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We all know that turkey is THE classic dinner idea for holidays, especially Thanksgiving!
After years of making turkeys, we finally have it down to a science, and today we will be sharing all the best tips and tricks so you can have the PERFECT roast turkey recipe.
Learn how to roast a turkey with these simple steps. Serve it with Best Mashed Potatoes, Dinner Rolls Recipe, Green Bean Casserole Recipe, and Homemade Pumpkin Pie, and you’ll have the perfect holiday meal.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Delicious. This Thanksgiving dinner idea is full of color and is juicy and flavorful!
- No Fail. We did all the hard work for you to make sure we share all the top tips and tricks to get the juiciest and tasty bird.
- Everyone will love you. Because turkey can often be considered difficult, you will look like the turkey pro making this recipe for your family.
Roast Turkey Ingredients and Substitutions
Stuffing
- 1 turkey thawed – For 10 people, plan to serve a 10-15 pound turkey. If you are hosting a large crowd, consider cooking two smaller turkeys.
- 5-6 stalks celery, chopped
- ½ onion chopped – We typically use a yellow onion, but a white onion can also be used.
- 4-5 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves minced garlic peeled – How to Mince Garlic. You can also use 2 teaspoons of minced garlic from a jar.
- 2-3 apples – cut them in half
- 2 cups chicken broth – or chicken stock
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided– We used unsalted butter, but salted butter also works.
- 3 tablespoons compound butter (such as Italian garlic butter)– Compound butter is softened butter that has been mixed with sweet or savory ingredients.
Glaze
- 1 cup molasses – use regular (original or mild) molasses
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard – or your favorite brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 3 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Prep the Turkey
- PREP. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- VEGGIES. Add ⅔ of the chopped celery, chopped carrots, chopped onion, and minced cloves of garlic to the bottom of the roasting pan.
- *Note: Be sure to use a roasting pan with an elevated rack to keep the bird somewhat above the liquid
- TURKEY PREP. Prepare 1 turkey by removing the added items (neck, giblets, gravy packet) – no need to rinse the turkey – leave the tie on the legs – this helps keep it together (or use kitchen twine to tie them together if not tied).
- Place a roasting rack above the layer of vegetables, and then place the turkey on the rack.
- FILL. Stuff the remaining ⅓ carrots, celery, onion, and garlic inside the turkey cavity.
- Add one apple (cut in half) inside the turkey. Place the remaining apples (also cut in half) around the outside of the turkey.
- Cut the 6 tablespoons of butter into 1 tablespoon pats.
- Carefully lift the skin away from the meat & slide each pat of butter in between the skin & breast. Do your best to spread the butter pats out evenly. Add 2 cups of chicken broth to the bottom of the pan.
- BRUSH. Melt the compound butter and brush over the entire turkey.
How to Roast the Turkey
- COOK. Roast in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 375°F.
- Remove, baste, and tent aluminum foil over the turkey – return to oven.
- Continue roasting an additional 2-2½ hours, depending on the size of your turkey (check label for exact cooking times per size), basting every 40-45 minutes.
- TEMPERATURE. Using a meat thermometer, check the temperature near the end. Once you reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the turkey, it’s time to add your glaze.
Glaze the Turkey
- PREP. In a small bowl, whisk molasses, Dijon mustard, garlic salt, black pepper, and kosher salt.
- GLAZE. Brush the glaze over the turkey and return the uncovered turkey to the oven. Cook for an additional 15 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Remove and let rest 10-20 minutes before carving. Whether you prefer the turkey breast, thigh, drumsticks, or wings, you’ll enjoy every juicy piece!
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- To determine the size of turkey needed, calculate 1-1½ pounds of turkey per person.
- To ensure a frozen turkey thaws properly, move it to the fridge on the Monday before Thanksgiving for 4-11 lbs, Sunday for 12-15 lbs, Saturday for 16-19 lbs, and Friday for 20-24 lbs.
- Only stuff the turkey immediately before it goes into the oven; never prepare it stuffed the night before. Do not pack the stuffing tightly, as it needs air circulation to cook properly.
- Once the turkey is out of the oven, scoop all the stuffing out of the cavity into a separate serving dish along with the veggies from the roasting pan.
- To enhance the flavor even more, you can also use a Turkey Brine.
- I like to use the turkey drippings to make Turkey Gravy, which is perfect to pour on Mashed Potatoes.
How to Roast a Turkey
Learn how to roast a turkey with all the tips and tricks you'll need to make a turkey full of flavor for Thanksgiving or any holiday.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 turkey, thawed
- 5-6 stalks celery, chopped
- ½ onion, chopped
- 4-5 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves minced garlic, peeled
- 2-3 apples
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons compound butter, (such as Italian Garlic Butter)
Glaze
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 3 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cut your celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Add ⅔ of them to the bottom of your roasting pan.
- *Note: Be sure to use a roasting pan with an elevated rack to keep the bird somewhat above the liquid.
- Prepare the turkey by removing the added items (neck, giblets, gravy packet) – no need to rinse the turkey – leave the tie on the legs – this helps keep it together.
- Place the turkey in the prepared pan and stuff the remaining veggies inside the turkey.
- Add one apple, cut in half, inside the turkey.
- Place remaining apples (also cut in half) around outside of the turkey.
- Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon pats. Carefully lift skin away from meat and slide pats of butter between the skin & breast.
- Add chicken stock to the bottom of the pan.
- Melt the compound butter and brush over the entire turkey.
- Roast in preheated oven, uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Remove, baste, tent with foil – return to oven.
Reduce heat to 375°F
- Continue roasting an additional 2-2½ hours depending on the size of your turkey (check label for exact cooking times per size). Basting every 40-45 minutes.
- Check temperature near the end – once you reach a minimum of 165°F in the thickest part of the turkey, it's time to add your glaze.
- Whisk glaze ingredients in a small bowl to combine.
- Brush glaze over turkey and return turkey to oven, uncovered, and cook an additional 15 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Remove and let rest 10-20 minutes before carving.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- To determine the size of turkey needed, calculate 1-1½ pounds of turkey per person.
- To ensure your turkey thaws properly, move it to the fridge on the Monday before Thanksgiving for 4-11 lbs, Sunday for 12-15 lbs, Saturday for 16-19 lbs, and Friday for 20-24 lbs.
- Only stuff the turkey immediately before it goes into the oven; never prepare it stuffed the night before. Do not pack the stuffing tightly, as it needs air circulation to cook properly.
- Once the turkey is out of the oven, scoop all the stuffing out of the cavity into a separate serving dish along with the veggies from the roasting pan.
- To enhance the flavor even more, you can also use a Turkey Brine.
- I like to use the turkey drippings to make Turkey Gravy, which is perfect to pour on Mashed Potatoes.
Nutrition
Calories: 603kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 57g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 212mg, Sodium: 1098mg, Potassium: 1329mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 4650IU, Vitamin C: 9.2mg, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 4.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How to make compound butter?
Mix ½ cup softened butter with ½- 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1-2 teaspoons fresh Italian herbs (a mix of flat-leaf parsley, oregano, basil, and thyme), and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Use 3 tablespoons in the recipe and store the remaining butter in a container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How to baste a turkey?
To help keep the turkey moist, use a turkey baster or ladle to pour the liquid from the pan over the turkey.
Use classic stuffing?
Instead of adding veggies to the turkey cavity, stuff it with your favorite stuffing recipe, but don’t overstuff. Use kitchen twine to close the cavity. Roast according to the recipe. Both the turkey and stuffing need to reach 165°F.
Extra seasoning?
Toss 1/3 of the veggies with fresh herbs like thyme, sage, and parsley and place them inside the turkey cavity.
How to store leftover turkey?
Remove the meat from the bones. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freezer for 2-3 months.
Recipe FAQS
Complete the Meal
Side Dishes
Best Mashed Potatoes
35 mins
Dinner Rolls Recipe
2 hrs 40 mins
Homemade Stuffing
1 hr 15 mins
Fresh Cranberry Sauce
17 mins
Desserts
Homemade Pumpkin Pie
1 hr 5 mins
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
2 hrs 25 mins
Apple Pie Recipe
3 hrs 45 mins
Libby’s Pumpkin Roll
2 hrs 35 mins
More Holiday Main Dishes
Roast Chicken Recipe
1 hr 30 mins
Easy Prime Rib Recipe
3 hrs 35 mins
Crockpot Ham
3 hrs 40 mins
Crock Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
8 hrs 15 mins
More Collections
This recipe was originally published October 2015.
This is so helpful! Can’t wait to use for thanksgiving!
Great article, however, you may wish to fix the cooking times for an unstuffed turkey. It seems there were some editing problems.
Just remember there are 2 cavities to empty…the front and back. I learned that at age16 when I was cooking the 25lb turkey. I emptied the big cavity but didn’t realize there was a “surprise package” of giblets and stuff in the back until we were cutting the turkey at Thanksgiving dinner… and I yelled “I didn’t
know there were 2 compartments ” whoops. Lol that’s what they get for letting the 16 yr old try her hand tackleing the holiday beast. It came out fine other than that. 😊
Thank you so much for sharing this, it was very helpful!! The turkey came out perfectly and was so delicious and juicy!
Absolutely perfect. The whole family loved it and I am definitely using this recipe for Thanksgiving!
This roasted turkey is remarkable! It’s super tender and juicy. Every bite screams flavor! Highly recommended!
What do you do with the vegetables that are in the roasting pan
Tim you can simply serve as a side. Chop into slightly larger than bite size pieces. Save to eat as roasted side dish another day. Add to another stuffing dish or in a roasted veggie & rice dish or roasted veggie & turkey pot pie. Yum!
I recently saw a recipe for a small boneless turkey breast but I can’t find it. What’s the best way to bake one? Thank you all!
I’d still suggest roasting in the oven, however you could probably use the slow cooker as well. The size of your boneless turkey breast will determine how long to bake it for.
My first ever turkey and this was so fabulous! I was worried about that molasses glaze but it was SO GOOD. Definitely do not skip!
This sounds delicious, especially with the glaze.
When you say ‘tent’ the foil over Turkey is that just a light covering or tightly sealed?
Thank you, it really is! Yes, it is just a loose covering 🙂
The dish seems delicious. I must try this with amazing taste. Thanks for sharing all the ingredients.
You are so welcome!
Thankyou the providing the detailed guide and now I can try to make turkey at my home.
You are so welcome!
It is looking very amazing and delicious. it also seems very mouth-watering.
It is! Hope you try it sometime!
it looks very delicious and yummy.
Thank you!
We made this turkey Following the recipe And it turned out perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You are so welcome!! I am glad it was perfect! Thank you!
Great recipe on how to prepare a turkey. Can be a bit overwhelming but the recipe details every step of the way!
My turkeys dont usually brown as beautifully as yoir photo, but i think using the glaze Will help give a great Tasting and good looking bird.
This is great! I get nervous each time I am in charge of the turkey, but this is fool proof & the turkey looks golden & juicy!
i LOVE THE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS! i ALSO LOVE SEEING HOW OTHERS PREPARE THEIR TURKEY!
So glad you shared this! Your tips will definitely help on Thanksgiving! This turkey is so perfect!
I would like to know how to make the gravy from this recipe with all the vegetables that are in the pan under the turkey.
Total lifesaver, I can’t cook to save my life….. I’m sure gld you can 🙂
LOL…sure you can!!
simply brilliant
Thanks so much!
THis was my first time cooking a turkey and I followed your Recipe and it came out ABSOLUTELY amazing! The skin was crispy, turkey was juicY, Seriously it was just so deliCiouS!
That makes me so happy to hear!! I am so glad you gave it a try 🙂 Thank you!
That is one fine looking turkey! I will definitely be giving this one a try very soon!
Thanks so much!!
Do you then eat the vegetables?
How long does a 22 lb turkey take to cook? How long for the molasses at the end?
This recipe is from Gina at http://www.kleinworthco.com/. I would ask her. I’m not a pro at turkey, yet 🙂 I’m learning! Good luck!
This started off WAY too hot and everything burned in the bottom of the pan in the first 30min. Looked other places and it says to roast at 325. Hope my whole turkey isn’t infused with the flavor of burned veggies and stock.
Oh, I am so sorry it burned! I hope it does come out ok.
Wow! What a gorgeous turkey! Loving the green apple and veggies addition to the bottom of the pan! Yum!! If ever I can get my guy to not smoke the turkey, I will be trying this!
Whole turkey is great but do you have ideas for just the breast. This is for a small family.
That is one gorgeous bird! I think everyone needs to have a really big Thanksgiving flop to really appreciate the ones where you finally feel as though you’ve nailed the technique. Believe me, I definitely went through that!
This looks so perfect! What other methods have you tried for cooking turkey? I love brining and in the smoker….so good
I think I am going to have try that glaze this year! 🙂 I am a brine girl. I brined my turkey last year and it was by far THE BEST turkey I had ever roasted. But I think this glaze would take my turkey over the top. 😉
Man oh man, that bird looks absolutely divine!!! 😀
I remember the first time we made turkey – sounds like a very similar experience. Definitely saving this recipe
Damn, Girl, if that does not look like the BEST turkey ever! You nailed it! Hard to believe your first Thanksgiving dinner was a flop 🙂 It happens, but I have my doubts about what you said 🙂