The Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe (2024)

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This awesome turkey recipe is one that can be completed by a first timer with little to no stress. It's best roast turkey recipe because it's perfectly seasoned and is crispy on the outside while still being juicy on the inside. Lucky for you, if you follow my steps below you'll have a beautiful turkey dish that meets all of these important requirements!

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The Best Turkey Recipe for a First Timer
Ingredients Needed for this Dish
Steps for Making this Turkey Recipe
Equipment Needed To Make Your Turkey
FAQs
The Best Turkey Recipe

The Best Turkey Recipe for a First Timer

There is nothing that says it's holiday season more than a perfect roast turkey. I can vividly remember my mom patiently keeping an eye on the turkey to make sure that it was cooked exactly the way my dad liked it...which by the way was dried out. Sshh! Don't tell him I told you, but for the longest time I refused to eat any type of meat because I thought that I didn't like it. In reality, I just didn't like it dried out. Thank goodness for my husband who awakened my love for meat with his strong understanding of how each type of meat should be cooked.

A favorite recipe in our house is my roast chicken so I adjusted it a bit and came up with this best turkey recipe. It's crispy on the outside and the meat has fabulous flavor. I also love that you are able to roast the turkey while cooking the vegetables underneath. It feels so efficient and is the perfect way to cook your Thanksgiving vegetables while you multi-task. Overall, this is an easy recipe for a first time turkey roaster to make. If I can do it, anyone can!

Ingredients Needed for this Dish

One 10-15 pound Turkey
Butter
Onion Powder
Garlic Cloves
Onions
Carrots
Celery
Salt & Pepper

Steps for Making this Turkey Recipe

Thoroughly clean, rinse and dry the outside and cavity of the turkey.
Generously lather the turkey with butter. I try my best to get pieces of butter under the skin as well.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and onion powder all over the outside of the turkey. Make sure to rub the seasoning over the turkey so that it is evenly spread out.
Fill the cavity with garlic, onion and butter. Joe doesn't like his stuffing inside of the turkey, which is why I add the vegetables instead.
On the bottom of the roasting pan pour in 1 cup of water to help with the basting process. For the vegetables that I want to roast with the turkey, I place chopped celery, onion and carrots in the bottom of the pain.
I put the gizzard and giblets off to the side to simmer while the turkey cooks so that I can use it to make my famous brown gravy, which I just recently perfected. It only took me 5 years!

Equipment Needed To Make Your Turkey

I'm a true believer in not spending a ton of money on fancy equipment that you'll only use a few times a year. That is why I chose to supply my kitchen with just a few items that can be used for this juicy turkey recipe, but also could come in handy other times of the year. A roasting pan is an absolute essential. However, you definitely don't need an expensive one. I would also recommend a turkey baster and a good meat thermometer.

FAQs

How Many Pounds of Turkey Per Person?

Figuring out how much turkey you need per person is generally a personal decision regarding how many leftovers you'd like. I LOVE leftovers! So the general rule of thumb I use when calculating how many pounds of turkey per person for Thanksgiving is this: assume 1 ½ pounds per serving. So for a family of 6 at dinner, I'd estimate a 9-10 lbs turkey should do the trick.

When Should you Buy the Turkey?

I love the holidays so much that I'm often eager to buy my turkey right when they start popping up in the grocery store. So the question becomes: When is the best time to buy a turkey?

The answer depends on whether you want a fresh turkey or you are okay with freezing your turkey. If you plan on freezing it, then a turkey can last frozen for up to one year (though I don't recommend it given it'll take up a lot of space in your freezer)! Once you freeze the turkey, just be sure to remember to leave enough time for moving it to the fridge for defrosting. How long does it take to thaw a turkey? According to the USDA, it'll take 24 hours per 4-5 pounds of turkey. Also, be sure to keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit to keep bacteria from growing and place the turkey in a tray of some sort to prevent the juices from running all over your fridge as it thaws out.

If you are trying to figure out when to buy a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving, then I recommend you buy it no more than two days before your plan to cook it. I've had a few bad experiences with the turkey getting rancid any time I bought it earlier than that.

What are some side dishes to serve with a Turkey Dinner?

My family loves the charred crispiness of the skin with this Turkey Recipe. Also, the vegetables in the roasting pan make a ton of difference on the basting process, as well as the gravy. To compliment the meal, I usually serve it with our Lightened Up Jiffy Corn Casserole and Mashed Butternut Squash with my Garlic Mashed Potatoes topped with brown gravy.

How do you make gravy to go with a Turkey Dinner?

If you're scared of gravy or haven't found one that you love, then my brown gravy recipe is one that you're not going to want to miss! You'll be able to make this meal for multiple holidays; we often have the Turkey and these side dishes for Easter in addition to Thanksgiving. It's that popular in my household!

How to baste a Turkey

Turkey is the traditional choice for most holiday meals, but if you are a first time roaster it can definitely lead to some holiday anxiety! But I promise it won't happen with this best turkey recipe. This turkey recipe is easy enough for a first timer to pull off and flavorful enough that your mother-in-law will even ask for the recipe.

Finally, remember to take your time with the roasting process and be patient with your turkey. As long as you keep an eye on your trusty meat thermometer and continue to baste the turkey throughout the roasting process, you'll have one beautiful meal to celebrate with. Enjoy!

The Best Turkey Recipe

A combination of vegetables and seasoning makes this the perfect roast turkey recipe that is fragrant and delicious.

4.72 from 7 votes

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Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: holiday feast, thanksgiving, turkey

Ingredients

15 lb turkey
1 stick butter
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp onion powder
3 cloves garlic minced
2 onions chopped
3 carrots chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1 cup water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 500 F.Remove the gizzard and giblets from inside the turkey's cavity.Thoroughly clean, rinse and dry the outside and cavity of the turkey.
Lather the turkey with at least ½ stick of butter and try to get under the skin of the turkey as well.
Generously sprinkle salt, pepper and onion powder over the lathered butter.
Rub the seasoning evenly over the outside of the turkey.
Place the rest of the butter inside the cavity of the turkey.
Add 1 chopped onion and 3 cloves of garlic minced.Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the roasting pan and add the other chopped onion, 3 chopped carrots and 3 stalks of celery chopped.
Roast turkey at 500 F for about 20 minutes or until the turkey begins to brown.
Reduce heat to 350 F and continue to roast.
Baste the turkey every 30 minutes with the drippings and liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan.
The turkey is done once a thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the bird reads 155 to 165 F.
It should take about 3 hours and 30 minutes for the bird to cook, but make sure to use a thermometer.
Remove the turkey from the oven and let set for 20 minutes before carving.

Video

Nutrition

FAQs

Should I roast my turkey at 325 or 350? ›

Roasting the bird slowly, at a lower temperature is the best way to achieve tender meat. You should still prep the bird with butter, salt, and pepper, as described above (or dry-brine it). To cook, set your oven to 325°F and roast for 3½ to 4 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird.

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When roasting a turkey do you roast it covered or uncovered? ›

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

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What is the best temperature to roast a turkey? ›

What Temperature to Cook the Turkey? Cook your turkey at 325 degrees F for most of the cook time; in the final 45 minutes, remove the cover or foil tent from the turkey, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and baste the bird with butter.

What is the best temperature to cook a turkey to keep it moist? ›

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

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Should I rub butter or oil on my turkey? ›

Rub the skin with fat

Fat is going to help the skin get brown and crisp, and contrary to what most might think, butter isn't better. Butter does an okay job, but because it contains a lot of water, oil is a better fat to rub on the skin to ensure it gets extra crispy.

Should you wash turkey? ›

Wash your hands, but not the turkey! Many consumers think that washing their turkey will remove bacteria and make it safer. However, it's virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the bird. Instead, juices that splash during washing can transfer bacteria onto the surfaces of your kitchen, other foods and utensils.

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Should I put a stick of butter in my turkey? ›

Impart rich flavor and add moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey by adding a layer of butter under the skin before roasting. Learn how to do this simple (but genius) technique for a delicious Thanksgiving turkey. I'm Kelly Senyei with http://www.epicurious.com, and this is how to put butter under turkey skin.

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Do you cook a Butterball turkey at 325 or 350? ›

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place roasting rack or foil ring on pan, and place turkey on top. In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic, salt, thyme, and parsley.

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How many hours do you cook a turkey at 325? ›

Here are some guidelines: Unstuffed Turkey: For an unstuffed turkey, you can use the 13-15 minutes per pound guideline. This means that a 15-pound turkey, for example, would take about 3 hours and 15 minutes to 3 hours and 45 minutes to cook at 325°F.

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Is it too high to cook a turkey at 350? ›

Most recipes call for 350°F. I've done high heat turkeys (450°F to start, turn down to 400°F after 30 minutes). It's fast, and it creates a beautifully browned and juicy bird, as long as you watch the internal temperature.

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Is 350 too high to cook a turkey? ›

The most straightforward approach is to roast an unstuffed turkey, breast-side up, for 13 minutes per pound of turkey at 350°. That works out to approximately 3 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird (a 12-pound turkey is pretty standard).

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