This all purpose Turkey Seasoning gives the perfect amount of flavor to your Thanksgiving bird. Turkey dry rub is simple to make by blending dried herbs, spices, sugar, and salt, and is oh, so delicious.
I know that Turkey is a Thanksgiving thing, but in my house, we eat Turkey a few times a year, so I make this Turkey Seasoning recipe often. If you have a big freezer, it can be a great idea to get a few of those discounted November turkeys from the grocery store and keep them until a rainy day.
Anyways, I always have a batch of this Turkey Seasoning in my cupboard. I use it with turkey, chicken, and sometimes even pork. It’s an all-purpose and tasty dry rub that is definitely the best seasoning for turkey.
Prefer to use Poultry Seasoning for your Turkey? I highly suggest that you make your own homemade poultry seasoning using this recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make Ahead: You can make this seasoning for turkeys months ahead of time if you like. It will be ready to go in the pantry whenever you want to roast a turkey.
- Good on Everything: I’ve been known to rub down a spatchcock chicken, cornish game hens, and even a pork roast with this mixture. It’s truly the best seasoning for roast turkey, a slow cooker turkey breast, or spatchcock turkey too.
Turkey Seasoning Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Kosher Salt: I like using kosher salt for meat rubs because it’s abrasive and helps to tenderize, but table salt will work in this recipe too.
- Brown Sugar: This adds just a bit of sweetness, which balances out the salt and spice in this recipe perfectly.
- Dried Herbs: Thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sage are the perfect turkey seasoning herbs.
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and ground black pepper all work together to make this turkey rub super flavorful. I love the smokiness that the smoked paprika adds the most.
How to make the best seasoning for turkey
- Mix: Place all of the ingredients into a bowl, and mix until well combined.
- Rub: Rub the seasoning mix all over the turkey, and cook according to your recipe.
- Store: If not using right away, store this turkey seasoning in a sealed container at room temperature for up to two months.
How to season a turkey
Start by patting dry the turkey with paper towels.
For extra browning on the skin and to help the seasonings stick, rub olive oil or melted butter over the skin before rubbing in the spice rub.
When seasoning a turkey with a dry rub, it’s important to use your hands to really rub in the seasoning to all exposed parts of the turkey. This includes the inner cavity.
What to Serve with a super flavorful thanksgiving Turkey
Thanksgiving turkey rubbed with this turkey seasoning deserves some tasty side dishes and desserts to go with it.
Get your sides planned out by visiting my Thanksgiving recipes page. You’ll need Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, and Homemade Cranberry Sauce to start.
Then get creative with the rest of the menu. Crockpot Green Bean Casserole, Green Bean Almondine, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, and Texas Roadhouse Rolls could be excellent additions to your table.
FAQs
I think you’ve found it! The best turkey rub is made with dried herbs like this one. This is my all-time favorite turkey rub, and I know it will be yours too.
You can, but you don’t have to. I find that adding some olive oil to the skin of the turkey encourages it to brown nicely.
Yes, feel free to season your turkey with this rub and then refrigerate it for up to 6 hours prior to putting it in the oven.
Now that you have the best turkey seasoning recipe, you will be unstoppable when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner prep. Make sure to save this recipe to make year after year.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Turkey Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 1 tablespoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a bowl, stir until well combined.
- Rub the seasoning all over the turkey, and cook according to your recipe.
- Or store sealed for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Michele says
This turkey seasoning recipe is delicious! after I used your wet brine recipe, I seasoned my bird with this and the skin was soooo good, thank you for all your great recipes 😀 so far all I’ve tried is a 5 out 5!! 😊
Diana says
This makes me so happy to hear! I’m glad the seasoning paired well with the brine and gave you that great crispy skin. Thank you for the kind words and for trying so many of the recipes!
Leisa says
What size turkey is this recipe, 1x, recommended for? would this seasoning blend work well mixed into butter and then spread out over the whole turkey?
Diana says
Hi Leisa! The 1x batch makes about 7 tablespoons of seasoning, which is usually enough for a smaller turkey up to about 10 pounds. I like to plan on about 1 tablespoon, or a little less, per pound of turkey, so you can scale it to whatever size you’re roasting. And yes, this blend works really well mixed into softened butter. Just mash it together and spread it under the skin and over the outside for great flavor and browning. Hope your turkey turns out delicious!
Matt says
Hi, Iam going to try this rub this year. Unless I missed it what size is a portion? I am cooking 12lb turkey
Diana says
Hi Matt, this recipe makes about 7 tablespoons of seasoning, and I usually aim for around 1 tablespoon (or a little less) per pound of turkey. Since yours is 12 pounds, I would mix up about 1.5 times the recipe so you have the right amount to work with. Hope it turns out beautifully!
Sharon says
Is that sodium really correct in your nutrition info?
Nutrition Information
Calories: 104kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 14167mg, Potassium: 279mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 1668IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 155mg, Iron: 6mg
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Sharon. I went back and double checked the nutrition calculation, and yes, for the entire batch of seasoning there is 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, so the sodium level is correct. Keep in mind that this salt will be spread over many servings though! You can reduce the amount of salt if you need to, and the spice mixture will still be very flavorful.