Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs 30 mins
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Resting Time
30 mins
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Total Time
4 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
14 servings
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Calories
287 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
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Take the stress out of cooking Thanksgiving dinner with this foolproof turkey recipe. Follow these step-by-step instructions for a perfectly juicy and flavorful turkey every time.
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Ingredients
Roast Turkey
- 12 to 18 lbs turkey fully thawed; neck and giblets removed
- 1 medium onion peeled and quartered
- 1 garlic head cut in half to expose the cloves
- 1 lemon quartered
- 1 to 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 to 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 to 2 sprigs fresh sage
- kosher salt and black pepper to season the inside of the bird
Herb Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- ½ Tablespoon lemon zest from 1 large lemon
- 4 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice from 1 large lemon
- ½ Tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
- Bring to room temperature. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting and remove the neck and giblets.
- Preheat the oven. Adjust your oven rack so the turkey will sit in the center of the oven. (I placed my rack in the lower middle position, NOT at the bottom.) Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Prep turkey. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Fill the cavity with quartered onions, lemons, garlic head cut in half, and fresh herbs. Don't overfill it.
- Make herb butter. Make the herb butter by combining and mixing with a fork the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon juice & zest, , chopped fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
- Rub with herb butter. Run a spoon facing down between the skin and turkey breast to separate the skin without tearing it. Rub the herb butter under the skin of the breasts and over the turkey.
- Prep for oven. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan, tuck the wing tips under the turkey to prevent them from burning, and tie the ends of the turkey legs together with kitchen twine. (Optionally, you can add to the pan coursely chopped carrots, onion, and garlic, they will add flavor to the drippings that you can use to make the gravy later.)
- Roast. Place the turkey in the oven and roast for about 15 minutes per pound, or about 3.5 hours for 14 lb turkey, or until the temperature at the thickest part of the thigh and breast have reached 160°F. The turkey will continue to cook and will rise in temperature to 165 F while resting. (AKA carryover cooking)
- Cover with tin foil. Check the turkey a couple times throughout cooking. If the skin is becoming too brown, loosely cover the turkey with tin foil.
- Let turkey rest. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and loosely cover the turkey with foil and let it rest for about 30 minutes before carving.
Equipments used:
Notes
- Here are some tips and tricks to ensure your Thanksgiving Turkey turns out perfect every time:
- Don't wash the turkey. Any bacteria will get killed while baking in the oven.
- Brine for flavor: A simple brine (water, salt, honey and aromatics) can enhance moisture and flavor. Soak your turkey for 12-24 hours before roasting for the best results.
- Don't cook stuffing in the bird. Stuffing the bird slows down the cooking process and it takes longer to cook it to the perfect temperature.
- Use a roasting pan with a roasting rack. I also like to add some coarsley chopped vegetables like carrots, onion, garlic, and celery, and a cup of broth or water. Those drippings and the flavors from the vegetables make for the best gravy.
- Tuck the wings. When you place the turkey in the roasting pan, make sure to tuck the wings under the turkey and tie the ends of the legs together with kitchen twine before roasting.
- Roast for 15 minutes per pound of weight. A good rule of thumb is to roast a turkey for 15 minutes for every pound of weight. Some ovens tend to cook hotter or cooler, so be mindful that it might take less time to cook.
- Check the turkey as it cooks. When the roast turkey's breasts are golden brown, start checking the internal temperature of the turkey and keep an eye on it. Remove it from the oven when it reaches about 160 F in the thickest part of the thigh. I love to use an oven safe meat thermometer that I insert in the thickest part of the thigh and leave it there while it cooks.
- Cover if necessary. If the skin is becoming too brown, very loosely cover the bird with aluminum foil.
- Save the drippings and the bones. You can make a delicious turkey gravy and turkey stock.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
287kcal
(14%)
Carbohydrates
1g
(0%)
Protein
52g
(104%)
Fat
8g
(12%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
Trans Fat
0.1g
Cholesterol
161mg
(54%)
Sodium
518mg
(22%)
Potassium
550mg
(16%)
Fiber
0.2g
(1%)
Sugar
0.3g
(1%)
Vitamin A
198IU
(4%)
Vitamin C
3mg
(3%)
Calcium
32mg
(3%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 14servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 287 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 287kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 1g | 0% |
| Protein | 52g | 104% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 161mg | 54% |
| Sodium | 518mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 550mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sugar | 0.3g | 1% |
| Vitamin A | 198IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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