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
The BEST turkey I ever had! Moist, lots of flavor and SUPER tender. Will always use this recipe! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Hi Rose! That’s wonderful to hear. So happy you enjoy this recipe!
Made this for Thanksgiving. It was deemed the best turkey ever! Thank you! Love your recipes! 🦃
Hi Natasha! I’m just making the breast, not the whole turkey. It’s 9 lbs. Should I still follow the initial step of placing in the oven for 20 minutes at 430? Or will that dry it out?
Hello! You can follow the recipe but with some minor changes since you’re using 9lbs. Starting at a high temperature is optional, but lowering the temperature to 350°F for the majority of the cooking will help keep the breast from drying out. Just be sure to monitor the internal temperature, and consider using a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking.
This is my first thanksgiving making this turkey recipe. It was so moist and delicious! I was able to cut the turkey breast with my fork only..it was soooo tender! I also loved the seasonings on the turkey. This is the first time the turkey was one of my favorite parts of the meal. Definitely a keeper!
That’s wonderful, Nadia! Thank you for sharing.
Turkey tasted delicious. I would definitely recommend checking the temperature before the estimated time of 13 minutes per pound. I had a 12.5 lb. turkey, so cooked for 160 minutes at 350. Pulled the turkey out after that, checked the temperature, and it jumped above 180 degrees. It was obviously overdone at that temperature. It still tasted good from the seasonings used. I would try again and just check the temperature earlier.
I also was wondering if you put the turkey in a roasting rack or directly in the roasting pan?
Hi Debbie, I do it directly in the roasting pan but you could do it either way. I prefer the pan because the bottom self-bastes.
Hi Natasha, your recipes are the absolute best. Just a quick question. I brined my the turkey. Do you adjust the salt amounts?
Hi Debbie! Yes, you can omit the salt to avoid an overly salty Turkey.
I made this last year and it was a hit! However, I realized after cooking it for the initial 20 minutes at 430, I used salted butter today. We all know what happens when you use salted butter!! I couldn’t use it to baste and pray I didn’t ruin this 20 lb. turkey.
I hope it still turns out great for you Pamela!
When you put the foil over the breast does it stay on for the rest of the cooking time? I can’t see if you take it off at some point in the cooking because in your video when you took it out the oven there was no foil on it. Doing my first turkey ever in the oven so want to be sure to do it right. Thank you.
Hi, I do leave the foil on for the rest of the baking. I had removed it just for the video clip – which in hindsight I probably should not have since it creates questions. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well. I’ll tell you how it came out.
Been making this recipe for years and it is impeccable!!! I add apples, lemons, garlic, onions, and fresh herbs to the cavity. Whatever I have fresh (generally parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage). Gives it that something to extra. Thank you, Natasha for another fantastic recipe.
Hi Natasha! I have not cooked a turkey in many years so I had to revisit how to do this.
It is quite late now and I just found your recipe. The store is still open and they said they still had some Italian parsley so will that work just as well as the curly leaf parsley?
Also, all I have is salted butter. Will that be alright.
O.K. tomorrow morning I will do this. Thank you for your excellent help!~Lindi
Yes, Italian parsley will work too. You can use salted butter but you might want to adjust/lessen or omit the salt in the recipe.
Hi! I’m prepping my turkey tonight to roast tomorrow. Do I remove the stuffing when serving ? Not sure what happens with it after it’s done roasting. The drippings that I am saving are just the drippings not the stuffing correct? thanks !
HI Mextli, with this turkey, I just leave the stuffing inside. You are just saving the drippings and not the stuffing – that is correct. I hope you love the turkey recipe and Happy Thanksgiving!
Can I use this recipe in a large roaster? I hear they are the better choice for cooking a turkey.
HI Tyler, as long as it has enough space to hold the turkey, you are fine to use a larger one.
A couple of years ago I had to cook Thanksgiving turkey for the first time. I was really not looking forward to it. I found this recipe and followed instructions exactly. It was pretty easy. The result was AMAZING! Juicy, beautiful and flavorful turkey! My farther in law commented that it quite possibly has been the best turkey he has had, even better than the turkey his mom used to make! And I know it was true because he had never made such comments on anything before :). I made it twice since then and every time it was absolutely delicious! I should mention that I also made turkey gravy that is linked to this recipe and that was out of this world good! Thank you very much for this recipe, Natasha!
HI Tatyana, I am so elated and happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing that with me!
This is my go-to recipe during the holidays! I like to cut times down so can the compound butter be made the day before? Or will the ingredients degrade over night?
Hi Trino! Yes, you can make the butter spread ahead.
This will be the third year I’ve used this recipe. So good! I do have a question though about cook time. This is the first time I’m using a 14 lb turkey. Would I want to cook it for about 3 hours then at 350 since it is bigger?
Hi Alyssa! If the turkey is unstuffed, you can roast at 350°F for about 3 to 3.5 hours. For stuffed turkey you can roast at 350°F for about 3.5 to 4 hours.These are just estimates, I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure it’s cooked well.
Hi Natasha – am following your recipe tomorrow. I see many people put chicken broth and stuff in the pan as well…underneath the turkey. No need to do that with your recipe, correct?
Hi, it’s not necessary but I do add the next to the pan to enhance the drippings for gravy.
Hi Natasha,
I’m very sorry bother you, as I’m sure you’re as busy as the rest of us, but would you recommend a 17×11 1/2x 2, or 16x12x 3 1/2 for a 12.9 turkey? It’s my first year taking over for my Mom (she’s 84 and going thru some) I just want to make it as perfect as I can. Thank you so much for this site.
Hi Lee-Anne! I think either of them can work, however, I would use the 16x12x3 1/2-inch pan because its deeper.
Thank you so much for your quick reply, and I will take your advice. I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving! And, thank you for replying so soon. I will let you know how it went!
Hi, I was wondering if I can use a baking bag with this recipe or if it’s better to cook without a bag
Hi Jessica! I honestly haven’t experimented with cooking this turkey in a bag, so I’m unsure. If anyone else has tried, please let us know. I had a couple of readers report great results using a bag, but I just haven’t tested it myself to say if any modifications need to be made.
Thank you so much for responding, I was trying to find a comment from someone that had used the recipe with a bag but there are so many comments
Hi I only have extra virgin olive oil – you say not to use it – what can I use instead?
Hi Chris! The reason for that is because extra-virgin olive oil doesn’t have a very high smoke point. Any other higher smoke point oil such as avocado oil.