Roast Turkey Recipe
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
-
Resting Time
30 mins
-
Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
-
Servings
15 people
-
Calories
500 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
American
Roast Turkey Recipe
Description
The Roast Turkey Recipe begins with drying the turkey and optionally brining it days ahead. The bird is brought close to room temperature, then stuffed with a mixture of butter, lemon, fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic halves. A seasoning blend of rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, nutmeg, and pepper is rubbed all over the turkey, which is then massaged with butter and olive oil.
The roasting process starts with the turkey placed breast side down on a rack over chicken broth in a pan. It’s roasted at high heat initially, then the heat is lowered after rotating the pan. Partway through cooking, the turkey is flipped breast side up to continue roasting. This technique aims for even cooking and a juicy result in the breast and dark meat.
The recipe advises using a meat thermometer with probes in both thigh and breast to monitor doneness precisely. It suggests not cooking birds larger than 15 pounds for better texture and flavor, recommending two smaller turkeys instead. Saving the carcass for stock or soup provides additional use for the whole bird. Using unsalted broth is preferred if a brine was applied to prevent overly salty drippings.
Helpful equipment includes kitchen twine, poultry lifters, and oven gloves for safe handling, alongside a roasting pan for even cooking. The recipe encourages reducing salt in the broth when brining and offers reminders about essential tools and preparation for best results.
Ingredients
- 1 turkey 10-15 lbs.
- 1 tick butter at room temp, unsalted
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth reduced sodium or sodium free*
To Stuff the Turkey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 prigs rosemary fresh
- 1 bunch thyme fresh
- 1 bulb garlic cut in half crosswise
Turkey Seasoning:
- ¾ teaspoons rosemary each
- ¾ teaspoons oregano
- ¾ teaspoons thyme
- ¾ teaspoons sage
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg each
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper each
Instructions
Prepare the Turkey
- Optional: Brine your turkey 2-3 days prior to roasting.
- Remove the neck and giblets and pat the turkey completely dry.
- Let the turkey sit out for an hour or until it gets close to room temperature. This ensures it will cook evenly.
- Stuff the turkey with 1 Tbsp. butter, lemon, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Optional: Truss the legs by tying kitchen twine around them.
- Move oven rack 1 level below the center. Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Massage the entire turkey with the stick of butter and olive oil, getting into every nook and cranny. Rub with the seasoning mix.
Roast Breast Side Down
- Place *half* of the chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. Place the turkey breast side down on a roasting rack and tuck the wings underneath the bird.
- Roast for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180°. Roast for 25 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and decrease heat to 350° degrees.
Roast Breast Side Up
- Carefully flip the turkey so that it’s breast-side-up (Use Ove-Gloves or oven mitts). Add the remaining chicken broth to the roasting pan. Baste the turkey with the broth.
- *At this point, the thighs are around 110° and the breast is around 85° (just what we want)!
- Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and return it to the oven.
- Roast until the thermometer reads 160°. Remove from the oven. It will reach 165° while it rests. Pro Tip: As the turkey nears completion, check on the color and increase heat to 500° if additional browning is desired.
- Let it sit for a full 20-30 minutes to allow the meat to fully absorb the juices before you slice into it.
- While the turkey rests, prepare turkey gravy with the drippings in the pan.
Notes
- Use sodium-free chicken broth if you brined the turkey to avoid overly salty pan drippings for gravy.
- Prefer cooking two smaller turkeys under 15 pounds rather than a large one for better flavor and texture.
- Save the turkey carcass and scraps to make homemade stock and turkey soup.
- Invest in a meat thermometer with probes for both thigh and breast to monitor turkey doneness accurately.
- Kitchen twine and oven gloves assist in safely trussing and flipping the turkey during roasting.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 15people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 500 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 500kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 1g | 0% |
| Protein | 66g | 132% |
| Fat | 25g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 228mg | 76% |
| Sodium | 353mg | 15% |
| Potassium | 708mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 292IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 39mg | 4% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
