This 7-ingredient turkey rub takes three minutes using ingredient already in your pantry, goes under and over the skin and makes drippings worthy of a gravy that will have guests swooning.
At a glance
Use on: whole turkey, breast, chicken, pork, veggies or even blend with oil to make a marinade
Per 12-lb turkey: 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 tablespoons per 3 pounds)
Wet vs dry rub: butter for roasting, dry for frying/smoking
Make-ahead: up to 6 months in airtight jar and keep it around well past Thanksgiving as an all-purpose seasoning
Turkey Seasoning
The truth is, turkey is like a blank slate waiting to be seasoned and it is up to you, the culinary artist to make that happen. We developed this custom blend of spices to be used alongside either our turkey butter, turkey brine or turkey injection and the simple, 7-ingredient recipe has since gone bonkers.
The drippings will be perfectly balanced and ready to use in gravy from drippings. The next bonus- it isn’t just limited to a whole bird. Use this custom spice blend on turkey breast, chicken, pork or even in burgers or on veggies.
Turkey Rub vs. Turkey Dry Brine
Basically a turkey rub is perfect for the person who forgot to brine (dry brine or wet brine). Or maybe forgot to buy the overpriced, premade stuff at the store. Or the person who is making a turkey for the first time….
Dry brine is something you would put on a day or so in advance and is super salt heavy. Here is my basic dry brine for turkey recipe if you want to try those and have the time on your hands.
Ingredients
Asking yourself exactly what those turkey rub ingredients are that you have in the pantry, here ya go! Ingredients can run the gamut in variety and amount. Some of the most popular seasoning ingredients include:
- Coarse Kosher Salt- Salt is the magic that makes any bird juicy and flavorful. It seems like a lot, but honestly, you could go heavier and still not feel oversalted. Coarse kosher salt is less salty than table salt. I used Morton’s for this recipe. If using Diamond Crystal, double the volume.
- Chili Powder- Chili powder is a blend of dried chiles that was meant to season chili the stew, but in a recipe like this the mild pepper flavors and hint of spice balance with the salt and other savory items. It will not be spicy- it is just enough to provide flavor, not heat.
- Paprika– Smoked paprika or sweet paprika can be used. I prefer smoked. Neither of these are spicy, but if heat if what you are aiming for, feel free to use hot paprika.
- Ground Black Pepper- Freshly ground black pepper will provide the most robust punch. White pepper is slightly milder. For the most interest and sophistication, grab a peppercorn blend. Freshly grinding also provides the most natural flavor. Bottled ground black pepper can taste a little like sawdust (you didn’t hear that from me…)
- Onion Powder- Onion flavor without a whole onion. It is dehydrated and ground onion.
- Garlic Powder- Same goes for garlic powder. I like using powder here because it won’t burn like fresh garlic would at the heat and length it takes to roast a bird.
- Cayenne– This is spicy and optional, but in such trace amounts that even your pickiest of eaters won’t detect it as heat. Even my 2-year-old eats this rub.
- Brown Sugar– I love the balance of sweetness and molasses, it also helps the skin get a nice caramel crunch, however if you plan to fry your bird, omit it or you’ll have burnt sugar.
How Much Seasoning for Turkey?
Turkeys don’t come in nice, even weights and therefore you’ll need a different amount of seasoning for every single bird. The volume isn’t a perfect science, so don’t stress, just use this a basic jumping off point.
As for seasoning per pound, I like to use 1 1/2 tablespoon for every 3 pounds. This recipe makes 6 tablespoons and is good for a 12 pound turkey.
Lower Sodium
Someone in your family watching salt? Make a low-sodium turkey rub by dialing back the salt volume. The other ingredients will compensate for the lack of salt.
I also highly recommend using Kosher salt due to its large grain size, it ends up tasting less salty and sticks better.
Do not, under any circumstances use table salt. Iodized salt will make your bird taste metallic. It will also make your bird more salty since the grains are smaller, you end up getting a lot more salt.
More Flavor Variations
Use this simple seasoning mixture as a base and then come up with your own special blend. Remember that flaky dried herbs will have a higher chance of burning if you plan to fry your flavorful turkey, as does brown sugar. Use one batch of the base rub and add these ingredients.
- Smoky– Best for smoking or roasting, add an additional 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and either 1 teaspoon of ancho chile powder or chipotle chile powder. Frying can lead to bitter notes using too much chile powder.
- Citrus-Herb– Best for roasting or smoking, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage, zest from 1 full orange or lemon. If deep frying, use a dried lemon peel to prevent burning and bitterness.
- Spicy- Great for all preparation methods, increase cayenne and smoked paprika to 1 teaspoon, add 1 teaspoons of aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
How to Season a Turkey
- Fried Turkey: If you are going to fry a turkey, you need to use a dry rub, which means no butter or olive oil. Just rub on the skin of the turkey that has been blotted dry with a paper towel. Here are more detailed instructions on how to fry a turkey.
- Smoked Turkey: Don’t worry, it will still stick to a dry turkey. In some cases, it actually holds on better. Think about rubbing a pork tenderloin or chicken, in those cases the meat is also blotted dry. You’d follow these same instructions for a smoked turkey and here are instructions for a pellet grill smoked turkey cooking times.
- Roast Turkey: If you plan to roast your bird, you’ll want a wet rub, which means using a fat like olive oil or butter mixed with the spice rub. It basically makes it into a compound butter.
I use about 1/2 cup of butter for a 12 pound turkey. Butter is delicious, use a lot of it, but also beware that it will just melt off into the juices, so make sure that you rub the majority of it under the skin to keep it in place. The butter under skin helps to seasons while the butter over the skin helps to brown.
Pro Tip
Use all those pan juices from the roasting pan and make a fabulous turkey gravy. No need to add extra salt and pepper since it is already in the seasoning!
Our favorite recipes for roast turkey include an Orange and Anise Turkey, Classic Juicy Roast Turkey and the Butter Cheesecloth Turkey method.
Common Questions about Seasoning Turkey
You can apply the turkey rub up to 16 hours in advance. Refrigerate it, preferably with nothing covering it, for even crispier skin.
The same as this turkey rub, but with a can of beer up the turkey’s rear end, like beer can chicken. Feel free to add one for more flavor, but also make sure to use a flavorful beer.
Lite beers won’t cut it. I honestly don’t think it adds that much flavor or moisture. And certainly don’t put a beer can up the turkey’s butt if you plan to fry, this technique is for smoking and roasting only.
It is just a term that means “a little bit of everything” like a garbage plate. I guess technically speaking, this is a trash can turkey rub. I don’t like to use the term trash in anything that has to do with my Thanksgiving turkey.
About 1 1/2 tablespoons per 3 pounds.
Yes.combine the dry seasoning blend with 1/2 cup of softened butter or olive oil and rub under the skin and over the skin. Use a dry rub for frying or smoking and a wet rub for roasting.
Homemade Turkey Rub Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coarse Kosher salt , I use Morton's
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- Dash of cayenne
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar , for smoking and roasting only
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the 1 tablespoon coarse Kosher salt , 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper, 1/2 tablespoon onion powder, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, Dash of cayenne .
- Rub the spice blend evenly over the turkey and under the skin.
- Prepare as desired- roast, fried or smoked.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
Video
Notes
Make into a Butter:
This spice rub can be blended with softened butter. Use 1/2 cup of unsalted butter per batch of 6 tablespoons. Rub 75% of the butter under the skin and the rest over the top.Storage:
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. While it doesn’t good bad, the flavors will start to become muted.Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
Now that you’ve made a turkey, what will you serve it with? Here are a few Thanksgiving sides that pair perfectly with your winning turkey dinner.
And after you are all finished, save the bones to make Turkey Stock, Turkey Noodle Soup or check out one of our favorite 50+ leftover turkey recipes.
I used this recipe last Thanksgiving and it was fire 🔥 It was my first time making a Thanksgiving turkey and it turned out amazing!! I think I might have added like 3 dashes of cayenne though! I forgot to save the recipe last year! I’m so glad I vould find it again! Thank you so much!!
Yay!!! Thanks for coming back! Happy Thanksgiving!
didn’t really need the garlic press
I was looking for a quick, limited ingredient seasoning that would wow with flavor- this recipe hits a home run!! I slowed-cooked my turkey with just this rub and a 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Best Turkey we’ve ever had!
This rub made the best roasted turkey I’ve ever cooked! And subsequently the best gravy. Will use this every time for turkey. Thank you 😊
Hi Anne, So glad you loved it! Happy holidays!
Fantastic on our Thanksgiving turkey. So easy. And the gravy with these drippings was amazing!
Tried this for today’s Thanksgiving Turkey, was looking for something new. I even added it last minute and it was great! We all LOVED it!!
Yay! Thanks for coming back to let us know!
I will never use another turkey rub! The dash of cayenne was perfection.
Loving the spice in this turkey rub. Makes the turkey pop with flavor!
turkey can be so bland! I love this super easy way to add flavor to it
This was a tasty rub! I used it on a turkey breast and it turned out really flavorful. I nice twist on the classic. Thanks!