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Best roast turkey recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or for any occasion. This easy moist turkey recipe is simple and you get tender, juicy, and flavorful meat with crispy skin. Let me show you how to roast turkey that your family and guests will love.
If you’ve been looking for how to cook the perfect turkey in the oven, look no further than this whole turkey recipe. With this recipe, you not only get a flavorful turkey, but you get a deliciously moist turkey that is easy and simple to make. No hassle, no stress!
Unlike whole roasted chicken which most people make any day and time of the year, turkey is usually reserved for special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s not even sold in most stores till that time of the year. By October you start getting the frozen turkeys in stores and few days to Christmas or thanksgiving you start seeing the fresh refrigerated ones on the shelves. Whether you are buying a frozen turkey or a fresh one, this is the only recipe you need to make the perfect roast turkey.
No bland or dry turkey here as long as you follow this step by step guide. Serve with sides such as roasted carrots, roast potatoes, and gravy for a happy celebration dinner.
Roast Turkey Recipe
With this recipe, you don’t have to brine the turkey but brining for a few hours will make sure it’s moist. I have a simple Turkey brine recipe you can use.
You need just a few pantry ingredients for this recipe so don’t panic if all the fresh herbs are sold out in stores.
No need to baste halfway through cooking and no fear of your turkey getting too brown or dry.
I used a 3.5kg (6.6lb) turkey for this post. It serves aproximately 8 people.
How to Quickly thaw a Frozen turkey
Put the frozen turkey (don’t remove the packaging) in a bowl and cover with water. Let all parts of the packaging be submerged in the water.
Change the water every 20 – 25 minutes till the turkey is thawed.
When it is thawed, part it dry with a paper towel before seasoning and roasting.
How long does it take to defrost a frozen turkey in the fridge
If you have time and want to thaw the turkey without submerging it in water, you can thaw it in the fridge. In fact, it is safest to thaw turkey in the fridge. In the fridge, every 5 pounds of turkey takes 24 hours to thaw.
Can i cook partially frozen turkey?
It’s best to fully thaw turkey before cooking but you can cook partially frozen turkey and yes it is safe to do so as long as when cooked the internal temperature when checked with a meat thermometer is at least 165F/75C.
Ingredients
Whole Turkey
Butter
Paprika
Parsley
Thyme
Rosemary
Black pepper
Onion powder
Garlic granules
Brown Sugar
FOR TURKEY STUFFING
When i say stuffing, these are ingredients i put in the turkey cavity to further make it flavorful and juicy. They are:
Orange
Onion
Carrots – Optional
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
Roasting tray
Oven rack
Knife
How to Roast Turkey
Remove giblets and pat turkey dry. Tuck in the wings of the turkey.
If you did not brine the turkey, season it with salt. Rub the salt all over and inside the cavity. If you brined the turkey, move to the next step.
In a small bowl, mix the butter, parsley, thyme, rosemary, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic granules to form the marinade.
Place the turkey breast side up and use your hand to pull up the skin and apply the marinade under the skin then all over and inside the bird cavity. Make sure you cover all the parts with the marinade.
Cut the orange and onion and stuff these inside the cavity then tie the legs together with a string.
Leave the turkey to marinate for 30 minutes while you pre heat the oven at a temperature of 350F/170C.
Place the turkey on a rack over a roasting tray and place the tray at the lower bottom rack of the preheated oven so the turkey is placed right in the middle of the oven. Cook for 40 minutes per kg at a temperature of 350F/ 170C. So if cooking a 3kg bird, cooking time will be 120 minutes.
After the first 40 minutes, bring the turkey out and cover with foil. This is so the skin doesn’t get too brown quickly or burnt before the inside is done.
Return turkey to the oven and bake for the remainder of the time or until it’s cooked.
Use a meat thermometer to check if the turkey is cooked and safe to eat by inserting the thermometer in the thickest part of the bird (usually the breast side). The internal temperature should be at least 165F/ 75C to be considered safe to eat.
When done, bring the turkey out of the oven and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
How Long To Cook Turkey in the Oven
This varies on the temperature of the oven. So let me answer the below question first:
What temperatue to cook turkey?
I cook my turkey at 170C/350F as this temperature keeps it moist and juicy. Cooking at a higher temperature might dry out your turkey.
So if cooking at a temperature of 350F, It takes 40 minutes for every 1kg up to 4kg then 45 minutes for every kg afterwards.
What to serve with Turkey
Turkey gravy
Tips for Cooking Turkey
- It’s best to completely thaw the turkey before use.
- When defrosting any bird, do not remove the packaging.
- Pat the turkey dry before marinating to avoid watering down the seasoning and for crispy skin.
- Rub butter under the skin for crispy skin and flavorful meat.
- When seasoning the bird, ensure all parts are covered with the marinade.
- Don’t overcook so it doesn’t dry out.
More Holiday Recipes
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Best Roast Turkey Recipe – How to Roast a Turkey
Equipment
- Oven
- Roasting tray
- Oven rack
Ingredients
- 3-3.5kg 6-8lb Whole turkey
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon Parsley
- 1 teaspoon Rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon Garlic granules
- 1 large Onion (quartered) For the cavity
- 1 large Orange (quartered) For the cavity
- Salt
Instructions
- Remove giblets and pat turkey dry. Tuck in the wings of the turkey.If you did not brine the turkey, season it with salt. Rub the salt all over and inside the cavity. If you brined the turkey, move to the next step.
- In a small bowl, mix the butter, parsley, thyme, rosemary, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic granules to form the marinade.
- Place the turkey breast side up and use your hand to pull up the skin and apply the marinade under the skin then all over and inside the bird cavity. Make sure you cover all the parts with the marinade.
- Cut the orange and onion and stuff these inside the cavity then tie the legs together with a string.Leave the turkey to marinate for 30 minutes while you pre heat the oven at a temperature of 350F/170C.
- Place the turkey on a rack over a roasting tray and place the tray at the lower bottom rack of the preheated oven so the turkey is placed right in the middle of the oven. Cook for 40 minutes per kg at a temperature of 350F/ 170C. So if cooking a 3kg bird, cooking time will be 120 minutes.
- After the first 40 minutes, bring the turkey out and cover with foil. This is so the skin doesn't get too brown quickly or burnt before the inside is done. Return turkey to the oven and bake for the remainder of the time or until it's cooked. Use a meat thermometer to check if the turkey is cooked and safe to eat by inserting the thermometer in the thickest part of the bird (usually the breast side). The internal temperature should be at least 165F/ 75C to be considered safe to eat.
- When done, bring the turkey out of the oven and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
Recipe Notes
- It’s best to completely thaw the turkey before use.
- When defrosting any bird, do not remove the packaging.
- Pat the turkey dry before marinating to avoid watering down the seasoning and for crispy skin.
- Rub butter under the skin for crispy skin and flavorful meat.
- When seasoning the bird, ensure all parts are covered with the marinade.
- Don’t overcook so it doesn’t dry out.
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