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
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.