How to Roast a Turkey
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How to Roast a Turkey – learn easy techniques to perfectly roast a turkey. Step by step instructions from start to finish.
Basic Roast Turkey Recipe
Well with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, it’s time to roast a turkey. I love this season, it’s my favorite time of the year. And how can you not? You can’t turn the TV on without seeing a Christmas movie on and I just can’t help myself, I watch them all. I can watch Christmas movies all day long.
So have you roasted a turkey before? Don’t be scared, it’s just a big bird. Over the years, I’ve watched my mother roast turkeys over and over again. I love everything about roasting a turkey. The smell in the kitchen, the holiday atmosphere all around and of course, eating that delicious turkey.
This recipe here for a roast turkey is a simple basic turkey recipe. I brushed the turkey with a lemon flavored butter, generously and I mean generously and seasoned it with salt and pepper.
How To Thaw A Turkey
The safest and easiest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator, but it takes the longest. It will take a few days, depending on the size of your turkey. All you have to do is put the turkey in a pan to catch any drips and leave it in the fridge for a few days. Allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey.
If you’re planning to brine the turkey, wet or dry, you can do this while the turkey is partially frozen.
- Turkey – I typically roast turkeys that are around 10 to 12 pounds.
- Butter – Used to add lovey richness and buttery goodness. But always use unsalted butter to control the amount of sodium.
- Lemon – Both the zest and juice of a fresh lemon are used to add a bit of acid which is super delicious in combination with the butter and garlic cloves.
- Thyme – Use fresh thyme for the best herby flavor. Feel free to use additional fresh herbs such as fresh rosemary, sage or even bay leaves.
- Salt – All turkeys must be seasoned well with salt to make them tasty.
- Black Pepper – Regular ground black pepper is perfect.
- Onion – Put in the cavity to help keep the turkey moist and add flavor.
- Celery And Carrots – I love to add some to the roasting pan to add flavor to my gravy.
- Garlic – Use freshly peeled cloves for the most garlicky good flavor.
Prep The Turkey
Before starting, you’ll need to prepare your turkey for roasting. Make sure to remove any packaging from it and the bag of giblets from inside the cavity. Pat dry the skin with paper towels, this promotes browning and crisping.
Tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey, this will help stabilize the turkey when carving, plus it makes it easier to carve the breast. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
Make The Herb Butter Mixture
In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the lemon zest and juice and the teaspoon of thyme to the butter and stir. Set aside.
Season The Turkey
First, you’ll need to place the onions, celery and carrots in the bottom of a roasting rack, then place the rack on top. Place the turkey breast side up on top of the roasting rack.
Tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey, this will help stabilize the turkey when carving, plus it makes it easier to carve the breast. Tie the legs together with butcher twine.
Brush the turkey with the butter mixture generously over the entire turkey. Use all the butter. Next, you’ll want to season it with salt and pepper all around. Make sure to season a bit inside the cavity as well.
You can pour a little of water in the bottom of the roasting pan, but keep in mind the turkey will release drippings as well as it cooks. However, if you’re making gravy, it’s best to add about a cup of water to the roasting pan.
Cover The Turkey And Roast
Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and cook covered for 2 hours. Remove the aluminum foil and transfer the turkey back to the oven.
Uncover And Finish Roasting
Continue roasting for an additional 1½ hours until the turkey turns golden brown and is fully cooked inside. You can baste it every 30 minutes if preferred. The turkey is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180°F and the breast reaches 165°F.
Can You Cook A Frozen Turkey?
Believe it or not, you certainly can cook a frozen turkey. The only difference is that it will take a lot longer to cook than normal, 50 percent more time. For example, a 10 pound turkey will take about 5 ¼ hours to cook. Best way to check if it’s cooked is still to use a meat thermometer.
The turkey cooks as it thaws, with the legs and wings cooking faster. If cooking a frozen turkey, you won’t be able to do any fancy rubs or brines.
Brining A Turkey
Brining involves immersing the turkey in a salt-water solution or dry-brining it in salt for a day or so before cooking. This results in a moist and perfectly seasoned turkey.
If you have the extra time, I strongly recommend to brine your turkey. Check out my post on Brined Roast Turkey Breast for detailed instructions on how to brine your turkey.
A dry-brine, also called pre-salting, seasons the turkey like a wet brine, but there’s no water. You basically rub the salt and seasonings directly into the meat and skin, and let it rest in the fridge for a period of time before cooking. This works because the salt draws out the meat juices through osmosis. The salt then dissolves into the juices, and this brine is reabsorbed into the meat and starts to break down tough muscle proteins. The result is a juicy, tender, seasoned turkey.
Cooking Times For Roasting A Turkey
| Turkey Weight | Serves | Roasting Time |
| 10-18 lbs | Less than 10 people | 3 to 3 ½ hours |
| 18-22 lbs | 10-15 people | 3 ½ to 4 hours |
| 22-24 lbs | 16-20 people | 4 to 4 ½ hours |
| 24-29 lbs | more than 20 people | 4 ½ to 5 hours |
Expert Tips
- Always cook your turkey until the skin is a light golden color. Cover your roasting pan with a lid or foil and cook covered for 2 hours (depending on size of your bird) and uncovered for the remaining time.
- Baste your turkey every half hour or so. However, basting will not make your turkey moister, but it promotes even browning of the skin.
- To truly test doneness of the meat, use an instant meat thermometer. Do not go by the color of the skin. The turkey is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180°F and the breast reaches 165°F. Make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone.
- If you’re stuffing your turkey, check the temperature of the dressing as well. It should be 165°F(75°C).
- Just like with any roast, you need to let your meat sit and rest after removing it from the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat and makes carving easier.
What To Serve With Your Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
World’s Best Cranberry Sauce
Roasted Root Vegetables
Classic Pumpkin Pie
How To Make Turkey Gravy With The Drippings
The great thing about a roast turkey is all the leftover drippings to make gravy. Making gravy is so incredibly easy.
First, you’ll need to strain the drippings through a fine-mesh sieve and then discard all the solids like the carrots and onions. You should have about 2 cups of pan drippings left.
Next, you’ll need to melt about ¼ cup of butter in a saucepan then sprinkle ¼ cup of flour and whisk it in. Cook it about a minute to remove that raw flour taste. Gradually, whisk in the pan drippings and bring to a boil. If you find the gravy is too thick, feel free to add a bit more chicken broth to it.
All that’s left to do is taste it for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
Craving More Thanksgiving Recipes? Try These:
- Crockpot Brown Sugar Cola Glazed Ham
- Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sage Sausage Stuffing
- Sugared Cranberries
- Spatchcock Turkey
- Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Turkey Meatballs
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How to Roast a Turkey
Ingredients
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the lemon zest and juice and the teaspoon of thyme to the butter and stir. Set aside.
- Remove the giblets from inside the turkey cavity. I also usually trim some of the excess fat around the neck of the turkey. Pat the skin dry with paper towels, this promotes browning and crisping.
- First, you'll need to place the onions, celery and carrots in the bottom of a roasting rack, then place the rack on top. Place the turkey on top of the roasting rack. Tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey, this will help stabilize the turkey when carving, plus it makes it easier to carve the breast. Tie the legs together with butcher twine.
- Brush the turkey with the herb butter mixture all over and generously season with salt and pepper.
- Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven. Cook covered for 2 hours.
- Remove the aluminum foil and transfer the turkey back to the oven. Roast for an additional 1½ hours. Use a meat thermometer to know when the turkey is done. When the thermometer is inserted in the breast it should read 165°F, and 180°F in the thigh.
- Remove the turkey from the roasting pan to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 20 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
| Turkey Weight | Serves | Roasting Time |
| 10-18 lbs | Less than 10 people | 3 to 3 ½ hours |
| 18-22 lbs | 10-15 people | 3 ½ to 4 hours |
| 22-24 lbs | 16-20 people | 4 to 4 ½ hours |
| 24-29 lbs | more than 20 people | 4 ½ to 5 hours |
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Originally published Nov 2014. Updated with additional information.
Did I miss where the 8 sprigs of thyme are used?
Oh sorry about that, you can throw those in the pan with the onion and carrots or stuff it in the turkey.
Awesome recipe! It was easy to follow and did not overwhelm me for making my 1st turkey. The meat was falling off the bone! My family loved it
So happy to hear you guys enjoyed the recipe!
This will be the first time i used your recipe … im not sure what to do with the 10 cloves of garlic! Im thinking in the cavity?
Yes, that’s right. 🙂
Can I use olive rather than butter to brush the turkey? (Hubby is dairy free).
For sure!
I made my turkey and it came out great. Do you have a gravy recipe to go with it
For my gravy I use the drippings, broth and I play around with seasoning and spices! I like to add soy sauce, worcestershire, bay leaf, thyme and some salt/pepper, then I thicken it up with either flour or cornstarch! Super simple.
I was about to try this recipe, however, I noticed in the beginning you said that a ten pound bird should take 5-1/2 hours, however in your roasting scale it says 3-1/2 hours?????
That’s if you’re cooking a frozen turkey.
I’ve used this recipe before and it was delicious! I am cooking the turkey this year again and I was thinking of using your brining recipe. Should I brine it and then use this recipe? Is it too much flavor to use both recipes? Or should I just pick one?
Yes, you can absolutely do this! The brine will mostly just ensure the turkey ends up juicy and not dry.
I have bit made this yet but what tack do you put your pa on in the oven? Should it be towards the bottom or the middle of the oven? Also have yiu tired roasting it breast side down? Thank you
It will have to me on the lower rack, middle rack if the turkey fits, but mine didn’t. I have not tried roasting with the breast side down.
Thank you for these clear and concise instructions on how to cook a turkey. Your recipes never fail me.
what’s the difference between baking a turkey in roasting a turkey
Roasting refers to solids with structure such as meats, veggies, potatoes, etc. Baking refers to batters or doughs without solid structure, ie. breads, cakes, cookies.
I’m a little confused. In the directions you say to roast until thigh is 180 degrees, however, in the notes it says thigh should reach 165. Can you confirm which it is?
Sorry about that, the breast should be 165 F degrees and the thigh should be 180 F degrees.
Hello, Jo!
Thank you for making us happy with your next masterpiece. You are right when cooking it is very important to consider the size of your Turkey. If it is too big, it will need more time and spices.
I will definitely try this Turkey again for the gala dinner. Thank you for sharing!
Good luck!
Have you ever done a turkey in a brown paper bag?
No, I haven’t!
Hi jo
I have a very large chicken (my dad gets free range from a farm up north, it’s the size of a small to medium Turkey. Could I follow this for the chicken? Would I alter anything? Since trying your bread recipe yesterday I’ve been going over your recipe blogs and they look terrific!
Hi Marta,
You can certainly follow the recipe, the only thing that might change would be the cooking time, but you can follow the same rule for the temperature. You can also check the chicken temperature and when it reaches 175 F degrees it should be done.
Thank you! I’m going to have to invest in a thermometer:)
It’s a great investment! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
How much butter?
1/2 cup.