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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Helpful Reader Review
“I have been making your turkey recipe for a couple of years now every Thanksgiving and Christmas. My family has gone from not looking forward to turkey to RAVING about how flavourful, delicious and moist this Turkey is!” – Jennifer ★★★★★
Juicy Roast Turkey Video
This turkey recipe is well-loved with hundreds of 5-star reviews over the years. It’s fantastic! 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.
In this video, I’ll show you how to make this turkey, step-by-step so you can feel confident making “the year’s most important dish.”
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. 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
- Turkey – this recipe is written for an 11-15 lb turkey. A larger turkey will work, but bake time will vary (see chart below). You’ll also need salt and pepper to season the turkey inside and out.
- Flavored Butter – unsalted butter, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper
- For the Turkey Stuffing – You can use my stuffing recipe, but I stuff the turkey cavity with onion, garlic, parsley, and a quartered lemon. 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 the stuffing reaches 165˚F in the center.
Don’t Forget to Thaw Your Turkey
Make sure you give yourself enough time to thaw and roast your turkey. A larger bird will take longer to thaw and roast, so plan according to the chart below.
Per the USDA guidelines, thaw your frozen turkey in the refrigerator 1 day for every 4 to 5 lbs of turkey. My 12 lb turkey took 3 days to thaw, while a 16 lb turkey would take 4 days. For a quick-thaw method, see my Spatchcock Turkey Recipe (you can defrost a 12 lb turkey in 6 hours).
How to Prepare Your Turkey for Roasting
- Defrost the Turkey – You should never cook a frozen or partially frozen turkey or it will cook unevenly. Follow the turkey thawing guide above, depending on the size of your turkey.
- 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 and set it on a roasting pan.
- 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.
- 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 170-180˚F on the temperature probe and the turkey breast at 165˚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 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. 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!
I’d love to hear what is on your Thanksgiving menu this year (scroll down to see my personal menu). And I’m so curious – do you make Turkey on Thanksgiving AND Christmas? My Mom sure does and I love it! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Juicy Roast Turkey
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, peeled and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 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 then discard the paper towels. 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
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”
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
- Mashed Potatoes
- Turkey Gravy
- Cranberry Sauce
- Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Pie (or Pumpkin Cheesecake)
- Cheesecake
- Sweet Potato Salad
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- Stuffing
Hi Natasha,
I made your Turkey last year and it was wonderful!! This year my husband wants to use his Traeger smoker. Have you or one of your followers tried your recipe but smoked instead of roasting in oven? How did it turn out?
Thank you!
Hi Carole, I haven’t tried smoking this (although it’s on our to-do list). I don’t recall any readers trying this but if you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
Could I get this Turkey ready tonight and put it in the fridge to bake tomorrow?
Hi Megan, yes, 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.
Forgot to rate this recipe
5 STARS !!!!!
Love it! Thank you for the 5 stars, Paulette.
Hey Natasha! I’m trying out this recipe for Thanksgiving this year but I’m a little stuck on what to use for the pan though. I see you used a cast iron pan. I only have a stainless steel roaster with a rack (can I use it without the rack?) or I can get the aluminum foil pan. Which do you recommend using and if there’s any way to improvise with either of those two to make the turkey turn out the same. I have followed all the steps for this recipe but this is my main concern.
Hi, I imagine that should work, 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.
Made this last year and it was delicious!! Just wondering if I can dry brine the turkey the day before?
Hi John, it isn’t necessary for this recipe but would work if you wanted to brine. I’ll have to post a brine recipe next year. We’ve gotten quite a few requests!
why you are not using sage or thym? i see many recipes using them
Hi Maha, this recipe does not call for those ingredients. I think you could modify with them and if you experiment, let me know how it goes.
I used this recipe last year and will use it again for the juiciest turkey!!
I took pictures of my beautiful turkey..I was soooo proud!!
Thanks for sharing!!
It’s so so good!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
My turkey is 20 pounds. How much of each ingredient do I need to increase to ensure that it turns out flavorful? Thank you.
Hi Teresa, I recommend seeing the recipe notes and the recipe slider to adjust for the size and weight of your turkey.
I’m excited to try this recipe for Thanksgiving! Question about the oven temp. Once I reduce the temp should I wait until the oven reaches the reduced temp before putting the turkey back in or is it ok to put it back in as soon as I finish basting?
Hi Leigh, I put the turkey right back into the oven while the oven is cooling down.
I was just wondering how much the lemon flavor comes out when eating the turkey? Or is the lemon just supposed to add moisture to the meat? Thanks!
Hi Jana, 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.
GREAT recipe !
I’m so glad you loved our roast turkey recipe. Thank you for the great review!
This is the first time I will be making a turkey in the oven and I can’t wait to try yours! We were planning on brining the turkey beforehand. Can we still do that and then follow your recipe?
Hello Jennifer, it isn’t necessary for this recipe but would work if you wanted to brine. I’ll have to post a brine recipe next year. We’ve gotten quite a few requests!
Hi! I came across this recipe and I’m super excited to try. I’ve been doing alton’s recipe for 2 years but it always comes out bland :/ just curious though, there’s no brining necessary? Just wondering if we have to prep anything before roasting. Thanks!
Hi Gloria, it isn’t necessary for this recipe but would work if you wanted to brine. I’ll have to post a brine recipe next year. We’ve gotten quite a few requests!
Not a garlic fan. What can I substitute?
I haven’t tried other substitutes but you can probably use garlic powder or more seasoning to taste.
Hi Natasha, The onion and garlic that is used for the stuffing part of the recipe are inserted with their peels on? Never heard of that before. Thank you for all your awesome recipes!
Hi Michelle, it isn’t necessary to peel them since the stuffing isn’t eaten, but just infuses flavor into the bird. You totally can peel it if you prefer but it just saves a little time if you don’t have to. It’s similar to making stock – since the solids are discarded after it is made you don’t have to make them picture perfect.
Been using this recipe for a few years now, it’s amazing. Made it as recipe directs and also made it in a turkey bag. Never fails either way! I wish I could post a photo.
Hi Melissa, I’d love to hear how you did it in a turkey bag. I’m sure others might have the same question. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for that wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I am so excited to try this on Thursday. It will be my first time cooking a turkey! Just one question, why do you not peel the onion? And does that mean you just grab it, cut it, and stuff it in? You don’t peel anything at all off?
Hi Alyssa, it isn’t necessary since the stuffing isn’t eaten, but just infuses flavor into the bird. You totally can peel it if you prefer but it just saves a little time if you don’t have to. It’s similar to making stock – since the solids are discarded after it is made you don’t have to make them picture perfect.
Hello,
I’m going to do this for our turkey this year. Our turkey is a 16lb turkey . Im thinking of using 3 sticks of butter, also how long should I cook it for?
Thank you.
Hi Sheena, I would recommend using the calculation above for a 16 lb turkey (Once you have reduced the oven to 350˚F, you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey) and I highly recommend using an oven-safe thermometer that stays in the turkey as it roasts.
Thanks for sharing this recipe Natasha! I am planning to make my first Turkey and I am a little bit nervous about it 😁. Your recipe looks easy and yummy. The pan I have doesn’t look like yours. Mine is a nonstick roaster with rack. Will that work? Should I use it with or without the rack? Love your YouTube channel. Keep posting awesome content!
Hi Aileen, a thermometer will make all the difference in confidence when roasting a turkey. The first time I made one, I didn’t use one and I really undercooked it and then stayed away from making one for the next three years. I like roasting without the rack so the bottom of the turkey self-bastes. That is some of the best turkey meat and it’s amazing for leftover Turkey in Gravy.
I have made this recipe a few years in a row now and it is absolutely delicious! So thankful I found this recipe to add to our family’s thanksgiving tradition. Thank you for sharing!
You are most welcome, Amy. I’m so glad you found this recipe, I hope this becomes a family favorite for you!
I’m just wondering, will the turkey taste lemony from the lemon that is in the flavored butter?
Hi Maggie, 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.
I’ve made this recipe the past 2 years and have barely noticed the lemon – not overpowering at all.