Get ready to season your Thanksgiving Turkey with this amazing Turkey Seasoning. It's the perfect blend of savory herbs, garlic, onion, and smoky spices for the best Thanksgiving turkey. We love how versatile this blend is-it works great for so many occasions.
Why This Recipe is the Best
This is the best turkey seasoning recipe because it's simple, flavorful, and works for almost every turkey recipe imaginable. The rosemary, thyme, and sage give it that classic Thanksgiving and holiday flavor, while smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder add extra flavor without overpowering the turkey.
For more homemade seasonings try our, Steak Seasoning, Pot Roast seasoning, and our Salmon Seasoning.
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Key Ingredients
Made with pantry staples, this homemade turkey rub lets you control the flavor and salt level unlike store bought seasoning packets from McCormick, Kinders, or Bell's. To make this rub, be sure to use all dried ingredients.
- Sea Salt - You don't want to skip out on the salt. It not only enhances the flavor of the trukey itself, but it enhances the flavors of the spices and herbs.
- Rosemary and Thyme - These classic poultry herbs give the seasoning that traditional Thanksgiving flavor everyone loves.
- Sage - Sage is one of the key flavors in classic poultry seasoning and pairs perfectly with turkey gravy and stuffing.
- Smoked Paprika - We prefer smoked paprika over traditioanl paprika for this recipe. It adds a subtle smoky flavor that works especially well for smoked turkey or Traeger turkey recipes.
How to make Turkey Seasoning
Use these step-by-step instructions as a guide to get the best results. You'll love this homemade seasoning recipe.
- Add all the ingdivdual spices and herbs to a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the spices and herbs to make an even blend.
- Rub the mixture of herbs onto your thawed turkey. Cook according to your prefered method.
Helpful Hint: Be sure not to under-season the turkey. This recipe is designed for a 12-15 pound turkey, so increase the batch if cooking a larger bird.
Common Mistakes
To make sure the turkey is fully seasoned, be sure to rub the seasoning under the skin of the turkey. It will give you the best flavor throughout the whole turkey, not just on the skin.
Top tip
For the most flavorful Thanksgiving turkey, season the turkey several hours ahead of time or overnight so the herbs and salt have time to absorb into the meat.
Recipe
Turkey Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon thyme
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons sage
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika I like smoked!
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl.
- Rub into all external parts of the turkey, legs, breasts and all the crevices. For even more flavor, rub underneath the skin directly on the the meat.
- Cook according to desired recipe.
Notes
- This is enough seasoning for one 12-15 pound turkey
Nutrition
Whether you're making a traditional roast turkey, smoked turkey on the Traeger, deep fried turkey, turkey breast, wings, or even ground turkey tacos, this easy seasoning mix adds incredible flavor with pantry staples.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe blend is easy to customize.
- Added heat- Add cayenne or Cajun seasoning for a spicy Cajun turkey rub.
- Sweet- Add brown sugar for a slightly sweet smoked seasoning.
- Butter-Mix with butter or olive oil to create a flavorful herb butter for turkey.
How to Use Turkey Seasoning
This seasoning mix works for so many turkey recipes beyond Thanksgiving dinner.
- Oven roasted turkey
- Smoked turkey on a smoker or Traeger
- Deep fried turkey
- Turkey breast or turkey tenderloin
- Turkey burgers
- Ground turkey tacos
- Turkey chili or soup
- Turkey meatballs
- Turkey gravy and stuffing flavoring.
Storing
Store mixture in an airtight spice jar or container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months for the freshest flavor. That way you can make a large batch and use it throughout the year.
FAQs
We recommend rubbing seasoning over the entire turkey, including the breasts, wings, legs, and underneath the skin for maximum flavor.
Most poultry seasoning blends include sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, pepper, garlic, and onion flavors.
The best turkey seasoning includes a balance of herbs, salt, garlic, onion, and pepper for a flavorful Thanksgiving turkey without overpowering the meat.
This seasoning works beautifully for smoked turkey because the smoked paprika complements the smoky flavor from the grill or smoker.
This blend is delicious for ground turkey tacos, burgers, meatballs, chili, soup, spaghetti, or breakfast sausage.
Add turkey seasoning once the turkey is mostly cooked and browned so the spices can toast slightly and coat the meat evenly.
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