Easy Roast Turkey Recipe

Roasted turkey with herbs on a cutting board.

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Roasting a turkey doesn’t have to be intimidating! This step-by-step guide shows you how to get juicy meat and crispy skin every time, no basting required.

Prep Time25

Cook Time4 30

Total Time4 55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 612.82kcal

Author: Sarah Hill

Equipment

1 Roasting pan
1 Roasting rack
1 Meat thermometer
1 Carving fork
1 Knife and cutting board

Ingredients

12-16 pound whole turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 yellow onions cut into quarters
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sage leaves
1 lemon quartered
4 carrots roughly chopped
4 celery sticks roughly, chopped
2 cups chicken or turkey broth

Garlic Butter

1 cup unsalted butter softened
6 garlic cloves minced
4 tablespoons lemon zest
3 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup fresh chopped herbs rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, etc.

Instructions

Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the giblets from inside the cavity and remove any excess fat, skin and leftover feathers. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
12-16 pound whole turkey
Season the cavity with salt and black pepper. Stuff the cavity with onion, herbs and lemon.
2 yellow onions, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 sage leaves, 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
In a bowl mix together the butter, garlic, lemon zest, salt, black pepper and herbs.
1 cup unsalted butter, 6 garlic cloves, 4 tablespoons lemon zest, 3 teaspoon Kosher salt, 2 teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup fresh chopped herbs
Using your hands, season the turkey between the skin and the meat with the herb butter and then use the remaining to cover the top of the skin.
Place onion, carrots and celery in the bottom of a roasting pan, add a rack and place the turkey on top of the rack. Pour in 1-2 cups of broth.
4 carrots, 4 celery sticks, 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
Place the turkey in the middle rack of the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F, cover with foil and roast for another 4-4.5 hours until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F in the thickest part.
Optional: After the first hour of roasting at 350°F, begin basting the turkey every 30 minutes or so. Use a baster or a large spoon to scoop the drippings from the bottom of the pan and pour them over the top of the turkey. This is optional but will result in a juicier turkey.
Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes uncovered before carving and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Always dry the turkey well before buttering for crisp skin.
Let it rest at least 20 minutes before carving to keep the juices in.
Use the leftovers for my Thanksgiving Leftover Pot Pie.

Nutrition