Please! 

Usually I bake mine but this year our 'Thanksgiving friends' who have done Turducken while I do turkey have moved northeast so we are going to friends' house and they'll have deep fried turkey. I've never had some so I'm horribly excited! 

I do know that if you put butter and spices between the meat and skin it will be juicier and tastier as long as you keep it covered. Do not overcook it otherwise it'll be dry. I know you say you're a healthy eater but come Thanksgiving you gotta put all that aside! It's only one day! 

What degree and spices do you use?

This will be my first turkey, my Ex was very serious about him cooking our turkey. Last year I was at the Ronald McDonald house, and didn't have to cook. I am intimidated. 

As long as you keep the temperature low it will be fine. I pretty much threw anything I could find like Italian spices, thyme, pepper, salt, pretty much anything. You can put it in between the skin and meat and over the skin too. You can put stuff in the cavity too(In case you don't know, the hole inside, please take the pack of giblets that will be in there out!) My daughter's first turkey was 2 years ago and she didn't take it out! The most important thing is to keep it covered whether you do a bag or just cover with foil. There will be instructions based on the weight and you only uncover the last 30 mins. to brown the skin. I too have been nervous about this, as a matter of fact every year I stress about it, but so far as long as I follow the instructions based on weight and throw a bunch of spices, it's turned out ok! 

Deep fried turkeys= AMAZING! 

Bahahaha that's dangerous! I've never done it, this year will be my first year tasting it but I'm not cooking it! 

If it's a big bird (anything over 15lbs.) I brine it. With the little ones I don't notice so much of a difference so I skip it.

Make sure it's thawed. Remove all the gizzards and neck stuff from inside the cavity. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes because cold bird going into a hot oven = dry meat. I salt the inside and outside really well and put a quartered onion, a lemon cut in half, and a whole head of garlic cut in half in the cavity with rosemary and thyme. I don't peel any of it because you're not going to eat it so I figure what's the point lol? Most people I know put butter on the outside or under the skin. I use vegetable oil. Coat it well and then I sprinkle on some chopped thyme and rosemary. Tuck the wings under and if the legs aren't already trussed I tie them up with twine so all the juices stay inside and the wings don't burn. I do 450 for an hour to crisp up the skin and then turn it down to 350 and keep cooking until it hits 160 on a thermometer. I bought the kind of thermometer that stays in and beeps when it's done and it was seriously one of the best things I ever bought. It should tell you on the package how long to cook it per pound so you know when to start checking the temperature. If you think it's getting too dark on the outside you can cover it with tinfoil. And if it comes out dry you can slice the meat and soak it in some turkey or chicken stock to help. Some people also like to baste it with the drippings every so often but I usually get so busy I just forget.

Good luck! Turkeys aren't really that hard but they can be intimidating. And yes, deep fried turkeys are amazing! I want to try making one some year but I'm always scared I'll set the house on fire. I think I've seen too many of those State Farm commercials lol. 

I basically do the same thing details does, except I usually put my turkey over potatoes, carrots, and celery for flavor (especially to use the drippings for gravy). We use a lot of butter as well, we pretty much coat the whole inside and outside of the turkey in it and we keep it covered with foil for most of the time it bakes. We also just follow the guide on the back of the turkey on how long to cook it for. Oh and check the temp with a thermometer but most birds usually have the red popper too. I can't remember how often to baste but I'm assuming like every hour or so would be good just to make sure the turkey doesn't dry out.

Good luck, I'm sure it will turn out great so long as you don't burn it but that's pretty hard to do lol 

Thanks ladies,
The ideas vary, yet it seems everyone is on the same page. We will see, I plan on using plenty of fresh veggies and HERBS!

Cooking the turkey on a bed of potatoes and carrots is brilliant.

My other half is in Korea, we spent last year in different States. I really wanted to impress him, anyone know if this freezes well? 

I put butter and spices between the meat and skin and on top of the skin. I actually roast it uncovered the whole time and have never had a dry turkey. I fill the cavity with spices and butter to keep it moist. You can use olive oil too. I've done it both ways and they turn out fine. Good luck. 

Thanks! 

This is the best turkey I have ever had. We let the herbs sit together over night then put them between the skin the day before and through the night. Then I put the turkey in a bag and cook it in my electric roaster. Cut open the bag about 30 mins before its done to get a crisp skin. Soooo good!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rosemary-Roasted-Turkey-2/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=herbed%20turkey&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page 

YUM! I wish my household ate turkey. I think I'm the only one who likes it, so we're a ham kinda family during the holiday season. 

I already started brining my tiny turkey. 2 days ago. It should be moist. Very very moist. I'm hoping my family likes my fleshy moist poultry. Moist skin. Oil. Grease. I'll make sure the drippings get oozed over the flesh to keep it so so very moist. I like to reach my fingers into the crevices of the hole in the turkey to put the stuffing, but my fingers are so oily after I do that. 

Bleck. Haha.

I roast it, breast down, on top of celery and carrots. I also put herb butter in between the skin and the meat while it cooks, makes a nice crispy skin. I don't eat the skin, but I get good reviews ;) I also do an herb rub on the outside. 

I hope your freaking turkey burns! You know why I feel that way! I hope no positive thing works. I hope nothing that i said previously helps you out and that your freaking turkey turns out to be all burned and crappy. 

If any of you wanna know why I feel that way, you can pm me! 

I hope not! That would disappoint a lot of people.

I hope you enjoy your first deep fried turkey, because they are AMAZING! 

Your mom.......

From your description...I felt an attraction towards your turkey......weird. 

I hope not! That would disappoint a lot of people.

You'd be surprised at how many people don't like you and would be happy about that. 

You tell me Sandra...whose coming to my house who wants me to burn my turkey....I don't know you lol!

Pulls at collar, its getting weird in here. 

Forget it...... 

Moist 

I unwrap mine and put it in the pan night before. to dry out the skin. Make an herb butter with salt pepper parsley garlic and onion powder. about an hour before i cook it set it out to get to room temp then spread the butter all on it. i dont put anything between the skin and meat just on it. bake it 350 for abour 4 hours. and pray its done lol. my husband says its always super juicy. and its always cooked perfect.