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
How long does the foil stay on after the first 20 minutes I assumed it was of..but in order to brown turkey I assumed foil came of..was not happy with results
Hi Laverne, We add the foil in step #4, after the initial 20 minute bake at 430˚F. That allows it to get some color without burning it. The foil protects the turkey breast from drying out, but it should still develop a nice rich color as you see in my recipe photos.
Thank you for this! I am now following the recipe, but with one small modification. I melt the butter and put it into the blender, together with the parsley, garlic and seasoning. I blend it till smooth, then use a meat syringe to inject it under the skin.
Thank you for sharing that with us, David!
Writing this about an hour after everyone left our house on Christmas Eve. I did this recipe because of the 5 stars and it seemed simple. It turned out to be a hit, everyone commented how good the turkey was and that it was not dry at all…which a lot of people seemed surprised by. I followed the instructions and the turkey came out great. Thanks for the help! I also did the foil assist, as well.
You’re so welcome, Rory! I’m happy to hear this recipe was loved!
Excited to try this! Curious why not extra virgin olive oil? Could I swap avocado oil? Thanks!
Extra vrgin oil has a stronger flavor. Refined or light olive oil has a higher smoke point and milder flavor than extra-virgin. Avocado oil will also work!
Thanks for this recipe! Are the cooking temperatures the same for a fan oven? Or should I reduce the temperatures 25-30 degrees F to compensate for the fan?
Hi Mark, if you are using a convection oven, I would reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and definitely make sure to use a thermometer to test for doneness. I hope you love the turkey recipe!
Hi Natasha, if I prepare one day ahead of time what should i cover it with when I put it in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Grace, you can cover it with foil or plastic wrap once it’s cooled.
Hello..I read that you said I could make the turkey the day before? Do I need to add broth or gravy to the turkey? And should I cover the turkey and at what temperature should I reheat it at? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Laura, I meant that I would prep the bird a day ahead – stuffing, seasoning, buttering and then just leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the day you are planning to eat it. It will always look and taste best the same day it is roasted.
This was my first time making a turkey without stuffing and I never imagined it could be so juicy. As a bonus, the drippings from this recipe make the most amazing gravy. A definite keeper!
Hi Natasha,
This looks amazing and i was wondering, if it does taste just as good ahead of time.I just want to have not much to do on Christmas day just enjoy.Looking forward to it.
Hi Phyllis! Like most meat, it’s best freshly made. I haven’t found a good way to reheat turkey so it’s as juicy as when first baked. It will work to reheat, but if so, I like to add gravy or add broth for extra moisture.
i think i will stick to Christmas day and just as you said prepare and the day before to go the next day and thanks again and hope you have a Merry Christmas.
Having never made a turkey, wondering if temperatures remain the same for a 5lb turkey? I’m guessing that the butter mixture is halved? Thanks
Hi Jean! It should be the same approach with a few adjustments.I would halve the butter and seasoning amounts from the original recipe so it’s proportional to the smaller turkey. Keep the oven temperature the same 430°F for 20 min, then 350°F. Cooking time should be about 1–1.5 hrs at 350°F (check early with a thermometer).
The most fabulous method to prepare a turkey. That foil cap is the best idea to keep the breast moist while the dark meat cooks to perfection. 1000 stars!
Thank you for your awesome feedback!
This was amazing! My husband cannot stop raving about how juicy the turkey came out! The flavors are absolutely delicious, and my entire family enjoyed every bite with your gravy recipe as well. Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy to know that it was a huge hit with your family!
I have been doing the flavoured butter for the turkey and it’s fantastic. I love all you receipe. Thank you from Montreal. I have been printing a few more of your receipe and I wil thy them soon.
Have a nice day.
I’m glad you’re enjoying them. I hope you love all the recipes that you will try!
Im going to try this recipe for Christmas, buy im wondering if I dont stuff it, will the cook time remain the same or will it shorten??
Hi Annemarie! No — stuffing the turkey cavity with aromatics does not change the cooking time since it’s not bread stuffing. If you use bread stuffing, you’ll need to bake it until the internal temperature reaches 165 in the middle of the stuffing.
We made this for Thanksgiving. It was perfect! The meat was juicy and flavorful. We all loved it. Thank you!
Hi Natasha, if we marinate it for 2 hours in the fridge how long does it need to be out before we can begin cooking?
Hi Sonam! It really depends on the size of your turkey and your room temperature. The reason we remove it 30 minutes prior to working with it is because if the turkey is closer to room temperature, it will bake more evenly.
This recipe is a winner. We’ve tried your Spatchcock turkey recipe for the past few years, but this one come out even better. Wanted to thank you for your wonderful recopies. We used your recipes exclusively for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner; turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, beans almandine, mac and cheese, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted carrots, pumpkin cheesecake, Dutch apple pie. Every dish was a hit. It was the most delicious Thanksgiving dinner,
Thanks you for your excellent recipes and looking forward to trying more of them
Wow, That’s so great, Lena! I’m so delighted to hear you used most of my recipes for your special gathering! Thank you for your lovely review!
Best turkey ever. The flavored butter under and on top of the skin, plus the aromatics in the cavity, gave this bird tremendous flavor and juiciness.
Is there a trick to getting the breast to 160 and the thighs to 170 at the same time? Used the foil triangle, but the temps were reversed. I pulled the turkey once thighs were 160 and breast was already 170. Still all turned out. Just wondering if you had a method for that.
Thank you! I would start the breast-side down for 45–60 minutes since thighs cook faster. Ice the breast for 20–30 minutes before roasting, it’s a trick to slow the breast so they will finish together. Add the foil shield later (around breast 135–140°F), not from the start and cook at 325–350°F for more even heat.
Thanks, Natasha! The funny thing is that I once did roast two turkeys for a large gathering and accidentally placed one upside down. That one had the juiciest breast ever. I will try that again next time, following your suggestions, only on purpose.
This turkey was incredibly juicy and full of flavor. From the brine recipe to the turkey recipe, everything was perfect. This will definitely be my go-to recipe from now on. I love your videos, they make cooking so much fun and so easy. Thank you!
I’m glad you found your new favorite recipe!
Totally delicious! Very moist and flavorful. Perhaps the best we have ever had. We baked a 22 pound turkey; forgot to tent it until the end. It only took 3 1/2-4 hours. We didn’t check it until 4 hours because we expected it to take 5+. Our thermometer read much higher than it was supposed to. Nonetheless, it was still moist and delicious after setting out for nearly an hour.
I have been using this recipe for my Thanksgiving turkey for years, and the turkey turns out very tender and delicious. I get compliments on it every time!
That’s just awesome, Cristy! THank you for your great review!