In Alton Brown's Career, One Recipe Stands Above The Rest

The Food Network called Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey its most popular recipe in a 2011 Facebook post. Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey is a much-discussed recipe in the Reddit cooking community and has been shared countless times on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The 12 hours of brining, 30 minutes of roasting, and about 2.5 hours of cooking is all worth it, according to novices and pros alike. In fact, 5,800 people gave Brown’s recipe positive reviews online, with many calling it the best turkey recipe they’ve tried.

When it comes to brining vs basting, Brown is not a fan of basting, saying it does “nothing” for the turkey, and constantly opening the oven door to baste hinders cooking. Brining, he says, adds flavor and moisture through osmosis, as it traps the salt, seasoning, and water in the meat.

Kate Shungu, food blogger from Gift of Hospitality, alternately recommends a dry brine that gives your turkey the same level of flavor and juiciness as Brown’s recipe. While the dry brine method is less messy and easier to do in the fridge, it still requires 24 to 48 hours of time.