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.

A Perfect Roast Turkey

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

Ingredients

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

BAKE TIME: 2 hours 40 minutes

Stuffed Turkey

• 1 turkey thawed – plan to serve each person 1-1½ pounds of turkey. 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 – yellow onion is a good choice
• 4-5 carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic peeled – How to Mince Garlic, or 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
• 3 tablespoons compound butter (such as Italian garlic butter)

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

How to roast a turkey

1. PREP. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. VEGGIES. Chop 5-6 stalks celery, chop 4-5 peeled carrots, chop ½ onion & mince 2 cloves of garlic. Add ⅔ of the prepared vegetables 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
3. 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.
4. FILL. Stuff the remaining ⅓ veggies 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 chicken broth to the bottom of the pan.
5. BRUSH. Melt your compound butter and brush over the entire turkey.

Roast

1. COOK. Roast in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
   • Reduce heat to 375°F.
   • Remove, baste, and tent 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.
2. TEMPERATURE. Using a meat thermometer, check the 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.

Turkey Glaze

1. PREP. In a small bowl whisk 1 cup of molasses, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon garlic salt, 3 teaspoons black pepper, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
2. 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!

**To enhance the flavor even more, you can also use a Turkey Brine.