Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe
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I was so excited about this juicy roast turkey recipe every step of the way and I think you’ll feel the same way when you try it. I spent several days researching all of the best turkey recipes online, in books, and getting trusted advice from my Mom and you, my readers. This tender and delicious turkey will impress your dinner guests.
The turkey breast is so juicy and flavorful and the skin is crisp and roasts to a beautiful golden brown. I invited all of my family over to help eat this turkey and received rave reviews from 10 adults and quite a few kiddos. I was so giddy with excitement when I tasted the juicy bird. Since the beginning of my blog (2009), I’ve been flooded with requests for a great turkey recipe for the holidays.
P.S. Be sure be sure be sure to make the turkey gravy; it’s super delicious and was the talk of last year’s Thanksgiving dinner! Big Thank you to Wolf for sponsoring this recipe!
Watch How to Make a Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe:
You don’t need to be scared to try new things in the kitchen, like the Thanksgiving turkey which is the “year’s most important dish”. You can’t go wrong by adding this roast turkey recipe to your menu. It’s fantastic. Read on to learn everything you need to know for a perfect turkey. P.p.s. you can even make this turkey recipe a day in advance (stuff, butter it up, cover and refrigerate overnight then bake the next day) if it makes your life easier and it will taste even better! 🙂
Roast Turkey Recipe Ingredients:
12 lb turkey (Anything from 11-15 lbs will work, but bake time will vary – see below)
Salt & Pepper for the inside and outside of the bird
For the Flavored Butter:
1 cup (2 sticks or 226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin), plus more to drizzle the top
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon), plus 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
3 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/2 Tbsp salt (I used sea salt)
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
For the Turkey Stuffing:
1 large onion, quartered (no peeling)
4 garlic cloves, halved (no peeling)
1/2 bunch parsley
1 lemon, quartered
What you’ll need:
Kitchen String
Heavy duty foil
A heavy roasting pan that accommodates your bird, but isn’t over-sized
A temperature probe (to ensure a fully-cooked turkey)
Note:
Many of you have asked about using a larger turkey. One of my readers, Shannon, shares her experience with a 23 pound turkey (Thanks Shannon!): “Used this recipe last night with a 23 pound turkey and it was superb!! I used 3 sticks of butter instead of the 2, about 1 cup of parsley, kept the zest and juice of 2 lemons and quartered them for the stuffing. Kept 1 large onion peeled & largely sliced, used about 8 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced in half.
Cooked at 430 for 20 minutes and then 350 for about 5 1/2 hours, basting occasionally. I used the tin foil hat and had to made a couple other tin foil accessories for the legs that started to scorch. Took the tin foil hat off when it had 10 minutes of cook time left to ensure a nice browned top. Had tons of drippings to make a delicious gravy with. Will use this recipe every year! So flavorful and yummy. Thank you”
Required Prep for Roast Turkey Recipe:
*If using a frozen turkey, defrost it in its plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 days prior to roasting.
*Remove turkey from fridge about 30 minutes before you start working with it. If the turkey is closer to room temperature, it will bake more evenly. *Remove the neck and bag of giblets from the turkey.
*Pat dry turkey with paper towels. Let turkey sit in over paper towels to soak up any excess water from the turkey.
*Fold the wings behind the turkey; if you don’t they are the quickest to scorch and dry out.
Seasoning, Stuffing and Tying up a Turkey:
1. Season inside of turkey cavity generously with about 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine: 2 sticks softened butter, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, and 3 pressed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Mash/stir with a fork until well combined (the lemon juice doesn’t easily stir into butter, but keep mixing and it will happen after a few minutes). This mixture was adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s Christmas Turkey video and it’s wonderful. Take a whiff of it; you’ll fall in love with how fresh it smells!
3. Separate the skin from the turkey breast by pushing your fingers under the skin. Do this from the front and the back of the turkey, being careful not to tear the skin.
4. Stuff 2/3 of the butter mixture under skin then spread the butter around by massaging over the top of the skin. This butter keeps the turkey breast tender, juicy and provides rich flavor.
5. Rub remaining butter over the outside of the turkey (breast, legs, wings). Drizzle all over the top of the turkey with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper; I just love a crisp, salty skin.
6. Stuff turkey with quartered onion, 4 halved garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch parsley and quartered lemon. Tie turkey base and legs together; crossing the legs to better close up the turkey cavity, plus it looks extra fancy on the table.
How to Roast a Turkey:
Prep: Pre-heat the oven to 430˚F on the bake mode. Place oven rack in the lower part of your oven (mine was on the second level from the very bottom) – this ensures that your large turkey roasts in the middle of the oven and keeps the turkey breast further from the top heating element.
1. Here is a fantastic tip I picked up from Alton Brown to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry. You’ll apply this shield later in the roasting process.
2. Place an oven-safe meat thermometer into the bird; beneath the drumstick; deep into the dark meat. It’s ready for the oven. Start roasting uncovered at 430˚F for 20 min.
3. Remove from oven; quickly baste with butter from the bottom of the dish. You can use a baster or tilt one side of the pan and collect drippings with a large spoon. Now apply prepared foil triangle to turkey breast area.
4. Reduce oven to 350˚F and bake for another 2 hours 30 min for a 12 lb bird. (Once you have reduced the oven to 350˚F, you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey). The turkey thigh should register at 170˚F on the temperature probe and the breast at 160˚F to make sure it’s fully cooked through then remove from the oven (keep in mind the turkey temp continues to rise slightly after it’s out of the oven).
Note: temperature recommendations based on the USDA which now says the safe poultry temp is 165˚F but the deeper thigh parts really should be at 170˚ to be fully cooked through.
5. Transfer turkey to serving platter and cover loosely but fully with foil. Let turkey rest for at least 1 hour. It will become more tender and easier to carve, the longer it sits. Keep drippings from roasting pan for a most delicious turkey gravy. Decorate around your turkey and make it festive. I used kale for my greens, then added small apples, sliced oranges and quartered lemons.
Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 lb turkey, (Anything from 11-15 lbs will work, but bake time will vary)
- Salt & Pepper for the inside and outside of the bird
For the Flavored Butter:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, not extra virgin, plus more to drizzle top
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon, plus 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 3 large garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 Tbsp salt, I used sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
For the Stuffing:
- 1 large onion, quartered (no peeling)
- 4 garlic cloves, halved (no peeling)
- 1/2 bunch parsley
- 1 lemon, quartered
What you'll need:
- Kitchen String
- Heavy duty foil
- A heavy roasting pan that accommodates your bird, but isn't over-sized
- A temperature probe, to ensure a fully-cooked turkey
Instructions
Seasoning, Stuffing and Tying up a Turkey:
-
Season inside of turkey cavity generously with about 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
-
In a medium bowl, combine: 2 sticks softened butter, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, 3 pressed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Mash /stir with a fork until well combined (the lemon juice doesn't easily stir into butter but keep mixing and it will happen after a few minutes). Take a whiff of it; you'll fall in love with how fresh it smells!
-
Separate the skin from the turkey breast by pushing your fingers under the skin. Do this from the front and the back of the turkey; being careful not to tear the skin.
-
Stuff 2/3 of the butter mixture under skin then spread the butter around by massaging over the top of the skin. This butter keeps the turkey breast tender, juicy and provides rich flavor.
-
Rub remaining butter over the outside of the turkey (breast, legs, wings). Drizzle all over the top of the turkey with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper; I just love a crisp, salty skin.
-
Stuff turkey with quartered onion, 4 halved garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch parsley and quartered lemon. Tie turkey base and legs together; crossing the legs to better close up the turkey cavity, plus it looks extra fancy on the table.
How to Roast a Turkey: (Pre-heat the oven to 430˚F on the bake mode. Place oven rack in the lower part of your oven (mine was on the second level from the very bottom).
-
Here is a fantastic tip: to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry. You'll apply this shield later in the roasting process.
-
Place an oven-safe meat thermometer into the bird; beneath the drum stick; deep into the dark meat. Start roasting uncovered at 430˚F for 20 min.
-
Remove from oven; quickly baste with butter from the bottom of the dish. You can use a baster or tilt one side of the pan and collect drippings with a large spoon. Now apply prepared foil triangle to turkey breast area.
-
Reduce oven to 350˚F and bake for another 2 hours 30 min for a 12 lb bird. (Once you have reduced the oven to 350˚F, you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey). The turkey thigh should register at 170˚F on the temperature probe and the breast at 160˚F to make sure it's fully cooked through then remove from the oven (keep in mind the turkey temp continues to rise slightly after it's out of the oven).
-
Transfer turkey to serving platter and cover loosely but fully with foil. Let turkey rest for at least 1 hour. It will become more tender and easier to carve, the longer it sits. Keep the drippings from roasting pan for gravy. Now you can decorate around your turkey and make it festive. I used kale for my greens, then added small apples, sliced oranges and quartered lemons.
Recipe Notes
!Instructions/Tips for prepping your bird:
*If using a frozen turkey, defrost it in its plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 days prior to roasting.
*Remove turkey from fridge about 30 minutes before you start working with it. If the turkey is closer to room temperature, it will bake more evenly.
*Remove the neck and bag of giblets from the turkey.
*Pat dry turkey with paper towels. Let turkey sit in a roasting pan lined with paper towels to soak up any excess water from the turkey.
*Fold the wings behind the turkey; if you don't they are the quickest to scorch and dry out.
This roast turkey recipe are sponsored by Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliances – I’m so excited to be working with such a phenomenal brand; they are truly top notch; the creme de la creme of ranges and ovens. Wolf is all about empowering home cooks to make predictably delicious dishes every time. This is especially crucial during the holidays when everything has to be just so, like this roast turkey recipe! Be sure to show Sub-Zero & Wolf some like and thank them for sponsoring by visiting their Facebook page.
Now you know exactly how to make this juicy roast turkey recipe :). I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I’ve tried several different methods of cooking turkey. This one was one of the best, producing a juicy/tasty bird. I added a bit more garlic. It was a big hit at our Easter dinner.
The 14.5 lb turkey took 2.5 hrs @ 350 F (20 min at 430 F, initially).
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Shaun, you’re very welcome! Thank you for the excellent review. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Just for a change, I switched from my normal turkey recipe to this one based on the number of great reviews it had. I’m very sorry I did.
This was THE most TASTELESS and dry turkey I have ever made. My guests asked what I did differently because they didn’t like it either. I guess I’ll stay with my tried and true next time.
Do you bake it uncovered at 350? (With the foil over the breasts, of course)
Hi Christine, that’s right! I do not have a lid for my roasting pan; I tent with foil. You could skip the tenting if you have a lid since the lid serves as a tent.
Merry Christmas! And it was, I followed your very juicy turkey recipe and managed to get my fingers under the skin and got rave reviews! I will do this again! Thanks for your straightforward advice, I love reading your recipes.
I’m so glad this was a hit! That’s the best when you get rave reviews!
This turkey recipe is amazing. I made it several years ago. I was wondering if it’s ok if I prep the turkey today and let it sit in the fridge for 2 days.
Hi MM, you sure can! You can make this turkey recipe a day in advance (stuff, butter it up, cover, refrigerate overnight, then bake the next day) if it makes your life easier, and it will taste even better! I haven’t tried two days, but I imagine that will work.
Hi Natasha for asking a silly question-my turkey is only 8.6lbs so am I still able to use your recipe? Ps-absolutely love al your recipes!
Hi Christine, you sure can, simply adjust the ingredients to the size of your turkey. I hope you love this recipe!
I’ve never liked turkey so never bothered to try cooking one. But this year I did and honestly I read over 20 recipes and this is the one that sounded the best and boy am I grateful I did. It came out absolutely perfect! Juicy meat and crisp perfect skin. Thank you so much for this! I also read tons of gravy recipes and wasn’t confident I could do it but you’ve given me confidence and I can’t wait to make it!
You are most welcome! I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying these recipes, I hope you’ll enjoy all that you will try!
TO DIE FOR!! Seriously the best turkey I have ever made, my guests agreed.
I did add a great dry brine as well with kosher salt, Blk pepper, fresh thyme, fresh sage finely zested citrus peel and smoked paprika. More flavour than a smoked turkey even. This is a keeper. Gone are the days of overcooked, dry, tasteless, must add gravy to eat turkey, this was delish!
Thank you for your awesome feedback, Robin! Your comments and review just made my day brighter.
This is a great recipe! I especially like the foil tent over the breast. It really did keep the breast moist. The seasoned butter under the skin and the onion, garlic & lemon inside the turkey made the turkey extra tasty. This will be my go to turkey recipe from now on!
Yay, that sounds perfect! I’m so happy that you loved this recipe and you found a new favorite!
This sounds amazing, I can’t wait to try it. Would I be able to put this turkey in a oven bag to roast?
I hope you love it, Michelle! I honestly haven’t experimented with cooking this turkey in a bag, so I’m unsure. If anyone else has tried, please let us know. I had a couple of readers report great results using a bag, but I just haven’t tested it myself to say if any modifications need to be made.
Honestly over the last 20 years I have never enjoyed/looked forward to having turkey however this recipe made me change my entire outlook. Best turkey I have ever had! So juicy and flavourful. Just wow. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad to hear this was the best, Samantha! This is my favorite also! 🙂
Best turkey and gravy I have ever made. Got rave reviews from dinner guests. Will definitely be making it again. Going to try it on chicken and know it will be awesome also.
Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Love it! Yes, please try and share with us how you liked the recipe with chicken. I hope you love it too!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! It was the best turkey I’ve had in many years! You made our Thanksgiving this year – 12 people enjoyed it including a family member who’s in hospice care who had not eaten solid food for weeks! This is a keeper recipe to be passed down in the family! Thanks again, Natasha!
Alice
Aww, I’m so glad this was a hit with your family! It sounds like a very special Thanksgiving!
This made the best turkey I have ever fixed! And the gravy recipe was to die for! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Beth! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Amazing! I’m still pretty new to cooking turkeys and have been searching for “the” recipe. I think this is it! I’m also a suckered for a salty crispy skin and this got to be the most beautiful crisp golden brown but still moist inside. Thank you so much!!!
Yay, fantastic news! I’m glad you found your new go-to recipe for cooking turkeys. Thank you for sharing that with us, Alyssa.
This is a great recipe. I never cooked or ate turkey for Thanksgiving in my country, but with this recipe my first-ever turkey received a lot of compliments! Thank you so much!
That’s awesome, Julia! I’m happy to hear that the recipe was a huge hit, good job to you too!
For the second year in a row I had a dry, flavorless bird. This was the first year I tried your recipe and I was sooo excited to get it right. I cooked my turkey in my new portable roasting pan and cooked our 14 lb bird exactly to your specifications and within just under 3 hours my bird was well over temperature. But the skin of the turkey breast wasn’t dark like I had hoped… so I stuck it on my broiler setting for about 5 minutes in my oven. Which made the skin browner but probably dried the bird out more. Not the recipe’s fault. So I figured I’d have a dried out bird because I was well over temp (over 190) before I stuck it in the broiler to brown the skin but I figured the flavor would be there. It surely wasn’t I am so disappointed in that. I followed this recipe to a T. I don’t know if I will try the recipe again.
Hi Jaimee, this recipe is not written for a portable roasting pan, but it’s good to know that it does not work well. Someone else had asked about that and your review will help others in the future. Also, broiling is risky for drying our turkey breast, especially if the temperature was already over 190. It sounds like some adjustments definitely need to be made for making this turkey in a portable roaster.
Just wanted to share that I made this roast turkey yesterday for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! Juicy and very flavorful! It’s not the first or last recipe of yours I will be making. Love your videos. Easy to follow. Take care and God bless to you and your family.
I’m so glad this was a hit, Roy! It’s our go-to each year! Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless you and yours!
Thank you so much for this incredible recipe! I made it for this Thanksgiving, and it was the best turkey I’ve ever had and compliments all around from the whole family. The lemon parsley butter was amazing too! Actually, I only made 1/2 of the amount of your flavored butter for the 12-lb turkey, and it was enough in my experience. But we wish we had more of this butter as a side for the table, to be served with the meal! So next time, I will make more of the flavored butter, use some on the turkey as you suggest, and serve the rest!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me, Denis! I’m glad it was a hit!
First time making a turkey and this recipe was perfect. Turkey was absolutely so juicy I did however double up on the seasoned butter I put the first portion all over the turkey and I put the second portion in the pot so it could melt for my basting! Everyone loved it !
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Jackie!
okay, I’m just “piling on” here :0)
but wanted to leave a review nonetheless.
my husband made the turkey this year using this recipe (only his 3rd time ever) and the step by step instructions were so easy. the turkey came out, not only beautiful looking, but moist and delicious!
thank you for the wonderful recipe and all the tips.
this will be our family turkey recipe from now on.
I’m so glad the recipe was easy and healthy! Happy Thanksgiving!
This turkey was not only delicious, it was beautiful! It should have been on the cover a magazine! Everyone loved how moist and flavorful it was! Thank you!
Wow! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I have made my turkey this way the past two years. Both times it turned out AMAZING!! This will likely be how I always make them 🙂 Thank you!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Abbey! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Love your commitment to help people. I became a celebrity overninght with my friends. With absolutely no background in cooking I could roast the juiciest turkey for thanksgiving. I owe it to you, thanking the almighty for creating wonderful people like you 🙂 , I am thankful.
That’s amazing! I’m so happy you all enjoyed that, Akheel. Thank you for sharing that with us!
The juicy turkey recipe was an enormous hit for our 2021 thanksgiving meal. Everyone loved it and so I have recommended your blog to them. Thank you for making our thanksgiving do memorial!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Sandra!
The juicy turkey recipe was so easy. My turkey was moist and tasty. I had made my turkey on Wednesday and sliced up. I had used my crock pot to reheat on Thursday. I had kept the juices and poured it over the meat. It was just perfect Thanksgiving. Thank you so much.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Cindy! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha, followed your recipe for Thanksgiving roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, and turkey gravy. Everything was AMAZING!!! This is my new turkey recipe. I made (2)-8 pound turkey breasts in a Reynolds cooking bag, they came out moist and juicy and flavorful and the skin was perfect. I didn’t have an actual closed-in cavity to stuff so I tucked all the ingredients for stuffing the cavity under the turkey breasts and baked it. OMG, PHENOMENAL!!!! Thank you so much for sharing.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Linda!
Absolutely the best turkey recipe I’ve made! The dark meat was prefect, the breast meat was very moist and the skin was crisp & delicious! Thank you Natasha for sharing this recipe.
Thank you for that wonderful review, Shelly!
We tried this recipe this year, and it was by far the best turkey we have ever cooked, and best looking as well.
Very juicy, tender and flavorful
That’s wonderful to hear, Chuck! Thanks for sharing that with us, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
This year i decided not to cook the dressing in the turkey. I followed the suggestions for the 23# bird. My entire family raved about the flavor and juicyness! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing that with us, Carolyn. That makes me happy!
Omg this is best turkey recipe ever! It made our Thanksgiving GREAT! Thank you!
Sandy from northern MN
Thanks for the awesome feedback, Sandy. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
My very first successful turkey. I followed the recipe step-by-step and it turned out perfect. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Marilyn! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This isin my oven as I type this and Holy cow my kitchen smells amazing. I’m also making your sweet potato casserole! My turkey is a 14lbr so I’m hoping It doesn’t dry out. I’m always anxious making a turkey
I can only imagine how great it smells! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hopefully this isn’t a silly question, if my turkey is 21 pounds should I double all the ingredients?
Hi Lisa, see the note at the top of the recipe from someone who made a 23 lb turkey – that should help.
Hi Natasha quick question can I use a roaster to cook this turkey? If so how long for a 14lb turkey using your yummy recipe?
Hi Dani, I don’t have any experience using an electric turkey roaster so I can’t offer any advice on that. If it is one that spins in the air then it might be best to do it in a traditional oven since the turkey sits in the drippings and you can baste with the juices that drip down.
Hey Natasha! If I have a 15 and a half pound turkey, how many hours does it need to be cooked? And should the temperature still be 350?
Hi, the temperature would remain as shown in the recipe. Please see step 5 where it says “Once you have reduced the oven to 350˚F, you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey” Make sure you adjust the timing accordingly and definitely use an in-oven thermometer to check for doneness.
Hi Natasha,
Let me tell you that I love, love all your recipes! I was wondering if you could help me. I was gifted a bone-in Turkey Breast and it’s about 9 lbs. What temperature and for how long would you leave it in the over for? Mind you that I’ve never cooked a turkey at home …
Hi Lulu! I recommend seeing the recipe notes and the recipe slider to adjust for the size and weight of your turkey. I always use an oven-safe temperature probe like this one to be sure I don’t overcook it. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Natasha,
I cooked a turkey for the time two years ago using this recipe, and it was an absolute hit. I’ve used this recipe about 3x now.
Wondering if I could make the flavored butter ahead of time and freeze it? I have some lemon and parsley on hand right now and would love to use it before it goes bad.
Thanks in advance!
I’m so happy it was a hit, Rina! Turkey is best fresh, but turkey meat is definitely freeze-able. You’ll need to remove the meat from the bones first.
Fresh ITALIAN parsley or fresh curly parsley?
Can’t wait to make this, sounds so delish!!!
I usually use curly parsley but both should be okay.
I use so many of your recipes! I have been using this turkey recipe for years and it disappeared from all of my devices where I saved it. I was so glad to find it again! I may have missed this , can I and what can I do to prep this the night before?
Hi Melissa, you can make this turkey recipe a day in advance (stuff, butter it up, cover and refrigerate overnight, then bake the next day) if it makes your life easier, and it will taste even better!
I’m using this recipe for the 3rd time! Comes out great every time. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Carolyn!
Hi,Natasha ! Can I use foil roasting pan instead of heavy roasting pan ?
Hi Dana, I haven’t tried this in a foil pan to advise on it working okay, I always worry the turkey will be too heavy for a thin foil pan. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I always use a heavy duty foil roasting pan on a cookie sheet! 🥰
should I wait till the oven gets to 350 to put the turkey back in to cook?
Hi Jessica, I don’t wait, I just put it back in.
Thank you so much! Have a great holiday!!! I’m making this for the first time! Wish me luck 🙂
You got this, Jessica! I hope you all love it!
Can I cook this at 250degrees for a longer time ? Or does it have to be cooked at 350degrees ?
Hi Lucy, I worry it will dry out at 250 degrees over a longer time. 350 is the optimal temperature for a turkey!
I never baked a turkey and in my search for a great recipe, I came across this one and gave it a try. Omg. This was the best ever for someone who never baked a turkey before or cook much at all. It was juicy, tasty, I could go on and on, my family and friends was really impressed and really loved it. I plan on doing it again this year. I have since shares this recipe with everyone I know.
Hi Vicki, wow! That’s awesome feedback. Thank you for your good comments and great review, I’m really happy to see this message!
This looks like a simple and delicious recipe. This will be my first time ever cooking a turkey, and one of the few times I’ve cooked anything complicated at all lol. I did have a question though. When you’re separating the skin or whatever, what do I do if it gets ripped? I have kinda big hands and they’re not too dexterous. Any advice to plan for a worst case scenario? TIA
Hi Stephen, do your best to be careful and don’t rush it! The skin protects the meat underneath.
I am planning on using your recipe and cooking a turkey the day before Thanksgiving. Have you ever done that and reheated the next day? How do you recommend reheating it?
Thank you
Hi Christine, you can even make this turkey recipe a day in advance (stuff, butter it up, cover and refrigerate overnight then bake the next day) if it makes your life easier and it will taste even better! 🙂
Hi Natasha, I’m excited to try your recipe for Thanksgiving this year! I usually use the drippings from my roasted turkey when making my cornbread dressing. I’m wondering how the lemons in your recipe will affect the flavor of my dressing if I use the drippings. Are the lemons in your recipe just for flavor and/or do they impact the juiciness of the turkey? I ask because I’m thinking about excluding the lemons.
Hi TJ, the lemon in the recipe is pretty mild after all that roasting time but adds a nice layer of flavor. I make my Turkey Gravy out of the pan drippings for this every year.
Hi Natasha! I just LOVE all your recipes!! Quick question: I have to eliminate Dairy altogether this year to accomodate one of my guests… what can I use to replace the butter in your turkey recipe? Thanks!!
Hi Kim, I searched through the comments, and I haven’t had anyone mention any dairy-free substitute. Possibly ghee, but I haven’t any substitutes. If anyone else has tried to make a dairy-free version of this roast turkey, please let us know, and thanks in advance.
This will be our second thanksgiving making a dairy free turkey.
Country crock has a plant based stick butter that is amazing!! We used it last year and turned out great! I have luck finding it at marianos and jewel.
That’s really the only thing you need to make it dairy free. Get this stick butter and follow everything else in the recipe as it says.
No one will ever know !
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Danielle! I know our readers will find this helpful!
This will be my first time cooking a turkey, and a whole thanksgiving dinner. Pray for me lol!! But anyways, i wanted to ask while im getting ready to cook in a few days, the foil… do i take it off before i put it in the oven to cook, or leave it on for the remaining cook time? Loosely im guessing? One thing says to put it oil side down then remove, so thats where Im getting lost on what to do with the foil. Please confirm for me. Im so excited to try this !! Thank you for sharing with everyone!
Hi Emily! God bless you, you’ll do great! I oil it up and then shape it to the bird so that when it’s time to put it on, it’s ready to go. I start cooking the turkey without the foil then put it on later as directed in the recipe. I hope that is clear and I hope you totally love the turkey! Make sure you use an in-oven thermometer. Not doing that made me ruin my first turkey and I was scared to make another one for a few years after that.
Great recipe! I’ve been using this for a couple years now. Last year it was the ugliest bird I ever saw because it was so juicy it completely fell off the bones. Thank you! Do you have a brine recipe?
Hi Jessie, it really is so juicy! I haven’t tested this with brine to advise on adjustments.
Hi Natasha! I really want to try your recipe, it really look so yummy! I just want to ask coz i have gas oven, i noticed that if i cook something it take so long than my electric one before. If i do this turkey do i still set to same temperature (430f and 350f). Thank you in advance!
Hi April, I use the same temperature in the recipe. If you notice one takes longer than the other, I recommend ensuring your oven is calibrated correctly. Also, some gas ovens take slightly longer to preheat, so I let it continue heating for about ten minutes more once it shows preheated.
Hi Natasha, love your recipes!!! Everything I’ve tried so far is fantastic!!! I want to try you turkey recipe this year. I am using 2-8-lb, bone in whole turkey breasts. Would your recipe still work for these?
Hi Linda, I bet that would work here! Be sure to use an over thermometer to be sure your turkey doesn’t overcook.
juiciest turkey recipe I’ve ever tried! Making it again this year
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Cristina!
Hi Natasha! Can I prep the turkey with butter mixture the night before cooking?
Hi Nina, you sure can, I had the turkey completely assembled with the butter everywhere before refrigerating overnight, so I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty the next day. Just be sure to take it out of the fridge for about an hour to get the chill off before baking for more even baking.
Hi Natasha. I plan to use this recipe on my 14# turkey. I do not have any string to tie the legs. I do have regular string to tie parcels, etc., though. Could I possibly use this? Also, I do not have any fresh parsley. Is that something that I could leave out? I am having trouble finding ANY fresh herbs! I hope mine comes out as pretty as yours looks! I am letting friends of my son, who are basically homeless, come into my home and eat Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for helping all of us out! God bless you and your family, as well as all who see this.
Hi Deb, the parsley does add nice flavor but you can also use 1/3 of the amount called for in the recipe of dried parsley mixed into the butter.
Love it! I have never made a turkey, and I have some questions, what do you think about turkey oven bags? Does it work? And it is fine to add apples into the turkey? Besides the lemon and herbs?
God bless!
Hi Natalia, I honestly haven’t experimented with cooking this turkey in a bag, so I’m unsure. If anyone else has tried, please let us know. I had a couple of readers report great results using a bag, but I just haven’t tested it myself to say if any modifications need to be made.
I made this recipe 2 years ago with a bag. It worked great!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Cannot to make this turkey for thanksgiving this year. Thank you for all your delicious recipes.
I hope you love it, Sandra!
Hi. What if your turkey is a Butterball? Still use your recipe? Thanks!
Hi Mary, I have made this with a butterball turkey and it worked well.
Why do you say not to use extra virgin olive oil on thanksgiving turkey?
Hi Dan, you could use vegetable oil, or canola oil, or even avocado oil instead. A higher smoke point is better because extra virgin can get smoky at high temperatures.
Hi Natasha,
This will be my first time making a turkey and I watched your video on how to make the roasted turkey and I noticed the pan you used doesn’t have a rack on the bottom. Do I need to buy a roasting pan to have the turkey rest on the rack while its baking in the oven?
-Fivi Siordia
Hi Fivi, I do not use a rack so the bottom of the turkey essentially self-bastes as it roasts. The bottom of the turkey has some of the best tasting meat on the entire bird and most people miss it but it’s ok with us because it makes for the best leftover turkey in mushroom gravy the next day.
I did this recipe last year (my first turkey) and it was great. This year I am doing a larger turkey. My question is, last year I did it with a roasting pan that had a rack it layer on. Does it taste better to not use the rack???
Hi Christie, I personally do not use a rack, so the bottom of the turkey essentially self-bastes as it roasts. The bottom of the turkey has some of the best tasting meat on the entire bird, and most people miss it, but it’s ok with us because it makes for the best leftover turkey in mushroom gravy the next day.
I know you cover the breasts with the foil, but do you put the lid on your roasting pan?
Hi Nettie, I do not have a lid for my roasting pan, I just tent with foil. If you have a lid, you could skip the tenting since the lid serves as a tent.
Hey Natasha, I hope you are doing well! I wanted to ask you if you have and could share a recipe for bread stuffing or dressing as some people call it! For turkey or even for a roasted chicken. I would so much appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of your day, and I will wait for your reply!! I just love your recipes. You are my hero that is for sure!!!!!
Hi Bonnie! Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I don’t cook stuffing inside the turkey because it isn’t traditional in our family, and the juices from the turkey drip into the stuffing while baking, so the stuffing needs to get to 145˚F for it to be safe for consumption and by that time, the turkey breast becomes much too dry. I’ve seen some methods pre-cooking the stuffing partially, and others make the stuffing and bake it in a separate dish and serve it on the side.
I totally understand. I don’t put it inside the cavity either. I’m just looking for a simple dressing/stuffing that I can bake separately and does not take a genius to make it!!! LOL!!!! Also, you are most welcome for the compliment. I have actually thrown away my other recipes because yours have replaced them. I just love your ideas and how you use everyday pantry staples and not designer ingredients that I can’t even pronounce!!! Not to mention how delicious they are as well…
Do you cook it covered ever? have a roasting pan with a lid
Hi Becca, Besides the breast triangle tent we did not cover the turkey.
The best turkey I ever had! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing! I don’t like turkey much because it’s very dry, but this one wasn’t dry at all!!
For everyone who can’t mix the butter with the lemon juice – your butter is not soft enough! Mine was very soft and it mixed perfectly in seconds.
I’m so glad to hear that and well done!
This is the 3rd time I have asked. I want to use your recipe but want to know if this would work with a butterball turkey.
Hi Ted, I did reply to you earlier, but there are so many comments that you may have missed the reply. I haven’t tested that but it should work.
Good Evening Natasha ,
April from Chicagoland .
You have inspired me beyond words. You make cooking fun
I love your comical demeanor. Truly a comfort to my kitchen these days. . I’m a huge fan of yours tried and true.
Rave reviews on your recipes
from my husband and four Sons. 7 terrific recipes thus far. One of many family favorites are the cheeseburger sliders. I made this for the potluck neighbors
“Cul-de-sac gathering mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm MMM
You are the Julia Child of the 21st certury .I’m attempting for Thanksgiving 2021
Your lemon and parsley roast tented turkey recipie with gravy .Be well with love !
Best ,
April N Chicagoland
Hi April, thank you for your kind words and good feedback. I hope you’ll love the recipes that you will try!
I was wondering if your recipe would work with a butterball turkey.
Hi Ted, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I think it will work!
Would your recipe work with a butterball turkey? I want to try your recipe but not sure if I should.
Thank you. Best turkey ever.
Hi, would love to make this recipe for Thanksgiving using a 24 pound bird. Can you confirm that i should double the recipe ingredients and pls confirm the cook times and temp for a 24 pound bird. Thank you
Hi Rose, see the note in the post above where a reader used a 23-pound bird. That would work for a 24-pound bird as well.
Love your recipes/videos!
My question is:
When I double the recipe, the recipe doubles everything EXCEPT the zest (1/2 Tbsp to ONE Tbsp) & the number of lemons (from one to two) for the fresh lemon juice. It did double the amount of juice, so I did juice 2 lemons. I DO go ahead & zest 2+ lemons for 1 Tbsp of zest, correct??
Hi Regina, the conversion struggles when there is a range written. I would double everything.
Second time cooking a turkey and came to the same person because it tastes so good
This recipe is awesome!! Thanks so much. Keep them coming!
You’re welcome, David. Yes, I will surely do!
Hello, I made a Turkey for Thanksgiving in an oven bag. Unfortunately it was very dry. 😞 I am determined to cook a tender, moist, delicious turkey so I bought another one but small to try it again. About a 9 to 10 pounder. I would like to try your recipe. How long should I bake it? Thank you.
Hi Amy, I would read through all the recipe notes and tips. We have notes on how long you should cook per pound. “Reduce oven to 350˚F and bake for another 2 hours 30 min for a 12 lb bird. (Once you have reduced the oven to 350˚F, you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey” I hope that helps.
I had visitors over for Christmas and was looking for an easy recipe for roasting a turkey since I had never done it before. I tried out this recipe on Christmas day together with the Gravy and Mashed potatoes. I put the butter under the skin over night and kept the turkey in the fridge. I also added rosemary, thyme and sage to the butter. The rest remained the same. This is the easiest turkey to make and its very tasty and beautiful to look at after roasting it. The time calculations are spot on. Thank you very much Natasha. You demystify turkey roasting.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Audrey!
Hie Natasha,
Thank you for such a simple, yet tasty and juicy turkey recipe. I have always been apprehensive about roasting my own turkey fearing it will dry out. However this year because of restrictions, I had to make my own Christmas dinner and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by how the turkey turned out super juicy and so, so tasty. I made an 8 pound turkey, followed the recipe as is. My ovens an electrician forced oven and this recipe worked out perfectly. Thank you so much, this is a real keeper.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This recipe is so easy to follow and the turkey was perfect. I used the convection Roast option of my oven with the built in temperature probe. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
So great to hear that it turned out perfect, Lisa! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi! I’m from Malaysia. 1st Time roasting turkey for Christmas cuz was fascinated by how easy you do it. Follow your recipes exactly and thanks to your video on how to perfect it. It turns out so good, crispy skin and juicy meat. Everyone enjoyed my Christmas eve dinner. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Yay, that is fantastic! I’m glad you enjoyed your Christmas eve dinner!
I made a perfect Turkey for this Christmas. Thanks for the recipe. Note that if your turkey is already pre-seasoned, please use less salt or the gravity will be too salty.
Wonderful to hear that! I’m glad that you enjoyed this for Chrismas, thanks for your excellent feedback.
Made this for Christmas lunch, cooked it in the Weber kettle, it was superb, incredibly moist , tasty and tender.
Perfect! Thanks for sharing that with us, Lynne.
The best Turkey ever!!!! I am always stressed about making Turkey. But this one is the best!!! Thank you so much!!!
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Tanya. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Thank you Natasha. I was roasting a turkey for the first time. Believe me I followed your recipe to the last dot. It was a great success. Had a 15lbs turkey. It was so juicy and my family & guests loved it to bits. Thanks a ton.
Great to hear that! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Hi ! Im 22 y/o and will be using your recipe to make my first turkey for christmas. Wish me luck!
Best of luck, Samantha. You got this! I hope you love this recipe!
Hello Natasha,
best Christmast wishes from Germany.
This Year I will make a Turkey for the first time. I could only get a Turkey with 36 pounds.
I think I need help!!
How long does it take in the oven and how many degrees?
Thanks in advance!
Kind regards
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia, I have never roasted one that large but one of our readers shared some notes in the post above for cooking a larger bird. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha, my family loves this recipe! We made it last year for Christmas and it was the best turkey we’ve ever had. We’re having a smaller Christmas this year so we’re only using a 8lb turkey. Would this recipe still work?
So great to hear that, Jen. Yes, I imagine that would work so well!
Hi, I have an 11lb turkey for Christmas this year, are the cooking times and temperatures the same? I have an electric fan oven and always worry this dries things out too much though traditionally would have covered the breast with streaky bacon to help keep in the moisture. Richard in the UK
Hi Richard, this will work with an 11-pound turkey. We do note in the recipe that “you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey)”. Since your turkey is slightly smaller, I recommend adjusting it by 13 minutes and checking back to make sure it is done but not overcooked.
hi Natasha i will try to make a roast turkey this Christmas hope it will turn out right , will follow your recipe thank you for sharing this recipe of yours🥰
Sounds like a great plan, Jessica. I hope it becomes a hit!
Hi Natasha! I am so excited to make this turkey with my mom for Christmas. Do you have a recipe for the gravy?
Hi Mimi, we sure do. You can find our gravy recipes HERE.
This sounds great but doesn’t the turkey get cold sitting for an hour
Sharon Johnson
If it’s covered with foil then it should be all good
Wonderful recipe. Thank you. Dale
You’re welcome, Dale. Glad you liked it!
This was the recipe i used when making my first turkey. It was super easy and so delicious! I made it to take to a friendsgiving last year and it was a big hit! i made it again the following week for just me and my fiancé. And am making it today! Although i messed up and forgot to buy the turkey so had to buy a “ready to bake” turkey in a bag and am improvising adding everything in a bit… hopefully it turns out close!
I hope it turns out for you, Hayleigh! I’m glad you enjoyed this last year.
Hi Natasha,
Could I replace the lemon with an orange? I usually use orange juice (plus butter, wine, rosemary, etc.) to baste my turkeys so I wanted to ask.
Thanks!
Hi Melissa, I’ve never tried this substitution; orange might not give as much flavor as a lemon. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi Natasha: I have never made a whole turkey before. Your recipe gives me confidence that I can do this!
I have had a 13 pound one defrosting in fridge (no room to have kept it in freezer). Plan to cook it 7 days after buying it – is that okay?
Can I prepare it the night before so that it is ready to stick in the oven the next morning.
Hi, it recommended that when thawing a turkey in the refrigerator you give it at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs of turkey. A thawed turkey can be kept in the refrigerator 1 to 2 days which puts it just over 5 days. 7 days is pushing it based on what I found online, but I recommend you do some googling to see what you come up with.
Amazing! We made it this Thanksgiving (minus lemon and lemon zest). Truly so moist and the best turkey I have ever made! Thanks Natasha!!🦃
You’re welcome, Mary! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I’m excited to try this recipe, however, I need to put in the oven before work and so is there a temperature that would slow cook and have same results?
Hi Jodie, I haven’t tried slow cooking a whole turkey so I am not able to provide instructions on that, but I bet it can be done, but you might need to search up some different instructions for slow cooking.
I’m so PROUD of myself 😌 and that’s thanks to YOU NATASHA! I made this turkey recipe for this Thanksgiving and I couldn’t get better results! Honestly, I’ve never ever tried a juicier turkey! The flavors-spot on! Everyone loved it and were talking about how juicy it was. Recipe is very well written and easy to follow. I was confident in this recipe from the beginning based on the raving reviews and it didn’t let me down!
By the way, almost all my thanksgiving dishes were made with your recipes.
Thank you Natasha!
Are you working on a cookbook?
We are in the planning stages! Stay tuned!
I’m so happy you love our recipes, Francesca! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment!
Thank you for this simple, easy recipe. First-time turkey roaster this Thanksgiving and the only thing I did different was add in an over-night brine to lock in the moisture. I cooked a 22 lb turkey and everyone said it turned out good! This recipe really helped. The only thing I would change for next time is to put a different stuffing inside the turkey, omit the 20 minutes at 450-degrees. My 22 lb turkey cooked in under 3.5 hours as I believe my oven may have been at 370-degrees instead of 350-degrees. Next time I want to try out the 350-degrees the entire length of the cooking and learn better how to “Truss” tie the turkey. That was the only part that I felt could use more explanation in this recipe.
Thank you for sharing your experience with using stuffing inside the bird.
We did this for Thanksgiving this year. It was FANTASTIC!!!! Best turkey ever!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Andrea! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Epic recipe and EASY to do. Marinated for about 30min or so overnight and the next day it was so fast to roast. The turkey was filled with flavor and juicy and tender. Especially the dark meat.
I recommend using high quality butter! I used an Italian butter from Costco. Great butter.
Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful review with me, Will! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have done Thanksgiving turkeys a million different ways and I will have to say, this was the best recipe I have ever found!!!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Wow! The juice stayed mostly inside the bird! Crispening it up on high heat for 20 minutes and all the butter and olive oil made such a huge difference! Thank you Natasha! Our pan had a wire rack on the bottom, so the all the skin got crispy including the bottom. As we carved it, the crunchy skin on the bottom was like a bowl full of juices. This will be our go to recipe from now on, and my mother-in-law will follow your recipe too, now that she’s tried the yummy turkey!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Marina!
Natasha,
This is truly the BEST Roasted Turkey recipe ever!
Folks, follow this recipe exactly and you and your family will enjoy a sensational masterpiece of a Turkey! The absolute juiciest breast meat and perfectly done dark meat is typically difficult to achieve, but not with this recipe! Temperature probes take the guess work out of the process and allow you the comfort of knowing that you can remove the bird at the exact right time. I am amazed at what the foil barrier over the beast meat does to protect the white meat from overcooking. Many Thanks Natasha!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Mike! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I’m vegan, and for my holiday cheat day, I’m sooooo glad I found this recipe! My husband is a gourmet chef, so our family is picky and judges everything we eat. They all remember every dry turkey we’ve ever eaten, and were sure this year wouldn’t be different. I heard nothing but “Mmmm, it’s so juicy/tasty/moist/etc…” from all around our table!! The matching gravy is also to DIE for😍 Thank you for helping make this Thanksgiving one to never forget!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Usually make a deep fried turkey. Thought I would go traditional this year. I didn’t stuff it, but this recipe was fabulous! Extremely moist! I added a
few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Would highly recommend!!
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Haooy Thanksgiving! This is a great recipe. Love the tips If I brine my turkey, can I still follow this recipe or does the salt amount change?
Hi Debbie, I haven’t tried brining it myself, but I imagine that would work! If you happen to experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Hi Natasha, I followed your recipe and the end result was a juicy very tasty turkey, but unfortunately the skin and drippings were extremely salty. I will definitely make another turkey without brining and using your fabulous recipe. Thank you so much
Thank you for sharing that with us, Debbie! I haven’t tested this with brine to advise on adjustments, but I hope it works out better for you next time.
Hi Natasha,
So…I love all your recipes I have tried. I was roasting a turkey and searched to see if you had a recipe (since you have one for everything else lol). I came across this one and O…M…G.!!!!! Usually when I roast turkey it comes out on the dry side. This turkey was so moist and delicious, though…and the flavor was amazing! Definitely a recipe I will hang on to! Thank you!
I’m so happy you gave my recipe a try, Kai! I’m happy you all loved it!
I prepared my turkey using this recipe this year following the recipe exactly. It turned out to be full of flavor, smelled amazing and it roasted to a beautiful color, and no I didn’t take a picture 🙃. Will definitely use this method again. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!