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
I followed this recipe and the turkey turned out absolutely delicious and moist. Everyone loved it and i will definetely repeat this recipe next time i make the turkey.
I’m happy to hear the recipe is such a hit! Thanks for sharing your great review!
The turkey was amazing! So juicy and tasty! Thank you!
You’re welcome Serritha! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Natasha, I have cooked a lot of turkeys in my time – I’m in my mid-70s – but I can always learn something new. Thanks for doing the research! This is beyond question the juiciest, most tender turkey I have ever eaten, and the guests at Christmas dinner agreed. I have sent them all the link to your recipe. Yum.
My pleasure Karen! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Hi Natasha, I decided to prep my turkey this afternoon, day before Xmas.
Unfortunately I interpreted 2 blocks of unsalted butter for 2 x 250 grams.
Will this spoil the result?
Hi Christine, 1 cup of butter is 226 grams. You will have twice the amount needed for the recipe. It won’t harm the turkey but give you a lot of extra butter on the bottom of the pan. Have a Merry Christmas!
Hi Natasha I’m cooking this recipe for Christmas. I was wondering if instead of lemons do you think it would still work with oranges ?
Dylan, I’ve never tried this substitution, orange might not give as much flavor as a lemon.
Hi Natasha from Australia!
I’m cooking a 4.26kg turkey (which I’ve converted to 9.36lb). How much should I reduce the cooking time by please? If you know the temperature in centigrade that would be awesome! If not I can convert from fahrenheit.
Thanks so much!
Hi Sarah, I don’t have those exact bake times written down since I haven’t run a test with that size of turkey but I would follow the instructions written out for baking depending on the size of your turkey: “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).” I would highly recommend using a thermometer to check for doneness.
This looks delicious! I hope to try for Xmas. I know I will be busy with kids that day and want to have something ready to go. Will it be ok to prepare bird for that oven early in morning or even the night before so it’s ready to go? Thanks for the advice.
Hi Melissa, it can be prepped with the butter and stuffed up to 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated until ready to roast. To keep the baking time the same, you might bring it to room temperature for an hour or so before putting it into the oven.
Hi Natasha,
Would you suggest changing anything about this recipe if we are to use just the whole turkey breast instead of a whole turkey? Unfortunately, the supermarket near us was out of whole turkeys and the only items that remain are Butterball whole turkey breasts.
Hi Gabby, depending on the size of the whole turkey breast, you might consider cutting the butter mixture in half, or proportionally to the size of your turkey breast. I would also highly recommend a meat thermometer since a turkey breast will roast faster.
I am going to use a turkey roaster (free standing), what steps should I change ? And, I only have extra virgin olive oil, what is the problem with using that type? I am serving this for 20 people, excited to try this.
Hi Suzette, you can still make it work but extra virgin is not ideal because it doesn’t tolerate high eat well and does not have a high smoke point and the turkey is on high heat for the first 20 minutes. You can also use canola oil or even better is avocado oil if you have it. Also, I do not use a rack and have always baked my turkey right in the roasting pan so the bottom of the turkey self-bastes as it roasts.
Hi, I have decided on your recipe for our Christmas turkey and feel very optimistic that it will be juicy. Just wondering why I can not use extra virgin olive oil. Also, wondering about keeping the turkey out of the oven for an hour. Does it not cool down too much?
Thank you for the great instructions.
Hi Alice, extra virgin is not ideal because it doesn’t tolerate high eat well and does not have a high smoke point and the turkey is on high heat for the first 20 minutes. Also, since turkeys are so large, they hold heat well if covered with foil. It’s important to let it rest before cutting into it for the most tender meat. You could get away with a little shorter resting time if you needed to.
Hi Natasha! I cooked this for friends for Thanksgiving….it was so good. I’d love to cook this next week for Christmas dinner. However, do you think the same recipe could be used for a whole chicken?
Hi Vicky, I haven’t personally tested with a smaller bird like a chicken but I love that idea and I bet it would work great. I would decrease the amount of butter mix proportionally and yes decrease the bake time. I have had a couple of readers report great results using this recipe for chicken (and also covering the chicken breast with foil). One of my readers said it took about 1 1/2 hours for a chicken, but it would really depend on the size of the chicken and I would suggest using a thermometer to check for doneness.
Quick question, I know it’s a roast turkey, but can I still place it in a turkey bag? What will be the difference and why?
Thank you so much!!!!
Hi Pricilla, I always roast without a bag and have great results. If you test this recipe with a turkey bag, let me know how it goes!
I had to cook a turkey for a large party. This recipe was perfect. Carved beautifully and every slice was moist. I followed the recipe other than cutting down on the amount of salt. Mine cooked a little faster, but we just pulled it out and let it sit. This recipe is a keeper.
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Susan! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
Sorry another question…No one in the family likes dark meat so I ordered a boned breast with the skin on…the butcher told me I needed an 8 lb…so is that sufficient for 6-8 people, also will I get good dripping for a nice gravy…I am nervous about all this as it’s my first turkey
Hi Diane, and 8 pound turkey should still give you good drippings for gravy. If you don’t have enough of the liquid after skimming off the fat, just add chicken broth and it will be great. Also, a 12 pound turkey feeds about 8 to 12 people. So if turkey is not the only meat on the table, it should be plenty for eight people. It really depends on how many other dishes are being served at your dinner. I would also highly recommend a meat thermometer since an 8 pound turkey will cook faster. I hope your dinner is a big success! 🙂
What’s the recommended size of turkey for 8 people…Thank you
Hi Dianne, for 8 people, about 12-14 pounds will work well 🙂
Thank you….any family gatherings my Mom or sisters cooked the turkey…sooooo in all these years this will be my first
You’re welcome Dianne! Please let me know how it turns out!
I will not make my turkey any other way now. Forget brining, and all that extra stuff!! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe. The only thing I did different is I added an orange instead of lemon into the cavity because I ran out of lemons. And I added some fresh herbs. It smelled heavenly.
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
Best turkey ever! So moist and flavorful. My family liked it so much they said I have to make the Thanksgiving turkey from now on. Thank you for the recipe.
I too had a hard time spreading the butter mixture on the turkey and felt I had it really well mixed with the lemon juice.
I’m so glad you loved it! The butter is sometimes easier to spread if you pat it on over the surface and just get it on as evenly as you can – it doesn’t have to be perfect since the turkey is flavored primarily with the butter under the skin. 🙂
I was a little bit nervous, as it was the 1st turkey to cook! My husband was guessing what ingredients and spices are in the recipe, because he LOVED it! Tasty, juicy and SO yummy!!!! Big Thank You Natasha! God Bless You and Your family!
You’re welcome Lena! I’m glad to hear you both enjoy the recipe so much. Thanks for sharing your great review!
I am not a fan of turkey but cook one every year for tradition. I now realize I dislike turkey because it is usually dry. I saw this recipe and decided to try it and I am so glad I did! This was the absolute best turkey I have ever eaten! I followed the recipe exactly except for the parsley which I didn’t have so I flavored the butter with Herbs Dr Provence. My family is still raving! Thank you I will be cooking turkey more often during the year instead of waiting for Thanks Giving!
I’m so glad to hear the recipe is a HIT!! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Shirley!
Thank you for the amazing recipe! My family loved it so much, and they had never had such a juicy turkey before! We have turkey believers/lovers now! Thank you! Thank you!
You’re welcome Elle! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!