I cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving this year. It was first time, but I've roasted chickens before and this turned out to be not all that different.

The big adjustment for me was dry brining. I used this brine, and the recipe overall. I just didn't make the gravy, which reduced some of the complexity in making everything. But the brine and herb butter both turned out great and were easy enough. Taking it out the night before also seemed to have helped. I got pretty crispy skin and everything was cooked more or less evenly.

This video was really to the point when it came to trussing a turkey, so that was useful to pop open on the phone when I was getting everything ready. This one had a few tricks throughout, but I actually used it for probe placement more than anything else.

I'm writing these notes about what I learned so that when I come back again to do this next year, I'll have it all ready. Maybe they'll help you too.

• My turkey was just over 18lbs. I put it in at 9:30. It came out around 1:30, maybe a little after. So for me it was closer to that 13 - 15 minute a pound you'll often hear and less like 17 minutes.
• The last 20 degrees or so take the longest.
• I did 425 for the first 30 minutes. That was enough to get the top crispy. I think it can basically be tented after that.
• I tented the breast a little early, about halfway through. That ended up being a good call, it slowed down the cooking time of the breast while the thighs caught up. I think I could do it even earlier, but you do risk losing some browning on the top of the turkey
• I stuck some aromatics in the cavity. Some apples, onions, and thyme. Hard to say what it added, but seemed worth it.
• I probably took the turkey out a little late to thaw. I took it out on Saturday night ended up chipping away some ice before the brine on Monday night. I'd probably take it out a day sooner, on Friday.
• 48 hour brine seems plenty