How to Cook a Turkey in a Wok
A cast iron wok is the perfect roasting vessel for a Thanksgiving turkey. The bowl shape is large enough to hold up to a 14 pound bird, and the superior heat retention of cast iron helps to cook the bird evenly from below.
Most turkeys come frozen, and often they're pre-brined. Start this recipe with a thawed bird, and if your turkey is pre-brined, skip the brining steps and start with the cooking.
Level
IntermediatePrep Time
15 minutesCook Time
2-4 hoursServes
12-20Cook it With Our
Ingredients
Brine
- 1 gallon vegetable broth
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ginger root, sliced into 2" pieces, unpeeled
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- Peel from 2 whole oranges
- Peel from 2 whole lemons
- 4 sprigs rosemary (or 2 tablespoons), chopped
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 gallon ice water
Turkey
- 1 9-14 pound turkey
- Cooking oil of your choice (we used Lodge seasoning spray, which is canola oil)
- Cast iron trivet
- Aluminum foil
Directions
Brine
- In a large stock pot combine all ingredients except ice water and simmer, stirring occasionally, until salt and sugar are completely dissolved, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Mix brine and ice water in a large cooler. Truss the turkey legs and place turkey in the cooler, making sure it is completely submerged. You may need to place a bowl on top of the turkey to weigh it down.
- Close cooler lid and brine turkey for 4-24 hours, flipping halfway through the process.
- Remove from brine and rinse with cold water. Discard the brine. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Turkey
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray inside of wok with cooking oil.
- Place oiled cast iron trivet inside of the wok. If you don't have a trivet, loosely fold a large piece of aluminum foil into a 6-inch square, about 1-inch thick, and place it in the bottom of the wok.
- Place turkey in the wok, breast side up. Spray turkey with cooking oil and roast for 30 minutes.
- Cover bird with foil and lower oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 2-4 hours depending on the size of the bird.
- Let turkey rest, covered loosely in foil, for 15-30 minutes before carving.
