Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
This Thanksgiving turkey recipe is the best turkey I’ve ever made. And it’s so easy! I’m sharing everything you need to know to make the most perfect, juicy, flavorful roast turkey.
This roasted turkey recipe pairs perfectly with my homemade Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce and Stuffing Recipe!
This Turkey Recipe will Steal the Show!
Up until a few years ago, cooking a whole turkey on Thanksgiving was really intimidating to me. So much so that my mother-in-law would prep the bird for me so that it was ready to go in the oven when we would host Thanksgiving at our house.
Then one year I decided to try it myself and was shocked at how easy it is to cook a roast turkey. It’s very similar to making a roast chicken, just with a bigger bird. Since then I’ve tested and perfected my roast turkey recipe and now it’s finally ready to share with you. I can’t wait for you to try it!
Making the Thanksgiving turkey seems like a big deal since it’s the centerpiece of the holiday meal, but let me assure you that there’s not much you can do to mess it up! As long as you don’t under- (or over-) cook it, your turkey will turn out so moist, juicy and flavorful if you use my easy turkey recipe. I don’t brine or baste my turkey, with this recipe those steps aren’t needed!
What makes this turkey recipe so good is the herb butter that I rub over it before roasting. It infuses the meat with flavor, keeps it moist, and helps the skin to crisp up as it bakes. Plus, the fat that drips down into the roasting pan makes the most incredible Turkey Gravy!
How much Turkey per Person
Wondering what size turkey to buy? I recommend planning on 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. This way, you should have some leftovers. (One of the best parts of Thanksgiving!)
Follow this guide when shopping for your turkey:
- To serve less than 6 people: Buy a 10 pound turkey or cook a turkey breast. Any turkey smaller than 10 pounds will be more bones than meat, so you’re better off enjoying the leftovers from a bigger turkey.
- To serve 6-8 people: Buy a 10-12 pound turkey
- To serve 9-12 people: Buy a 14-18 pound turkey
- To serve 13-16 people: Buy a 20-24 pound turkey.
- To serve 18+ people: It’s better to roast two smaller turkeys than one giant one. They’ll cook more evenly and taste better.
Thawing a Frozen Turkey
Your turkey needs to be fully thawed before cooking. Allow plenty of time for a frozen turkey to thaw in the refrigerator before the day you plan to cook it. A whole turkey will take at least 24 hours per 4 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. I always allow an extra day, and my turkey usually needs it!
If you find that your turkey isn’t fully thawed on turkey day, you’ll need to finish thawing it in cold water in your sink. (This is not ideal, since you’ll then need to sanitize your sink. It’s best to allow plenty of time for the turkey to thaw in the fridge!) If you put a turkey in the oven partially frozen, parts of it will be overcooked and other parts will be undercooked.
Don’t Wash the Turkey
You do not need to wash or rinse the turkey. Doing so will only contaminate your sink. Any bacteria that may be on the turkey will be killed when it cooks to a safe temperature in the oven.
Don’t Cook it with Stuffing Inside
I do not recommend cooking a turkey with stuffing inside the cavity. By the time the stuffing cooks to a safe temperature, the turkey will be overcooked. It’s best to cook the stuffing separately in a baking dish, and put a few aromatic ingredients in the cavity to flavor the turkey.
Turkey Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for this easy turkey recipe:
- Turkey: You can buy a fresh or frozen turkey. If it’s frozen, be sure to plan ahead to thaw it in your fridge. (See above for details.)
- Salt and Pepper: To season inside the cavity.
- Aromatics for the Cavity: I use onion, garlic, lemon and fresh herbs. Peel and quarter the onion, cut a whole head of garlic in half crosswise, and quarter the lemon. You’ll need fresh rosemary and thyme for the herb butter, so save a few sprigs of each to put in the cavity.
- Herb Butter: This brings amazing flavor to the roast turkey! For the garlic herb butter you’ll need butter, garlic, lemon zest, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. Between the lemon, garlic, butter and fresh herbs, this makes the turkey taste incredible.
You Don’t Need a Fancy Roasting Pan
If you don’t have a roasting pan with a rack, you can make this recipe in a disposable roasting pan (the kind that you’ll find at most grocery stores this time of year). You can even use a large casserole dish if you’re cooking a smaller turkey.
If you’re cooking the turkey in a pan without a rack, you’ll want to put a layer of vegetables in the bottom of the roasting pan for the turkey to rest on as it cooks. I suggest using a sliced yellow onion, 3 coarsely chopped celery ribs and 3 coarsely chopped carrots.
How to Cook a Turkey
Let the turkey come to room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before roasting. This helps it to cook evenly.
Make the herb butter: Stir together the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, chopped fresh thyme, chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. If the butter is still too firm for everything to mix together well, you can microwave the mixture for a few seconds. Just be careful not to overdo it – you don’t want the butter to melt.
Remove neck and giblets: Put the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet or in a disposable roasting pan to catch any juices. Remove the packaging, then take out the neck and bag of giblets. Check both the big cavity and the smaller neck cavity to make sure you remove everything. The bag of giblets is often in the neck cavity.
Pat dry and season: Use paper towels to pat the turkey dry, including inside the cavity. Generously season the cavity with salt and pepper. Use your fingers to gently loosen the skin from the breasts (be careful not to tear it) so that you will be able to rub some of the herb butter underneath. Tuck the wings underneath the turkey by folding them back and under.
Put aromatics in cavity: Place the quartered onion, ½ head of garlic, quartered lemon and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme in the cavity. Be careful not to overstuff the cavity; you want some air to be able to flow through.
Rub with herb butter: Put a generous amount of the herb butter under the skin on each of the turkey breasts. Rub your fingers over the skin of the breasts to spread the butter around. Then rub the rest of the herb butter all over the outside of the turkey. Use kitchen twine to tie the legs of the turkey together, close to the body of the turkey. Then put the turkey in your roasting pan, either on top of a rack or on a layer of chopped vegetables.
Bake turkey at 325° F for 13-15 minutes per pound, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and thigh not touching bone registers 165°F. Begin checking on the turkey an hour before you expect it to be done; you don’t want to overcook it or it will dry out. If the skin is browning too much as the turkey cooks, you can cover the top of the turkey loosely with foil.
Let the turkey rest for 30-45 minutes before carving and serving. While the turkey rests, I like to bake our side dishes in the oven and make the turkey gravy with the pan drippings.
How Long to Cook a Turkey
At 325° F a whole turkey will take about 13-15 minutes per pound. So a 12 pound turkey will take about 3 hours to cook and a 16 pound turkey will take about 4 hours. The most important thing to remember when making a turkey is to not overcook it, since this will dry out the meat (especially the breast meat). I always start checking on it about an hour before it’s supposed to be done.
How to tell if roast turkey is done: Insert an instant read thermometer or meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh not touching the bone. It should read 165°F.
Let it Rest Before Carving
Do not skip this step! While the turkey rests, the juices will redistribute throughout the meat so that it stays moist. If you try to carve the turkey right after it comes out of the oven, not only will it be way too hot to handle, the juices will run out all over your cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
How to Carve a Turkey
The last step is to carve your turkey and arrange it on a platter for a beautiful presentation. While carving, you can cover the the pieces of meat with foil to keep them warm. To carve a turkey:
- Remove the Thighs and Legs: Slice through the skin and meat between the breast and leg and pull the leg away from the breast to expose the joint that connects them. (You may hear a “pop” sound.) Cut around the joint to remove the leg and thigh from the bird. Repeat on the other side; set thighs/legs aside.
- Remove Breasts: Find the bone that runs down the center of the bird, between the breasts. Slice through the skin and down as close to the breast bone as possible on each side to remove the breasts, cutting away as much breast meat as possible. Set breasts aside.
- Remove Wings: Pull the wing away from the bird and cut through the joint to remove the wing. Repeat on the other side. Cut off the wing tips.
- Slice the Meat & Arrange on a Platter: Place the thigh/leg skin side down on the cutting board and find the joint that connects them. Cut through the joint to separate the thigh and drumstick. Keep drumstick whole. Cut the thigh meat off of the bone and slice. Slice each breast against the grain, being careful to keep the skin on the meat. Arrange the meat on a serving platter, making the breasts and drumsticks the centerpiece and filling in with the smaller pieces. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon wedges. Then serve while it’s warm!
What to Serve with Roast Turkey
- Green Bean Casserole
- Broccoli Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Dinner Rolls
- Butternut Squash Salad
- Pumpkin Pie
- See all of my Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Easy Thanksgiving Turkey
Ingredients
For the turkey:
- 12-20 pound whole turkey, fully thawed
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- ½ whole head garlic, halved crosswise
- 1 lemon, quartered
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary
Herb Butter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, fully softened
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, (save the rest of the lemon for the cavity)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
- roasting pan (disposable is ok, see note below)
- kitchen twine
- instant read thermometer
- sharp knife (or electric knife) for carving
- large cutting board for carving
Instructions
- Let thawed turkey come to room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before roasting. This helps to promote even cooking.
- Adjust oven racks so that the turkey will fit in the center of the oven (you do not want the top of the turkey to be too near the top of the oven). Preheat oven to 325° F.
- Make herb butter: In a medium bowl, stir together the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon zest (save the rest of the lemon for the cavity), chopped fresh thyme, chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Place turkey on a rimmed baking sheet or in a disposable roasting pan (to catch any juices) and remove it from the packaging. Remove the neck and bag of giblets from the cavity. (Check both the big cavity and the smaller neck cavity to make sure you remove everything. The bag of giblets is often in the neck cavity.)
- Pat turkey dry with paper towels, including inside the cavity. Generously season the cavity with salt and pepper. Use your fingers to gently loosen the skin from the breasts (be careful not to tear it) so that you will be able to rub some of the herb butter underneath. Tuck the wings underneath the turkey.
- Place the quartered onion, ½ head of garlic, quartered lemon and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme in the cavity. If your turkey is on the smaller side, you may not fit all of the onion and lemon, just put what fits without overstuffing the cavity.
- Put a generous amount of the herb butter under the skin on each of the turkey breasts. Rub your fingers over the skin of the breasts to spread the butter around. Then rub the rest of the herb butter all over the outside of the turkey.
- Use kitchen twine to tie the legs of the turkey together, close to the body of the turkey.
- Place turkey on a rack set inside a large roasting pan, breast side up. (See the note below for instructions on using a roasting pan without a rack, such as a disposable roasting pan.)
- Bake turkey at 325° F for 13-15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature of the breast and thigh reaches 165°F. Begin checking on the turkey an hour before you expect it to be done; you don't want to overcook it or it will dry out. If the skin is browning too much as the turkey cooks, cover the top of the turkey loosely with foil.The turkey is done when an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and thigh not touching bone registers 165°F.
- Let the turkey rest for 30-45 minutes before carving and serving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat for a juicy turkey. You can cover it with foil to keep it warm while it rests. (During this time I like to bake our side dishes in the oven and make the turkey gravy.) Find instructions for carving the turkey in the post above.
- Save the juices from the pan to make turkey gravy.
Notes
- Thawing a frozen turkey: The safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is to let it thaw in the refrigerator. Place it on a rimmed baking sheet or in a disposable roasting pan to catch any juices that are released as it thaws. Allow 24 hours for every 4 pounds of turkey. For example, a 16 pound frozen turkey will take about 4 days to thaw in the fridge. I always allow an extra day to be on the safe side.
- Disposable roasting pan: If you do not have a roasting pan with a rack, you’ll want to put a layer of vegetables in the bottom of the roasting pan for the turkey to rest on as it cooks. I suggest using 1 sliced yellow onion, 3 coarsely chopped ribs celery and 3 coarsely chopped carrots.
- How much turkey per person: I recommend planning on 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. This way, you should have some leftovers.
