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! Gave this turkey recipe a try last year and my husband said it was the best he’s ever had so tender and flavorful!!
I’m cooking a 25lb turkey this year, would you recommend doubling the ingredients? Then put oven on the roast setting at 430 for 20 min then reduce too 350 degrees on the bake setting for about 5hrs 40 min? Just don’t want to mess this one up lol Have a happy Thanksgiving and thank you for all the delicious recipes!
HI Brittany, see the section right under the recipe card titled: “To Cook a Larger Turkey:” which was shared by a reader and she included all her details for roasting the larger bird which should help. Also the best way to ensure the turkey is done without over or undercooking is to use a thermometer. It’s the best investment for roasts, especially during the holidays. Here’s the in-oven thermometer that I use.
Thank you for the tips I’ll definitely check out the thermometer too!
I have an electric roaster, and I read one of your comments saying others had used the roaster instead of the oven and it came out just as good. Could you please tell me where I might find their comments/advice on using the roaster for this recipe.
Thank you!
Hi Loraine, this is the most detailed comment about using an electric roaster I could find, but several people reported using one with great results: “I prepared my 22 lb turkey following the measurement guidelines you posted from Shannon…and cooked it in an electric roaster. It was absolutely the best turkey I have ever eaten. The flavor was excellent, the meat was so moist and the drippings made the best gravy. This will definitely be the recipe I use from now on.”
Your turkey recipe came out delicious in the roaster. Thank you very much!
That’s great, Lorraine! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hello Mrs. Natasha,
Can I use extra virgin Olive Oil or do I need regular olive oil? We have veggie oil but we prefer olive.
How long would I have to cook a 20 LB turkey with bread stuffing?
Can I use a simple blender for the herb butter? Or will that make the consistency too whipped and not incorporate the lemon juice? Will the parsley get bruised?
Thank you, Elias F. Lavado
HI Elias, I’ve heard reports of extra virgin causing smoking so I would use light olive oil or something with a higher smoke point. See step 3 for how long to cook per pound. The herb butter works great in a blender or food processor. Stuffing inside the turkey can affect the bake time so make sure to test with a thermometer and bake until the stuffing reaches 165˚F in the center (this is why I prefer to bake the stuffing separately).
Oh no!! i have already prepared the butter rub but I used EVOO! I didn’t read the receipe carefully. Should I not use it at all? Preparing our feast for tomorrow. I hope you can answer soon!
Hi Ladonna! EVOO doesn’t handle high heat well, and can make your kitchen smokey roasting at higher temperatures.
I’ve made roast turkey a bunch of different ways: salt pork and cheesecloth on breast, cut into parts and roasted, an oven bag, upside down (ever try to flip a hot slippery turkey over mid roast!!) you name it. BUT THIS is the only way I will ever do it from now on. I made this last month and it was the most golden, beautiful, and delicious turkey I ever made. And easily the easiest. Can’t wait to do this again next week. Thank you for another excellent recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that, Teri!
Is it ok if the only olive oil I have is extra virgin olive oil?
Hi Kay! You can also use avocado oil, or another high heat oil like canola, vegetable, sunflower, etc.
Ok I have canola oil I will just use that. Thank you. I didn’t read the directions close enough when I bought everything. I bought extra virgin olive oil. This is my third year making your turkey. It’s so good. This is my go to recipe from now on.
is this oven setting for regular bake? regular roast?
I usually cook turkey on “roast” setting but are you saying to do regular bake?
I have read convection oven for a better outcome on juiciness and crispy skin? I am cooking a 24 lb turkey so could really use advice! Thank you
Hi Joanna! My oven is a conventional oven, not a convection/fan oven. We bake this on the regular bake mode.
Should I use convection to cook a larger turkey faster or start with an oven bag? Can I prep it the night before with the butter and stuffing and then cook the next morning?
Hi Colleen, It’s generally best to use the normal/conventional bake function than than the convection bake setting for best results. Yes, you can butter it the night before, I do that all the time! I have notes on that in the recipe. Hope it becomes a success!
I’ve been using this recipe for years now! I’m very much an amateur when it comes to cooking, and this recipe is so easy to follow and has come out perfect every time! We’ve used a whole turkey as well as just the breast. It’s our designated recipe for holidays. So many of your recipes are staples in our family cookbook!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Kianna!
I made this turkey, your dressing and gravy recipes yesterday. They are all 3 delicious! I am not that great in making gravy, but I followed your directions exactly andit turned out silky smooth and wonderful. The only problemn is that this is not anywhere near enough for 12 people.
Hi! This is my go to recipe for Thanksgiving every year! Thank you so much for the recipe! This year though, we’re having Thanksgiving lunch instead of dinner. Can I prep the turkey the day before (with the butter and all), place it in the refrigerator, and then just let it sit out at room temperature before putting it into the oven the day of?
Hi Inna! I’m so glad you’re loving this recipe. Yes, that would be fine. Happy thanksgiving!
Hi – I’m hoping to follow your recipe this year but I have gas heated oven. Do you suggest any changes for a gas oven?
Hi Sonya! I don’t think you’d need to change the temperature or time. Just monitor and rotate the turkey half way through. Make sure it’s not too close to the heating element on the top.
Hi Natasha! I had a question about the aromatics. (I’m a little confused.) When it says that the onion and garlic should go in (no peeling), does this mean, don’t peel the onion or garlic? Or the garlic and onion should go in without the peeling?
Hi Cathy, I have done it both ways but in my video I peeled the veggies so for clarity, I just updated the recipe card to say peeled on both. Thanks for asking about this.
Thanks so much for clarifying! I’m changing my usual thanksgiving turkey recipe to yours because I’ve always had success with your other recipes! Thanks so much!
You’re very welcome!
I haven’t made the recipe yet (looking forward to it!) but have a question. One year I added lemon inside the turkey cavity with the rest of the aromatics and the gravy (from the drippings) came out a bit too lemony so the gravy tasted off. I know I can omit but have you had this happen with your drippings and use of lemon? I know it’s common to use lemon but it’s always confused me why I had lemon gravy. I only used one lemon.
Hi Donna, if you’re using the same size turkey the lemon flavor should be minimal. This is how I make it each year and it is always a hit. If you used a smaller turkey, then it is possible you would taste more of the lemon. You can definitely reduce the amount of lemon per your preference.
Hi, I have used this recipe around 4 or 5 times and it always turns out delicious. I have a larger crowd this year and I am planning on cooking 2 ten pound turkeys. What would be the cooking time? 13 minutes times 20 or will it still be like cooking one 10 pound turkey? Thank you!
Hi there! You don’t necessarily have to double the cooking time but you will for sure need extra time. I recommend using a meat thermometer to be sure.
I’ve made this recipe before, its a wonderful tasting Turkey and your instructions are easy to follow.
So glad you liked it, Shelley!
Can I make the flavored butter a day or 2 before Thanksgiving day?
Hi Cathleen, that should be fine.
Hi Natasha, I love all your recipes,
This year I’m planning on roasting my turkey in a large Dutch oven roaster , do you have any tips on time and temperature and if you’ve tried it? I like a really juicy and fall off the bone turkey.
Thank you
Hi Nada! I wish I could be more helpful, but I do not use a roaster for my turkey so I don’t have much feedback to provide.
Hi Natasha! I absolutely love this recipe! This will be my 5th time making it and I just now noticed for the olive oil that you mention not to use extra virgin. Does regular olive oil make the turkey crispier?
Hi Larissa! Extra light olive oil is what I recommend (not virgin olive oil) because it has a higher smoke point. I also like to use it in baking because it’s neutral flavored.
Hi Natasha!
Thank you for your recipes! I’ve been using your brine recipe for few years now and I love it. This posted recipe it looks like you didn’t brine your turkey. Can I use the exact recipe after I brined my turkey? I’m afraid it would be very salty. And also when I checked the dripping to use for basting it was dark. What else can I use for basting aside from the drippings? Thank you very much again. God bless!❤️🙏
-Miriam
Hi Miriam! Yes, you can use this recipe to bake your turkey after brining. You may reduce the salt slightly or omit if you prefer.
For basting, you could use broth/stock.