Chef Scott Redler Shares His Secret Turkey Recipe

Family + friends + food + football + fitness (say that 10 times quick!) makes Thanksgiving one of my favorite holidays.

And believe it or not, I'm pretty handy in the kitchen.

I cook like I trade, and I trade like I cook.

I keep things simple, and I go with what works.

I’ve been using this turkey recipe since my parents moved to Florida 14 years ago, and it’s what I’ll be serving my family on Thursday afternoon.

Ingredients List

The quantity of ingredients depends on the size of your turkey. Just scale up or down as you see fit.

We usually get a frozen 20-pounder.

And oh yeah — make sure you have a quality knife!

It will make your life a lot easier.

I’ll take the bird out of the freezer Monday morning so it will be defrosted by Wednesday evening, when I do my prep work.

You know me. Whether I'm trading, running, or cooking, I never show up for battle unprepared.

If you start getting things ready before Thanksgiving, you'll get better results with less stress on Thanksgiving… just like in trading!

I’ll dice up 4 whole onions and 3 big hunks of garlic, and toss them in a large bowl.

I then add salt, pepper, paprika, some Mrs. Dash seasoning, and mix it all up.

Then, I’ll stuff it into the turkey.

I’ll also put half a can of pineapples in there, and jam a stick of butter right in the middle of all.

Then, I pour some orange juice and lemon juice over the turkey skin — just enough to get it wet.

In a separate bowl, I’ll mix up more salt, pepper, and paprika for the skin.

I spread it all over, making sure to get in all the nooks and crevices. Don't be cheap!

Then, I’ll wrap the turkey in a big bag and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

On Thanksgiving morning, I’ll cut a few long celery sticks in half and put them on the bottom of the pan.

Then, I take the turkey out of the bag and place it on the pan.

There will be a lot of juice in the bag.

Transfer it to the bottom of the pan, and be careful not to spill any. It's a real pain to clean up!

Then I’ll mix up more salt, pepper, and paprika, and sprinkle it on top of the turkey.

Now it's time to stick the bird in the oven.

After an hour, start basting it every 15-20 minutes. Take juices from the cavity and squeeze it on top of the turkey.

Also, rotate the pan every hour or so.

It should take about 4 hours to cook. Just follow what your meat thermometer says.

When there is about 20 minutes to go, pour a jar of orange or apricot jam in a bowl, and add a softened stick of butter to it.

Mix it together, and brush the turkey with it.

Stick the turkey back in, but keep a close eye on it. We want a nice crispy skin, but we don't want to burn it.

Once the turkey’s done, take it out and let it sit for an hour before you carve it.

By the way, if you're not experienced in the art of carving up a turkey, this video will help you get it right and impress your family:

Delay your carving as long as you can — turkey tastes best just when it’s cut!

If you give this recipe a shot, take a picture, post it on Twitter, and tag me (@reddogT3) so I can see it!

Have a great week, and an even better Thanksgiving!