Turkey is the star of Thanksgiving, and it’s pretty important to get it right – I have you covered with this simple, failproof, and mouthwatering Roast Turkey Recipe. This has a crisp, salty skin with a flavor-packed, juicy center. You’ll love my trick for a tender turkey breast every time.
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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.
Juicy Roast Turkey Video
In this video, I’ll show you how to make this turkey, step-by-step. Then read on to learn everything you need to know for a perfect turkey. P.S. You can even make this turkey recipe a day in advance (see make-ahead tips below) if it makes your life easier, and it will taste even better! Plus, Turkey Brine is optional here, saving you a day of prep.
Turkey Recipe
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. The first turkey I ever made was such a flop that I was discouraged for a few years to revisit it. When I set out to make this turkey recipe, I was determined to ensure you had success the first time and every time you made this recipe.
I spent days researching the best turkey recipes online and in cookbooks, with trusted advice from my Mom and you, my readers. This Turkey recipe has been gracing your holiday tables since 2014! I’ve also been perfecting it over the years, and I can confidently say 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 and excited when I tasted the juicy bird.
P.S. Keep the turkey drippings to make the best Turkey Gravy; it’s super delicious and will be the talk of your Thanksgiving dinner!
Roast Turkey 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 light olive oil (not extra virgin), or other high-heat oil, 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
I prefer to cook turkey stuffing separately from the turkey, so I stuff my turkey with aromatics instead (which makes the gravy taste awesome), but if you do stuff the turkey with traditional stuffing, make sure it reaches 165˚F in the center.
- 1 large onion, quartered (no peeling)
- 4 garlic cloves, halved (no peeling)
- 1/2 bunch parsley
- 1 lemon, quartered
Tools You Will Need for Roasting a Turkey
- Kitchen String
- Heavy duty foil
- A heavy roasting pan that accommodates your bird, but isn’t over-sized
- Oven-safe temperature probe (to ensure a fully-cooked turkey)
To Cook a Larger Turkey:
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 lb turkey and it was superb!! I used 3 sticks of butter, 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 min 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 min 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”
How to Prepare Your Turkey for Roasting
- Defrost the Turkey – If using a frozen turkey, defrost it in the refrigerator. Per the USDA guidelines, thaw in the refrigerator 1 day for every 4 to 5 lbs of turkey. This 12 lb turkey would take 3 days to thaw, while a 16 lb turkey would take 4 days. For a quick-thaw method, see our Spatchcock Turkey Recipe (you can defrost a 12 lb turkey in 6 hours).
- Optional Brine Step – once the turkey is thawed, you can Brine your Turkey if you prefer (it requires 1 hour per pound), although it’s not necessary for this recipe. Also, check the turkey packaging since some turkeys are pre-brined, so you don’t need to brine again if that is the case.
- 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
- Season inside of turkey cavity generously with about 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
- Make the Flavored butter – In a medium bowl (it’s even easier in the bowl of a food processor), combine 2 sticks of 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 or process 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!
- 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 and juicy and provides rich flavor.
- Pat dry the skin and rub the 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 the turkey cavity with a quartered onion, 4 halved garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch parsley and quartered lemon. Use kitchen string to tie the 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.
- 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.
- Insert Thermometer – 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.
Just like that – it’s ready for the oven! Also, I love this sweet photo from 2014 when we filmed this video recipe. It’s hard to believe my son is a teenager now!
- Baste Turkey – 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).
Pro Tip:
Temperature recommendations based on the USDA say the safe poultry temperature is 165˚F, but the deeper thigh parts should be at 170-180˚F to be fully cooked through.
- Rest the Turkey – Transfer turkey to a 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.
Make-Ahead
- To Refrigerate: You can fully prepare your turkey a day ahead – stuff, butter it up, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator one hour before baking the next day.
- To Freeze leftover turkey: Shred the meat and transfer it to freezer-safe zip-top bags or use a food saver to squeeze out as much air as possible, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- To Reheat Leftovers: My secret to the best-tasting reheated turkey is our Leftover Turkey in Gravy. We make this every year on the day after Thanksgiving.
So many of you have made this roast turkey over the years, and it gives me so much joy to hear your success stories and see this turkey in photos from your Thanksgiving feasts.
Natasha’s Thanksgiving Menu
These are the classic Thanksgiving recipes that we can’t go without for our annual Thanksgiving feast. Only the best for the biggest cooking day of the year!
- Sweet Potato Casserole – my sister’s recipe
- Mashed Potatoes – buttery and ultra creamy
- Turkey Gravy – can’t miss this one!
- Cranberry Sauce – just 3 ingredients
- Apple Pie – with a flaky crust and best filling
- Pumpkin Pie (we alternate with Pumpkin Cheesecake)
- Cheesecake – always on the menu
- Sweet Potato Salad – a crowd favorite
I’d love to hear what is on your Thanksgiving menu this year in the comments below! And I’m so curious – do you make Turkey on Christmas as well? My Mom sure does! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe
Ingredients
For the Turkey
- 12 lb turkey, (Anything from 11-15 lbs will work, but bake time will vary), thawed*
- Salt & Pepper, for the inside and outside of the bird
For the Flavored Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, (2 sticks)
- 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
Instructions
Prepping your Turkey
- Remove thawed turkey* from the 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 and pat dry turkey with paper towels. Let it sit in a roasting pan lined with paper towels to soak up any excess water. Fold the wings behind the turkey so they don't scorch in the oven.
Seasoning, Stuffing, and Tying up a Turkey
- Season inside of turkey cavity generously with about 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
- Make Flavored Butter – In a medium bowl or in a food processor*, 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).
- 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.
- Pat skin dry and 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 cavity with quartered onion, 4 halved garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch parsley and quartered lemon. Use kitchen string to 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).
- Make Foil Shield – 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.
- Baste – 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*).
- Rest Turkey – 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 turkey 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.
Notes
*A food processor makes it much easier to blend the lemon juice into t he flavored butter, saving time and effort.
*Final Temperature – As the turkey rests, it will continue to rise to a final temperature of 165˚F at the breast and 175-180˚F at the thigh.
*Nutrition label is a rough estimate – remember that most of the butter and oil will remain in the pan when the turkey is done roasting.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hello, Your recipe is just great and easy… Congratulations.
Thank you Luis, I’m glad you liked it 😁.
Hi Natasha, I made the turkey using your recipe, but I marinated it before rubbing it with butter. What can I say, delicious, every body loved, my husband keeps telling me how good it was. Thank you for the recipe
Diana, thank you for sharing such a nice review with us and you are very welcome 😬.
Amazing! I made my first turkey today and used this recipe. The turkey was so juicy and flavorful! Will definitely use this again.
Hooray!! I’m so glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!!
Hello Natasha and everyone,
We finished our dinner thanksgiving and let me tell you!!!!
The turkey was perfect,juicy and tender,We had mashed potatoes,corn,rice and I did the gravy,oh my my it was so delicious !!!!
I will do it again for next year😀👍
Thank you for sharing your recipe Natasha.👍You are awesome
HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone 😊😀
I am so happy to hear that!!! Hooray! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
Getting ready to use your recipe but wondering if a lid is used on the roasting pan.
HI Lisa, I do not cover it with the lid to the roasting pan, just with the shield as directed. I hope you love it! 🙂
I tried this incredible easy and delicious recipe last year and my husband was beyond impressed and he continued bragging about it every chance he got thru the year. Now I will be making it again this year and I am hoping it comes out the same ! Juicy, flavorful, and just perfect!!! Thank u for this recipe Natasha
You are very welcome and I’m so happy you and your husband enjoy the recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Is canola oil ok.
Yes it is 😀.
Natasha, I wonder if you could help me troubleshoot. This is my second time making turkey according to this recipe and both times, despite lots of paper towels and drying, letting the turkey sit in paper towels, etc. I just can’t eat the butter mixture to spread nicely on the turkey. What I get are clumps of butter I put on the turkey in as many places as I can vs. a nicely buttered turkey. Any thoughts as to why this might have happened again?
Hi Marta, I found it helps to paper towel dry the turkey just before applying the butter and it helps to put the butter on and then pat over it gently with your hands so it spreads over the turkey easier. Mine always looks a little messy and never has a perfect coating with butter – keep in mind you’ll still be basting it later. I hope that helps!
I have a 21 pound turkey….. I’m wondering how long to cook it. Do I go by the “stuffed” turkey timing since there is a lot inside?
Hi Lisa, our family never added the traditional stuffing to our Thanksgiving bird so I can’t say for sure. I would suggest using the stuffed turkey timing that you are comfortable with since I have read that it’s important to have the stuffing a safe temperature to consume as well and that can be tricky to get both fully cooked and safe to eat. I would definitely suggest using a meat thermometer so your turkey doesn’t end up overcooked. Sorry that’s not the most helpful answer… Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Sorry…. I didn’t state that clearly….. it’s only stuffed with your recipe of lemon, parsley, onion, garlic…. so this does not extend cook time, right?
Correct, the things I place inside the turkey aren’t meant to be eaten so there’s no need to extend any cooking time for the vegetables inside. They just flavor the bird 🙂
This recipe is awesome ! I’m a chef and I always love to try other peoples methods of doing things and I really enjoy this one but I was wondering what do you usually do with the stuffing. Thank you 🙂
Hi Joseph, do you mean turkey stuffing or the giblets. I roast the neck in the pan with the turkey and toss the bag of giblets, although my Mom stuffs the giblets into the bird so they roast together. If you mean turkey stuffing, besides putting vegetables and herbs inside, our family never made traditional “stuffing” inside the turkey so I don’t make it either 🙂
Thank you and I meant the lemons and onions and parsley lol do you use them for decoration around the bird or just leave them in there.
Oh I see, I just leave them in there. I pull them out if I’m making stock with the turkey :). They look pretty limp once the turkey is baked so I garnish with fresh fruits and veggies 🙂
My choice for this year’s Thanksgiving, sounds fabulous. I’ll let you know how it comes out.
I hope you love it and happy Thanksgiving!! 🙂
I Love the flavor it gave the turkey, but there wasn’t enough drippings for gravy . Next time I will start with some chicken broth and some white wine in the roasting pan. Thanks for your idea
Hi Natasha,
I just stumbled across this recipe and am looking forward to trying this tomorrow. Question, does it have a prominent lemon taste since it is both stuffed with lemon and rubbed with the lemon butter? While I think this sounds delicious, my husband isn’t a fan of lemon flavor.Thanks in advance!
Hi Lindsey, the lemon flavor is not overpowering at all, but you could omit the lemons inside the turkey if you are concerned, or use 1 Tbsp less in the butter spread and it will still work out fine 🙂
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving.
Hi Natasha,
I have the turkey and everything I need but I didn’t find the olive oil that is not extra virgin 🤔
Thanks😀
Hi Natasha,
This will be my first time making the turkey and i’m super nervous because its the one thing my husband is waiting for the most this upcomins thanksgiving! I was just wondering if a turkey bag will be better to use so the the turkey stays moist or if no bag is necessary. Also how long before dinner should I make the turkey so that it stays nice and warm?
Hi Jenny, I haven’t tried this in a bag so I’m not sure how that would affect the outcome. If you test it that way, let me know how it goes! 🙂 Also, you want to give the turkey 1 hour to rest tented with foil. I think it’s a good idea to plan 1 to 1 1/2 hours from the time your turkey comes out of the oven to the time it is served.
Would I double the measurements if the turkey was 28 lbs?
Wow that’s a big one!! Please see the note in the post after the 4th photo (just before the required prep section). That should help answer your question 🙂
Natasha, your recipes never fail! Thank you so much. I make AT LEAST one recipe of yours a week. I have never made turkey before but I will be making it using your recipe in a couple of days. About the bag of gizzards, do you just throw it away?
Hi Gina, I do toss it and keep the neck and roast it alongside the turkey in the pan, but my Mom stuffs the turkey with the gizzards along with the vegetables. I’m just a little grossed out by them. lol.
Thank you! It was absolutely delicious! Direct quote from my husband: “This is time best turkey I’ve ever had!” He even ate the white meat which he rarely ever does. Even my picky mother had seconds. Every piece of turkey meat was so tender, moist, and flavorful. This is definitely a keeper!
Oh awesome!!! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing review! 🙂 I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving!
Hi Natahsa! Iam so excited to use this recipe. I will be making my first turkey this Thanksgiving. Can I use a roasting rack for this recipe ?
Thank you ,
Mrs. P
Hi Miranda, I have always roasted this without the rack because the base of the turkey turns out super flavorful with all the favored butter at the bottom. I think it works better without one.
Hi Natasha, my oven has a baking mode and also a roast mode. I’m not sure what the differences are but do you recommend that I use the baking or the roasting mode for my turkey?
Hi Lena, various ovens can mean various things – some ovens have different heating elements that release heat in different ways depending on the setting. The roast setting might work well, but I’ve only tested this with the bake mode.
Hi Natasha, I have used the butter mixture recipe for the past two years and it is amazing! Question – do you think I could mix everything up a day or two before hand, store in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before spreading over the turkey? I’m trying to do as much prep work before hand as I can! Thanks for your time.
HI Jeannie, even better you could completely prep the entire bird, rubbing the butter on and everything, then cover the bird with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days before you roast. I’ve done it that way and it works just as well 🙂
Will it make a lot of difference if I use orange/apple juice and orange/apple zest instead of lemon? Or pineapple
Hi Laa Donna, I haven’t tried those combinations so I can’t really say exactly.
Planning to make this for Thanksgiving this year and my family loves stuffing (bread stuffing) inside the bird can I add bread stuffing inside the turkey with this recipe or will it mess with the bake times?
Hi Mandy, I haven’t tested this with a stuffing. Maybe someone else has?