• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Oh My Food Recipes
  • Homepage
  • About me
  • Recipes
    • Recipes by category
  • Subscribe Now
  • Contact Me
  • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Homepage
  • About me
  • Recipes
    • Recipes by category
  • Subscribe Now
  • Contact Me
  • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Baking » Asian Turkey

    Asian Turkey

    Published: Nov 23, 2019 Modified: Sep 2, 2022 by Tracy O.This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Holiday season is coming! Want to try different roasted whole turkey recipes. Check out this Asian style marinated or brined turkey recipe. Amazing aroma of Asian spices, different ways to roast this tender and juicy Asian spiced turkey like baked whole chicken and roast duck recipes.

    Ready for your feast? Check out these dinner rolls, ham fried rice, chicken gnocchi soup, vegetable chow mein, orange chicken, caramel popcorn and California rolls recipes for your next meal, feast and gathering event too!

    cut up and sliced roasted Asian style turkey

    How to cook a whole turkey?

    A large roasted turkey is a centerpiece for traditional Thanksgiving feast in the United States and Canada. Also, turkey is big and most people will brine the whole turkey, then roast it in the oven.

    How to season a whole turkey?

    Traditionally, people like to brine the whole turkey a day in salty water with herbs such as parsley, rosemary, bay leaves and sage.

    What are the ingredients for Asian turkey marinated?

    I like to use Asian spices to brine or marinade the whole turkey for a day or two before baking it.

    This Asian style turkey recipe, I use star anise, clove, ginger, garlic, green onion, onion, cinnamon sticks, salt and soy sauce to make the brine water. The aroma of Asian spices not only smells great, but also makes the turkey delicious.

    display turkey and Asian spices ingredients

    How to cook a turkey in the oven to be moist?

    There are different ways to roast a whole turkey in an oven. Most people use high temperatures to seal the breast and back first. Then, drop the temperature and slowly roast it until it’s golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165F.

    For the past few years, I have tried other methods to cook a whole turkey like a homemade rotisserie chicken and roast duck that bake a whole turkey up straight using an angel fruit cake stand. In this way, the turkey can be roasted evenly and the meat is very moist and juicy.

    However, there is a limitation for using the angel fruit cake stand to roast a turkey, it cannot be too big. From my experience, the turkey is around 11-12 pounds that fit in the cake stand and sit up. Unless, you buy a sturdy and bigger rack for a bigger size of turkey. Personally, I prefer a smaller turkey because it takes less time to bake it and easier to handle.

    Cooking tips for how to roast an Asian style turkey:

    • Clean the guts and take out the neck and rinse the turkey well
    • Boil a pot of water. Then, add kosher salt, soy sauce and Asian spices. Wait until it’s boiling and turn the fire small. Then, let it simmer for 15-30 minutes, so it helps to release the Asian spices aroma.
    • Add ice to the hot brine water in order to speed up the process of cooling off the brine water.
    • Wait until the brine water completely cools off and immerses the whole turkey. Start with the breast side first for a day and flip the other side.
    • Use paper towels to dry off the turkey.
    • Add vegetables and water on the side of the tray.
    • Bake at 425 F for an hour, then drop the temperature at 350 F for the rest of the time.
    • After roasting the whole turkey, cover it with foil for about 5-10 minutes before cutting it up.

    FAQs:

    How to prepare a turkey?

    Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator a couple days before. Then, clean the guts and take out the neck. Then, rinse it well. After that, brine the whole turkey for a day or two.

    How to keep the turkey moist after cooking?

    Use a foil to cover the whole turkey and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slice up.

    What is the temperature and how long to roast a whole turkey in an oven?

    Most of the time for non-stuffing turkey is every 13 minutes per pound and stuffing turkey is 15 minutes per pound.

    Starting at 425 F high temperature to bake and seal the turkey for an hour, so it has a nice and golden brown skin. After that, drop the temperature to 350 F and roast it the rest of time.

    Usually, I calculate the rough time and roast it until the last 30 minutes. Then, I keep checking if it reaches 165 F internal temperature. Remember don’t over bake the turkey because it will be very dry.

    Instructions for how to roast a whole Asian brine turkey in an oven:

    little mashed garlic on chopping board

    Preparation:

    1. Peel off one whole garlic and mash it a little bit.
    sliced ginger

    2. Cut a piece of ginger (2 oz) into 8 slices.

    onion cut half

    3. Peel and cut a medium sized onion into half.

    green onion cut into strips

    4. Wash and cut 4 sticks of green onion into strips.

    Asian spices brine water in a pot

    5. Pour 12 cups of water into a big pot. Then, add 1 cup of kosher salt, 1 onion, 4 sticks of green onion, 8 slices of ginger, 2 sticks of cinnamon sticks, 10 pieces of star anise, 1 teaspoon of clove, 1 whole garlic and ½ cup of soy sauce. Next, turn on medium to high fire to boil them, until it's boiling. Then, turn to a small fire and simmer for 15-30 minutes.

    immerse a whole turkey into Asian brine seasoning

    6. After that, add 6 cups of ice into the brine water and let it cool off. Remember to let the liquid completely cool down. Then, immerse the whole turkey ( I used 11.62 pounds) starting with the breast side for a few hours and turn the other side. Brine the turkey for a day and overnight in the refrigerator. 

    whole turkey on a angel fruit cake stand with vegetables on the side

    7. Take the brined turkey out of the pot, use a paper towel to dry it and put it through the angel fruit cake stand. Cut up 3 potatoes, 4 carrots, 3 sticks of celery and mix them with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, ⅛ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper. Then, lay the mixed vegetables around the tray.

    Asian seasoning roasted up straight whole turkey with roasted vegetables

    Baking:

    8. Preheat the oven for 425 F. Add one cup of water around the tray and vegetables. Bake the whole turkey at 425 F for an hour. Then, change the temperature to 350 F and bake around 1.5 hours until it reaches 165 F internal temperature.

    ***(The baking time depends on the size of the turkey. Most of the time for non-stuffing turkey is every 13 minutes per pound and stuffing turkey is 15 minutes per pound. In this Asian turkey recipe, the turkey is 11.62 pounds. (11.62 pounds x 13 minutes)/60 minutes = 2.52 hours. I round up to 2.5 hours total baking time. Usually I roast it until the last 30 minutes. Then, I keep checking if it reaches 165 F internal temperature. Remember don’t over bake the turkey because it will be very dry.)

    cut up Asian spices brined whole turkey

    9. Next, cover the whole turkey and rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting up.

    Enjoy this Asian style marinade whole turkey recipe! Also, check out these Chinese BBQ pork char siu, mouth watering chicken, spicy lemon shrimp, kung pao chicken, papaya milk, BBQ ribs recipes.

    You May Also Like These Recipes:

    • EASY HOT CHOCOLATE BALLS
    • HONG KONG BORSCHT SOUP
    • CINNAMON HONEY BUTTER
    • NO KNEAD ROSEMARY GARLIC BREAD

    Subscribe Oh My Food Recipes to get our new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the latest updates.

    up straight Asian style marinated roast whole turkey with vegetables

    Asian Style Roasted Turkey

    This Asian style roasted turkey use Asian spices to brine the whole turkey for a day or two before baking it in the oven.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Asian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
    Servings: 9
    Calories: 675kcal
    Author: Tracy O.

    Video

    Ingredients

    • 11.62 pounds Whole turkey
    • 1 cup Water (add to the tray and vegetables to bake the whole turkey)

    Asian Turkey Brine :

    • 12 cups Water
    • 10 pieces Star anise
    • 1 teaspoon Clove
    • 4 sticks Green onion
    • 1 Onion (Medium size)
    • 8 slices Ginger (2 oz, medium thick)
    • 1 whole Garlic
    • 2 sticks Cinnamon sticks
    • ½ cup Soy sauce
    • 1 cup Kosher salt
    • 6 cups Ice

    Vegetables mix:

    • 3 Potatoes medium
    • 4 Carrots small
    • 3 sticks Celery
    • 1 tablespoon Sesame oil (Can use vegetable oil)
    • ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper ( A pinch)

    Instructions

    • Peel off one whole garlic and mash it a little bit.
    • Cut a piece of ginger (2 oz) into 8 slices.
    • Peel and cut a medium sized onion into half.
    • Wash and cut 4 sticks of green onion into strips.
    • Pour 12 cups of water into a big pot. Then, add 1 cup of kosher salt, 1 onion, 4 sticks of green onion, 8 slices of ginger, 2 sticks of cinnamon sticks, 10 pieces of star anise, 1 teaspoon of clove, 1 whole garlic and ½ cup of soy sauce. Next, turn on medium to high fire to boil them, until it's boiling. Then, turn to a small fire and simmer for 15-30 minutes.
    • After that, add 6 cups of ice into the brine water and let it cool off. Remember to let the liquid completely cool down. Then, immerse the whole turkey ( I used 11.62 pounds) starting with the breast side for a few hours and turn the other side. Brine the turkey for a day and overnight in the refrigerator. 
    • Take the brined turkey out of the pot, use a paper towel to dry it and put it through the angel fruit cake stand. Cut up 3 potatoes, 4 carrots, 3 sticks of celery and mix them with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, ⅛ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper. Then, lay the mixed vegetables around the tray.
    • Preheat the oven for 425 F. Add one cup of water around the tray and vegetables. Bake the whole turkey at 425 F for an hour. Then, change the temperature to 350 F and bake around 1.5 hours until it reaches 165 F internal temperature.
      ***(The baking time depends on the size of the turkey. Most of the time for non-stuffing turkey is every 13 minutes per pound and stuffing turkey is 15 minutes per pound. In this Asian turkey recipe, the turkey is 11.62 pounds. (11.62 pounds x 13 minutes)/60 minutes = 2.52 hours. I round up to 2.5 hours total bake time. Usually I roast it until the last 30 minutes. Then, I keep checking if it reaches 165 F internal temperature. Remember don’t over bake the turkey because it will be very dry.)
    • Next, cover the whole turkey and rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting up.

    Notes

    COOKING TIPS FOR HOW TO ROAST AN ASIAN STYLE TURKEY:

    • Clean the guts and take out the neck and rinse the turkey well
    • Boil a pot of water. Then, add kosher salt, soy sauce and Asian spices. Wait until it’s boiling and turn the fire small. Then, let it simmer for 15-30 minutes, so it helps to release the Asian spices aroma.
    • Add ice to the hot brine water in order to speed up the process of cooling off the brine water.
    • Wait until the brine water completely cools off and immerses the whole turkey. Start with the breast side first for a day and flip the other side.
    • Use paper towels to dry off the turkey.
    • Add vegetables and water on the side of the tray.
    • Bake at 425 F for an hour, then drop the temperature at 350 F for the rest of the time.
    • After roasting the whole turkey, cover it with foil for about 5-10 minutes before cutting it up.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 675kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 94g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 299mg | Sodium: 13849mg | Potassium: 1415mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4822IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @OhMyFoodRecipes or tag #OhMyFoodRecipes!

    More Asian Baking Recipes

    • baked whole salmon fillet top view
      Baked Whole Salmon Fillet
    • cut BBQ baby back ribs on the long white plate
      Instant Pot BBQ Ribs
    • strawberry and white chocolate chip muffin open up
      Strawberry and White Chocolate Muffins
    • prime rib roast sliced on chopping board with a striped gray towel
      Prime Rib Roast Oven

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Edward J

      November 24, 2022 at 4:27 pm

      I think you mean "Angel Food Cake Pan"... you listed it as and Angel Fruit Cake Pan... it might be worth it to make the corrections... Happy Thanksgiving!!!

      Reply
      • Tracy O.

        November 29, 2022 at 8:12 pm

        Thank you for your correction.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Tracy O.
    About Me

    Welcome to Oh My Food Recipes, where you can find inspiration for meals or dinner ideas specialty Asian cuisines. Oh My Food Recipes is tried and tested recipes with step by step photo tutorials.... Read more!

    Seasonal

    • marie callender style fresh strawberry pie glaze with jello with checked towel
      Strawberry Pie Glaze with Jello
    • white and milk chocolate covered strawberries with a pink towel at the side background
      How to Make Chocolate Strawberries
    • Mango pomelo sago dessert with a blue towel in the background
      Mango Pomelo Sago
    • garlic yu choy sum
      Garlic Yu Choy Sum
    • drizzling syrup on top of the kansui zong or sweet zongzi or alkaline rice dumpling
      Sweet Zongzi
    • Chinese sticky rice dumpling zongzi
      Chinese Sticky Rice Dumpling

    MY FAVORITES

    • beef pho noodle soup in the bowl with a spoon
      Pho Beef Noodle Soup
    • Chinese pan fried dumplings one bit open
      Chinese Pan Fried Dumplings
    • Chinese black sesame soup dessert on a spoon dripping into the bowl horizontal
      Black Sesame Soup
    • japchae Korean glass noodle on a black plate close up
      Korean Glass Noodles Japchae
    • pineapple buns close up front
      Chinese Pineapple Bun
    • Japanese tonkatsu deep fried pork cutlets
      Japanese Tonkatsu
    • Teriyaki sauce pouring from a glass bottle into a small container
      Asian Teriyaki Sauce
    • Panda Express Chinese orange chicken
      Chinese Orange Chicken

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Disclosure & Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Oh My Food Recipes

    AMAZON ASSOCIATES DISCLOSURE

    Oh My Food Recipes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.