Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe - Easy Method

Fuss-free Recipe for the Perfect Roast Turkey - Juicy and Tender Every Time With This Easy Method

Whether it's Thanksgiving or Christmas, all you need is this Perfectly Roasted Turkey Recipe cooked the easy way.

This foolproof recipe requires minimal preparation and is ideal for serving at large gatherings to impress family and friends.

Read on to discover expert tips for creating the most amazing baked turkey with tender, juicy meat and crispy skin.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Thaw a Frozen Turkey?
• How to Make a Perfectly Juicy Turkey?
• How Long to Roast a Whole Turkey?
• How to Carve a Roasted Whole Turkey?
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Storage and Reheating Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe - Easy Method

This Easy Oven Roasted Turkey has a nice crispy skin with moist, juicy, and flavourful meat.

It is completely fuss-free: no brining, no stuffing, and no basting is required.

All you need is a few vegetables, a bit of butter, and a large roasting tin for this best Thanksgiving turkey recipe.

If you are not cooking for a large number of people, and don't need a whole turkey, check out my Slow Roasted Turkey Leg (with Gravy) recipe!

Other great options for small gatherings are Rice Stuffed Whole Chicken and Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken.

Why This Recipe Works?

• You can prepare this perfect Thanksgiving Turkey up to 24 hours in advance and simply bake it on the day.

• This easy recipe for the perfectly juicy Roast Turkey is your guide to making it juicy and tender every time with this easy method.

• You will have the most flavorful homemade turkey gravy made with cooking juices and giblet stock.

• The roast turkey leftovers are great for making sandwiches or Turkey Shepherd's Pie!

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Whole turkey - You can use whole fresh or frozen (and fully thawed) turkey for this recipe. Allow 500 grams (1 ¼ pound) of turkey per person.

• Apple and onion- I use a whole apple and onion and cut them in half to stuff the cavity of the bird for extra flavor.

• Lemon - It adds a light citrus flavor that matches perfectly with turkey meat. I use half of a lemon but you can use more if you prefer a more citrusy flavor.

• Butter - It helps brown the skin as well as adds moisture and flavor to turkey meat. Bring it to room temperature to make it easier to spread it over and under the skin.

• Vegetables - I use roughly chopped carrots, celery, onions, and garlic as a bed for the turkey. You can use a roasting rack instead to place your turkey on.

• Giblets and neck - They usually come with the bird and are great for making stock to use as a base for the delicious homemade turkey gravy.

• Mirepoix - It is a flavor base for the giblet stock made of a mixture of onions, celery, and carrots.

• Aromatics - You can get creative here and use your preferred aromatics. I usually put some bay leaves, thyme, parsley stalks, and peppercorns.

• Seasoning - Use a generous amount of salt and freshly ground pepper to season your turkey.

How to Thaw a Frozen Turkey?

If you are using a frozen turkey, it is essential that you thaw it entirely before roasting it. 

The safest way to do it is to let it thaw in the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours to up to several days, depending on the size of the turkey. 

As a rough guide, allow about 24 hours for every 2 kg (4 ½ pounds) of turkey. 

Keep your turkey on a baking sheet or a large pan to catch the drips while it defrosts.

A quicker (but not as safe) way to defrost a frozen turkey is to place it in a cold water bath, changing the water every 20 minutes or so until it is totally defrosted.

Make sure you put your turkey in a leakproof bag if choosing this method.

This might take up to several hours depending on the size of the bird.

How to Make a Perfectly Juicy Turkey?

This Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe with this easy method is simple to follow.

However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

Prepare the Giblets Stock

I usually prepare the turkey and make the turkey giblet stock a day in advance to make things easier on the day.

If you choose to prepare it in advance, keep the bird uncovered in the fridge to let the skin dry overnight.

Remove the turkey from the fridge and allow it an hour to come to room temperature.

Start preparing the giblets stock in meanwhile.

Remove the turkey neck and the bag of giblets that are usually in the large cavity of the bird.

Place the giblets and the neck in a pot along with some chopped mirepoix, and aromatics such as bay leaves, thyme, peppercorn, and parsley stalks.

Top them with 1 ¼ liter of cold water and place the pot on medium heat.

Bring the pan to a boil, turn the heat to low, and then let it gently simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Remove the pan from the heat and strain the stock using a fine chinois or a muslin cloth.

You can also use a sieve but the stock will have some impurities and will look cloudy.

Set it aside to make the turkey gravy when the turkey is roasted.

Prepare the Bird

Preheat the oven to 200° C (390° F).

For frozen turkey, let it totally defrost following the instructions above.

If using fresh turkey, remove it from its packaging, and then dry it off with some paper towels. 

Season the cavity with ⅓ of the salt and black pepper, and then stuff it with a halved onion and apple, quartered lemon, and fresh herbs.

Mix together the softened butter with the other ⅓ of the seasoning in a small bowl.

Separate and loosen the skin carefully from the breast, and then spread ¾ of the softened butter mixture, massaging gently.

Place the halved onions, garlic heads, roughly chopped celery, and carrots along with the bay leaves and thyme in a large roasting pan.

Rub the remaining butter all over the turkey breast, and sprinkle on the rest of the seasoning.

Use string to tie the turkey legs loosely together if it is not already done by your butcher, and place the turkey on top of the vegetables, breast side down.

Roast the Turkey

Roast the turkey for 40 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 160° C (320° F).

Take the tray out and turn the turkey breast side up using a pair of tongs or oven mitts. 

Roast it for another 80 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 74° C (165° F) when a meat thermometer is inserted between the breast and the leg.

If you don't have a meat thermometer, check the turkey's doneness by piercing the deepest part of the meat with a skewer or the tip of a small knife.

The juices should run clear with no trace of pink. 

Cook the turkey for another 15 minutes if the juices are still a little pink.

Another way to understand if the turkey is fully cooked is to be able to twist and pull away the leg bone easily.

Tent the turkey loosely with foil if it starts to brown too fast.

The cooking time in this recipe is calculated for a turkey size of 4.8 - 5 kg (11 pounds).

Once the turkey is cooked, cover it with tin foil and leave it to rest in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes before carving it.

Proceed to prepare the turkey gravy. 

Prepare the Gravy

To make the gravy, skim most of the fat from the bottom of the roasting pan and place the pan on medium-low heat. 

Add 750 ml of the giblets stock and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. 

Let the gravy bubble for 15 minutes, pass it through a fine sieve, and transfer it into a small saucepan.

Place the saucepan on medium heat, and bring it back to a boil.  

Make a slurry with 2 tablespoon of cornflour and 3 tablespoons of cold water, and add it to the gravy, whisking continuously to avoid the gravy getting lumpy. 

Add any juices from resting the turkey and then cook the gravy for another 5-10 minutes, until it reaches the desired consistency.

Carve your turkey and serve it with your favorite side dishes such as Potatoes au Gratin - Dauphinoise Potatoes or Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans, and Homemade Mini Pigs in a Planket along with the delicious homemade gravy.

How Long to Roast a Whole Turkey?

These timings are just an estimate and the cooking times of a whole turkey depend on its size as well as the performance of your oven and the temperature of the turkey before roasting.

Having your turkey at room temperature before roasting will reduce the cooking time.

• 4.8 kg to 5.2 kg turkey (10 ½ - 11 ½ pounds): 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes

• 5.8 kg to 6.2 kg turkey (13-14 pounds): 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes

• 6.8 kg to 7.2 kg turkey (15-16 pounds): 3 hours to 3 hours 15 minutes

• 7.8 kg to 8.2 kg turkey (17-18 pounds): 3 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 45 minutes

• 8.8 kg to 9.2 kg turkey (19 ½ -20 ½ pounds): 4 hours to 4 hours 15 minutes

Check the temperature by inserting a meat thermometer between the breast and leg or the thickest part of the breast.

The internal temperature should be 74° C (165° F).

The turkey will continue to cook while resting, so you might want to take it out of the oven a few minutes in advance to avoid overcooked turkey meat.

How to Carve a Roasted Whole Turkey?

Start carving the turkey by removing the wings and the legs.

Cut the legs into thighs and drumsticks, and place them on a heated serving plate along with the wings.

For carving the breast meat, feel along the turkey’s backbone and gently slice down the side of it to carve out the whole breast.

Repeat with the other breast.

Place the breast skin-side up on a cutting board, carve it into individual slices, and place them on the serving plate along with the rest of the turkey.

Top Tips From the Chef

• When buying your turkey, make sure you allow 500 grams (1 ¼ pound) of turkey per person.

• Prepare the turkey and make the turkey giblet stock a day in advance to make things easier on the day.

• If you are using a frozen turkey, it is essential that you thaw it entirely before roasting it. 

• Don't wash the turkey as it will contaminate the kitchen sink. Cooking the turkey until the core temperature reaches 74° C (165° F) will kill any bacteria your bird might contain.

• Allow the turkey an hour to come to room temperature before roasting it.

• Don't baste the turkey, as it requires opening the oven door frequently which causes the oven to lose a huge amount of heat each time.

• Cook the turkey on a bed of vegetables or on a rack to ensure the turkey cooks evenly.

• Don't stuff your turkey with stuffing. By the time the stuffing gets cooked, the turkey will get overcooked and you will end up with dry meat. If you want to serve your turkey with stuffing, cook the stuffing separately in a baking dish.

• Check if the turkey is cooked by inserting an instant-read thermometer between the breast and leg or the thickest part of the thigh or the breast. The internal temperature should be 74° C (165° F).

• Once the turkey is cooked, cover it with tin foil and leave it to rest in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes before carving it.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Storage

Allow the roast turkey to cool at room temperature for about 2 hours after cooking.

If you haven't already, carve the roast turkey into smaller portions. This makes storage and reheating more manageable.

Place the carved turkey pieces in airtight containers or wrap them tightly in plastic wraps.

Ensure there's minimal exposure to air to prevent drying. You can also use resealable plastic bags.

Store the roast turkey in the refrigerator for up to days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating

• Oven method - Preheat your oven to around 325°F (163°C). Arrange the turkey pieces on an oven-safe dish, cover with aluminum foil to prevent drying, and reheat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the turkey is warmed through.

• Gravy Bath - To maintain moisture, consider warming the turkey in a bath of warmed gravy. Place the turkey slices in a saucepan with some gravy, cover, and heat over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.

• Microwave - For smaller portions, use the microwave. Place turkey slices on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat in 30-second intervals, checking for doneness.

• Instant Pot - In an Instant Pot, use the "Keep Warm" setting for reheating. Place the turkey with a small amount of liquid (broth or gravy) in the pot, seal it, and set it to "Keep Warm" until heated through.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

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Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe with this easy method as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun! 

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