Best Roast Turkey is packed with flavor, juicy inside, and finished with a buttery, crisp skin. This straightforward recipe will guide you through preparing a perfect roasted turkey for Thanksgiving or any special meal year-round.
Everything you need to roast a tender, flavorful turkey is described below with clear step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and visual references. This method uses an herb-infused butter tucked under the skin and slow roasting to ensure even cooking and moist meat. Serve with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and turkey gravy for a classic holiday spread.
How To Thaw a Turkey:
Plan ahead when buying a frozen turkey: allow approximately one pound of turkey per person. Thaw in the refrigerator according to the calendar below. For example, a 20-pound turkey typically takes about five days to fully thaw in a standard refrigerator. Keep the bird sealed while thawing.
- 4–12 lb turkey: 2–3 days
- 12–16 lb turkey: 3–4 days
- 16–20 lb turkey: 4–5 days
- 20–25 lb turkey: 5–6 days
How Long Should You Roast Turkey?
As a general guideline, roast the turkey at 325°F (163°C) for about 15–20 minutes per pound. Cooking time varies with oven calibration and whether the bird is stuffed. Always use a reliable meat thermometer: the turkey must reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast and thigh before serving. For reference, a 20-pound turkey roasted at 325°F took approximately 4 hours in testing.
| Unstuffed | Stuffed | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8–12 lbs | 2¾–3 hours | 8–12 lbs | 3–3½ hours |
| 12–14 lbs | 3–3¾ hours | 12–14 lbs | 3½–4 hours |
| 14–18 lbs | 3¾–4¼ hours | 14–18 lbs | 4–4¼ hours |
| 18–20 lbs | 4¼–4½ hours | 18–20 lbs | 4¼–4¾ hours |
| 20–24 lbs | 4½–5 hours | 20–24 lbs | 4¾–5¼ hours |
How Do I Keep My Turkey Moist?
The key to a moist turkey is butter and a gentle roast. For a 14–22 pound bird, this recipe uses about 2½ sticks (1¼ cups) of softened butter blended with garlic and herbs. The butter gets placed under the skin and rubbed on the surface, infusing the meat and helping the skin brown evenly. Slow roast at 325°F and tent the bird with foil to prevent the skin from cooking too quickly. Take the turkey out of the refrigerator about one hour before roasting and let it sit in its packaging at room temperature—this helps the turkey cook more evenly.
How to Roast a Turkey:
Below are the essential steps for preparing and roasting the turkey. Gather the turkey, softened herb butter, and aromatics before you begin to keep the process smooth.
- Make the herb butter: mash softened butter with minced garlic, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, and lemon juice. If you only have dried herbs, use one-third the amount called for fresh.
- Mix until the herbs are evenly distributed. A fork, spatula, or clean hands work well for this.
- Place the turkey on a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Thoroughly pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels—dry skin sears better and prevents soggy skin from steaming.
- Salt and pepper the inside and outside generously for added seasoning.
Roasting Continued:
- Gently separate the skin from the breast meat using your fingers, starting at the neck and working back toward the legs. Be patient to avoid tearing the skin.
- Reserve about one-quarter of the herb butter for the cavity. Place roughly half of the remaining butter under the skin over the breast, using your hands to distribute it evenly.
- Massage the butter under the skin so it coats the breast meat well.
- Rub the rest of the butter over the entire exterior of the turkey. Place the reserved butter inside the cavity and add aromatics: sliced lemon, halved heads of garlic (unpeeled), a halved onion, and sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and sage.
Let the Roast Turkey Rest
After roasting, remove the turkey from the oven and cover loosely with foil. Allow it to rest for 20–30 minutes before carving. Resting keeps the juices inside the meat; carving too soon will cause the juices to run out and the turkey to become dry. Use this time to make gravy from the pan drippings or finish other dishes.
Extra Roast Turkey Cooking Tips:
- If your turkey is smaller than 14 pounds, scale down the herb butter and seasonings proportionally.
- Do not add water or broth to the bottom of the roasting pan; this creates steam and can hinder proper browning. The turkey will release its own flavorful juices.
- Basting is optional. With butter tucked under the skin and rubbed over the surface, additional basting is usually unnecessary and opening the oven frequently can extend cooking time.
- Always tent the turkey loosely with foil for most of the roast. Remove the foil during the last 20–30 minutes if you want the skin to deepen in color.
- Trussing the legs is optional. Leaving the legs untied helps the bird cook more evenly, though tying can improve presentation if desired.
Enjoy your roasted turkey! This method delivers a tender, juicy bird with flavorful meat and a golden, buttery skin. Happy cooking!
~ Nichole
Best Roast Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey, 18–22 pounds (see notes on smaller sizes)
For the Herb Butter:
- 2½ sticks (1¼ cups) butter, softened
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- Juice of ½ lemon
For Inside the Turkey:
- ½ lemon, sliced
- 2 small heads garlic, halved horizontally (unpeeled)
- ½ medium yellow onion, halved (unpeeled)
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 3 sprigs sage
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- Turkey gravy, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- One hour before cooking, remove the thawed turkey from the refrigerator and let it sit in its packaging on a rimmed baking sheet to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Remove the turkey from its packaging, take out and discard or save the neck and giblets for stock or gravy.
- Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels.
- Lightly salt and pepper the inside and outside of the turkey.
- In a bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage, and lemon juice. Mix until fully combined.
- Rub about ¼ of the butter mixture inside the cavity.
- Carefully loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers, avoiding tears.
- Place ½ of the remaining butter under the skin and massage gently to distribute.
- Rub the remaining butter over the entire exterior of the turkey.
- Stuff the cavity with lemon slices, halved garlic heads, the onion, and sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and sage.
- If desired, tie the legs with kitchen twine for presentation.
- Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan and tent loosely with foil. Roast about 15–20 minutes per pound at 325°F, removing the foil in the last 20–30 minutes if you want deeper skin color.
- When the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and thigh, remove it from the oven.
- Cover loosely with foil and allow the turkey to rest for 20–30 minutes before carving.
Notes
Cook times for smaller turkeys are listed in the chart above—adjust roasting time accordingly. If using dried herbs, substitute 1 teaspoon dried for each 1 tablespoon fresh. Plan ahead: thawing takes 2–6 days depending on size. Removing the turkey from the refrigerator one hour before roasting helps ensure more even cooking.
Nutrition
Serving size: 1 pound (approximate). Calories: approx. 500 kcal per pound. Nutrition values are approximate and calculated automatically.
Additional Info
Course: Main Course | Cuisine: American | Servings: ~20