lb turkey how much chicken stock and champ should I use?
Shinee says
Hi, Andrea. Since you’re cooking in a pressure cooker, you can halve the amount of liquid. Hope it turns out great. Let us know. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sabrina Gallagher says
Can you use a brine and follow this recipe as well? I wanted to try a brine with apple cider vinegar, herbs, garlic, brown sugar and orange peel for like a zesty sweet flavor. I’m afraid if I do that and this recipe it’ll ruin it.
Shinee says
Hi, Sabrina. Yes, you can use brined turkey for this recipe.
Faith says
Just curious if you decided to do the brine …looking into trying out this recipe next time! I usually do a brine.
Shinee says
Hi, Faith. Yes, you can totally brine the turkey and still use this recipe.