The Best Way to Make a Tender, Juicy, Flavorful, Never-Boring Turkey, According to NY Times Food Columnist Eric Kim

Turkey is a given for Thanksgiving, but let's be honest, the roasted bird can be a little bit snoozy. We love a butter-and herb-basted turkey, but it's probably not going to be the most memorable dish on the Thanksgiving table. Most of the time, the turkey is there as a vehicle for gravy and also a way to get some delicious drippings to make that gravy.

But what if the turkey could be a real centerpiece dish, not just because of its size and stature but because of its flavor? Enter: New York Times food columnist Eric Kim's spicy, chile-roasted turkey. This bird is no shrinking violet. This turkey is here to party.

Parade was lucky enough to sit down for an exclusive chat with Kim to get all of the delicious details about this beautiful bird. Read on for everything you need to know.

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Kim was tasked with creating the main course for the NYT Thanksgiving Day lineup this year, a "VIP holiday bird" if you will, so he leaned into the savory, sweet and hot complexity of dried chiles. To layer the flavors and textures, Kim used a dry brine, a chile spice rub and a roasting technique to achieve this gorgeous, golden turkey on a bed of cubanelle peppers and onions.

"I looked at NYT archives, regional American recipes and cookbooks, then tested them all out in the studio kitchen with taste tests," he said of the weeks-long process. "The final bird ended up being a mix of all of these quests for not just the best turkey recipe, but also a flavor profile that could feel new and fresh."

Related: 15 Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

The Best Way to Thaw a Turkey in Time for Thanksgiving

If your turkey is frozen, Kim suggests thawing it in the refrigerator for three days before you actually plan to eat it. Yes, it takes that long—especially if it's a bigger bird—so tossing it in the fridge the night before just won't cut it.

That means taking it out on Monday for a Thursday Thanksgiving. "You can even start brining it as soon as the outside thaws enough for you to neatly remove the bird’s packaging," he says.

Related: How to Brine a Turkey Like a Pro for a Flavor-Packed, Extra Juicy Bird

How to Make Eric Kim's Chile-Roasted Turkey

After salting the bird and letting it dry brine for three days, Kim advises placing the turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours to 72 hours before adding the spice rub. The longer the better, he notes.

The spice rub is the key to this turkey. "It's the perfect combination of dried chiles with two different types: bird's eye chilies, a really hot type of pepper and a sweeter pepper like Aleppo," Kim says. (If you can't find Aleppo, you could also use gochugaru or ground chipotle chiles, Kim said.)

In a skillet over medium heat, he toasts black peppercorns, cumin seeds and the bird’s eye chiles until fragrant, for 1 to 2 minutes. Then he removes the pan from the heat and lets it cool slightly. He grinds the mixture into a powder using a mortan and pestle, though you could also use a spice grinder or high-speed blender. In a small bowl, he adds dried mint, red chile powder and ? teaspoon salt, then the spice powder he just made.

"The spice rub looks like Christmas," he says. "It's red, green and so pretty, but it also just tastes and smells so good."

When you're ready to cook the bird, drain any liquid off and coat the bird evenly with the spice rub, spritzing any dry spots with olive oil so the rub sticks to every crevice. Transfer the turkey to a sheet pan (leave it uncovered) and let it chill overnight.

An hour before you're ready to roast, set your oven to 425° and transfer the bird to a roasting pan. Scatter sliced onions and whole cubanelle peppers around the bird and stuff the cavity with a few fresh mint springs.

"I believe in roasting birds empty, for even cooking and quick cooking,  however, that fresh mint really does something," says Kim, adding that it not only perfumes the turkey but gives it a fire and ice balance between the spiced turkey and the cool mint.

Kim also ties the legs together with kitchen twine and tucks in the wing tips. Then he dabs the bird with melted butter and drizzles the vegetables and turkey with olive oil before placing everything in the oven to roast.

Get the recipe: Dry-Brined Thanksgiving Turkey With Chiles

Eric Kim's Best Turkey Tips

• Use what you can find: Dried bird’s eye chiles have discernible heat, a powerhouse flavor and tongue-tingling pepperiness, according to Kim. Although they’re easy to find in Asian supermarkets and online, other dried chiles will work here, like brick-red chile de árbol or Kashmiri chiles, which you can find in Mexican and Indian grocery stores.

• Reach for your sharpest knife: In terms of must-have gadgets for this Thanksgiving masterpiece, Kim says you don't need a lot of fancy stuff—but you do need a sharp knife to create clean lines when you're carving the bird.

• Deliciously cover your mistakes: Got a little careless with your carving work? Kim has a genius hack for that, too. "I like to scatter fresh mint leaves around any questionable areas," he says. "They just cover all your bad carving, which is really useful."

For Kim's full recipe and how-to instructions, head to the New York Times.

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