A simple and delicious recipe for a moist and flavorful turkey! Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same without a perfectly browned turkey in the center of the table. With this recipe, I share how to cook a turkey that your family will “ooh and aah” over.
The key to making the picture perfect turkey is to make sure that the turkey is thoroughly thawed and that it sits out before you start to prep it. Depending on the weight, it could take a few days to thaw. Make sure to carefully read the package instructions. If it’s not completely thawed, it won’t cook evenly. By letting it come to room temperature before prep, the butter and herbs adhere to the skin better.
An hour before you plan to cook the turkey, remove it from the fridge and let it set on the counter to come to room temperature. Preheat your oven, and adjust the oven racks. You’ll want to make sure you have enough room for it to fit in the middle of the oven.
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Begin prepping the turkey by patting the outside and inside cavity with paper towels to remove any excess liquids or ice. You want to make sure it’s very dry.
Make the herb butter by combining the butter, one tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, one tablespoon fresh chopped thyme, one tablespoon of fresh chopped sage, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. The herbs that you have will be used later for stuffing inside the cavity.
Next, generously season the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the prepared lemon, onion, garlic cloves and the leftover herbs.
Using your hands, rub the herb butter all over the outside of the turkey as well as underneath the skin on the breast of the turkey. Tuck the wings underneath the turkey and set it on a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan.
Roast for 1.5-2 hours or until the skin is evenly brown and crisp. Baste it with the pan drippings and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 300 and cook for an additional 1.5-2.5 hours (depending on its size). The internal temperature needs to reach 160 degrees. It will continue to cook when taken out of the oven to reach 165 degrees. Taking it out 5 degrees early ensures that the breast will not get dry and overcook.
Since all turkeys vary in size, I find that using a digital thermometer with an alarm really takes the guesswork out of cooking time; leading to a perfectly cooked and moist bird.
Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. This seals in all of the deliciously seasoned juices and makes it moist and tender. Don’t skip this step!
Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!
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- 🔪 Prep 30 mins
- 🔥 Cook 3 hrs
- ⏱ Total 3 hrs 30 mins
- 🍽 Yield 0 varies
Equipment
- Roasting pan
Ingredients
Instructions
10 steps- Thaw turkey per package instructions (this could take up to 2 days).
- Remove the thawed turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting, to let it come to room temperature.
- Adjust your oven rack so the turkey will have enough room to sit in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pat both the inside cavity and the body of the turkey very dry with paper towels.
- Make the herb butter by combining room temperature butter, one tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, one tablespoon fresh chopped thyme, one tablespoon of fresh chopped sage, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. (You’ll use the remaining fresh herbs for stuffing inside the cavity of the turkey).
- Generously season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the prepared lemon, onion, garlic cloves and leftover herbs.
- Using your hands, rub herb butter all over the outside of the turkey as well as underneath the skin on the breast of the turkey.
- Tuck the wings underneath the turkey and set the prepared turkey on a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey for 1.5-2 hours or until the skin is evenly brown and crisp. Baste the turkey with the pan drippings and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 300 and cook for an additional 1.5-2.5 hours (depending on the size of the turkey), until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (the turkey will continue to cook when taken out of the oven to reach 165 degrees, taking it out 5 degrees early ensures that the turkey breast will not get dry and overcook).
- Allow turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
2 Comments
Kristee
January 27, 2020 at 4:02 pmHow much is a “Container” of herbs?
Suzanne
January 27, 2020 at 7:36 pmHi Kristee, a typical container is about .5-1 oz.