Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe (2024)

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This Thanksgiving Turkey recipe is practically foolproof – it’s flavor packed and so tender and juicy with a golden, crispy skin. With my step-by-step tutorial, even first time cooks can pull this roast turkey recipe off stress-free!

Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe (1)
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Table of Contents

  1. About This Recipe
  2. Why This Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Works
  3. Ingredients
  4. How To Cook A Turkey: A Step By Step Tutorial
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Expert Tips
  7. Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
  8. Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
  9. Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Recipe

About This Recipe

This perfect Thanksgiving Turkey will be the star of your family’s holiday dinner. Of course, the best turkey recipe needs the best Thanksgiving side dishes, like my Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Stuffing, and classic Green Bean Casserole.

This juicy turkey recipe isn’t complicated at all. There’s no brining, no basting, no weird cooking techniques. Just simple instructions to give you great results every time while your bird roasts stress-free.

In this post, you’ll learn tons of tips and tricks, plus step-by-step instructions for the most perfectly tender, incredibly juicy, totally stress-free, best Thanksgiving turkey recipe, ever! Your holiday meal is about to get a whole lot easier.

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Why This Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Works

  • It’s easy! Even a first time cook can make a delicious turkey for Thanksgiving, or any day, by following this easy turkey recipe.
  • Placing butter underneath the turkey skin adds extra flavor and keeps the meat moist and juicy.
  • Covering the top with foil during the first few hours of cooking helps to keep the breast meat from drying out since the turkey legs take a little longer to cook.
  • Turning up the heat during the last hour ensures a golden, crispy skin without drying out the meat.

Ingredients

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No brining, no basting, just simple ingredients for an exceptionally flavorful Thanksgiving turkey! Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.

  • The bird – For this recipe and the cooking times that go with it, I used a 12-pound turkey. This is a fairly average size that will feed 8-10 people.
  • Butter – Pats of butter are placed under the skin of each turkey breast. Add even more flavor by using my yummy Garlic Butter.
  • Onion and garlic – peel and stuff inside the cavity of the turkey. You can also add fresh herbs and citrus fruits, like lemon or orange, if you like.
  • Dry Rub – Mix together kosher salt, dried thyme, dried sage, rosemary, paprika, black pepper, and ground mustard and rub into the skin. This is also a delicious seasoning for Roast Chicken.
  • Equipment – A big roasting pan, preferably with a wire rack to hold the roast turkey up above the drippings.

How To Cook A Turkey: A Step By Step Tutorial

How To Defrost A Turkey

If your turkey is frozen, you will need to completely defrost it in the refrigerator before you even remove any of the packaging. Place your bird in a deep roasting pan in the fridge to catch any juices that may run out.

Resist the urge to thaw in your kitchen sink as this can encourage harmful bacteria to spread. Be sure to start defrosting the turkey a few days before you need to cook it.

How long do you defrost a turkey? A good rule of thumb is to allow 24 hours for every 4 pounds of turkey. So for our 12 pound bird, at least 3-4 days. To be safe I usually give it an extra 12-24 hours.

Once your turkey is fully defrosted, you can prep it for roasting using the recipe below.

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How To Prep A Turkey For Roasting

Remove from packaging and remove extra parts. Remove the fully thawed turkey from its packaging. I usually do this in a large container in the kitchen sink. If included, remove the neck and the bag containing the gizzards and giblets. Keep these for making extra stock for the Homemade Turkey Gravy or discard them.

Dry the skin. Pat the skin dry with paper towels. Dry skin equals crispy skin!

Separate the skin from the breast. Using clean hands, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast starting on the side closest to the legs. Slide your hand underneath, separating the skin from the breast meat. Repeat the process with the other side.

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Add butter under the skin. Slide 3 pats of butter (1 pat = 1 tablespoon) under the skin on each side and spread it around with your fingers.

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Add seasoning and aromatics. Mix together the dry rub, sprinkle it all over the outside of the turkey, and press it into the skin. Sprinkle a little inside the cavity, too. Place the onions and garlic inside the cavity, then transfer the whole bird to a roasting pan with a rack.

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Roasting The Turkey

These instructions are for how to cook a 12 pound turkey in the oven. If your bird is bigger or smaller, you will need to adjust the cooking time based on the provided instructions. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full instructions, or check out the handy chart below.

  1. Preheat your oven. We start with the oven at 325℉, keeping it low and slow for 2 hours (depending on the size) so the meat gets moist and tender, then crank it up to 400 for the last hour to get that crispy skin.
  2. Cover. Cut a piece of foil large enough to cover the turkey breasts. Press it down and mold the foil to the shape of the breasts. This will keep the breasts from drying out. You’ll remove it before the turkey is finished cooking to brown the skin.
  3. Roast the turkey in the oven at 325℉ for 2 hours, adding additional time depending on the size (use the chart below). Then turn the heat up to 400℉, remove the foil, and roast until the cooked turkey reaches the optimal temperature. Use our handy guide below to adjust the time. (Be sure to pin this chart to save it for later!).
  4. Let the turkey rest. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes or up to 40 minutes. This will give you plenty of time to cook a Sweet Potato Casserole or warm up some dinner rolls.
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Frequently Asked Questions

How many pounds of turkey do I need?

A pound of turkey per person will feed your guests and leave them satisfied. But if you want leftovers, I recommend 1.5-2 pounds per adult and about half a pound per child. I personally think leftovers are awesome, because you can makeTurkey Tetrazzini or Turkey and Stuffing Casserole.

How long do you cook a turkey?

A 12 pound turkey takes about 3 hours to cook. Start at 325℉ for 2 hours, then increase the temperature to 400℉ for another hour. For a larger bird, increase the initial cooking time (at 325℉) by 15 minutes per pound.

How do I keep my turkey moist?

One of the best tricks we have for keeping your cooked turkey juicy and moist is butter! Stuffing pats of butter under the skin creates a beautifully crisp skin, but it also melts and keeps the meat super moist and juicy.

Another trick I use is placing aluminum foil over the turkey breasts to help dissipate some of the heat and lock in moisture. Since dark meat takes longer to cook than light meat, this method lets the thighs and legs get their roast on while the breast gently cooks.

How do you know when the turkey is done?

A turkey should be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 165℉. Insert an instant-read meat thermometer in the base of the breast meat or the thickest part of the thigh, careful not to touch any bone. Those are the absolute basics.

The actual length of time it takes to reach the correct temperature will depend on the temperature of the bird before cooking, its size, and your oven temperature.

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Expert Tips

Every year we get lots of questions about how to cook a turkey, so we’ve put them all in one place. Hopefully, these helpful hints will take the guesswork out of cooking your turkey!

  • Resist the urge to wash your turkey. Washing poultry is a no-no and will just contaminate your sink. Remove from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels.
  • No basting? No brining? These extra steps are really unnecessary for achieving the perfect roast turkey. Basting requires constantly opening your oven, which costs you valuable heat and extends the cooking time. Brining isn’t necessary with a high-quality turkey.
  • Don’t cook inside of your turkey. If you cook stuffing inside your turkey, the meat will be dry before the stuffing reaches a temperature that’s safe to eat. Instead, stuff the turkey with aromatics like onions, garlic, celery, herbs, or lemons that will add a ton of flavor to the bird as well as to the drippings for pan gravy. Cook the stuffing in a baking dish, like my Classic Sausage Stuffing Recipe or Bacon and Onion Stuffing.
  • Save the turkey drippings. The drippings are used to make the gravy, and the flavor will complement beautifully.
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Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

Make Ahead: Once your turkey is fully thawed, you prep it for roasting up to 24 hours in advance. Add the butter, seasoning, and aromatics, then cover loosely with foil and place in the fridge overnight. Take it out about 30 minutes before you put it in the oven so it can shake off the chill.

Storage: If you’re going to eat your leftovers within 3-4 days, store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag in the fridge. Use for sandwiches, BLT Turkey Wraps, tacos, and Turkey Soup.

Freezing: One of the reasons I love turkey leftovers is because I can keep some in my freezer and easily toss it in Turkey Shepherd’s Pie or in soups.

Reheating: If you’re just looking to reheat a late-night Thanksgiving dinner leftovers plate, you can do that in the microwave. If it’s frozen, thaw it overnight in the fridge before adding to other recipes.

Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Your Thanksgiving turkey may be the best ever, but you’re still going to need to fill some supporting roles. Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving sides that will compliment your cooked turkey in the best way!

Side Dish Recipes:

  • Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
  • Oven Roasted Vegetables
  • Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
  • One Hour Dinner Rolls
  • Scalloped Corn Casserole
  • Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
  • Orange Cranberry Sauce
  • Cranberry Fluff Salad
  • Pumpkin Dump Cake
  • Classic Apple Pie
  • Southern Pecan Pie

101+ Thanksgiving
Side Dishes

Find all the sides you could possibly want for the perfect Thanksgiving menu!

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Need a smaller turkey this year? Try my other easy turkey recipes for cooking a turkey breast in the air fryer, roasting in the oven, or even an Instant Pot Turkey Breast. Any of these recipes would be a great way to feed a smaller crowd, or to add some extra servings of turkey to your meal.

Recipe

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Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

4.97 from 173 votes

Kristin Maxwell

A Thanksgiving Turkey that's so juicy with a crispy skin. Easy step-by-step tutorial, even first time cooks can pull this turkey recipe off stress free!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Servings 12 people

Print RecipeReview Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 pound turkey thawed
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1 Tablespoon pats
  • 1 1/2 yellow onions peeled and halved
  • 4 garlic cloves peeled

Dry Rub:

  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

  • In a bowl, combine the salt, thyme, sage, paprika, pepper, and ground mustard until evenly incorporated.

  • Remove the turkey from its packaging. From the bird’s cavity, remove the neck and the bag containing the gizzards and heart. (You can keep these items to make stock or discard them.)

  • Use a few paper towels to dry off the skin of the bird and inside the cavity.

  • Lift the skin over the turkey breast (on the side closest to the legs) and slide your hand under the skin separating it from the breast meat. Do this on both sides of the breast.

  • Insert three pats of butter under the skin on one side fo the turkey breast spreading them around evenly. Repeat on the other side.

  • Sprinkle the dry rub all over the turkey – breast, legs, wings, anything you can see. Using your hands press the rub into the skin a little. If you have any extra rub sprinkle it inside the cavity.

  • Place the onion halves and garlic cloves inside the turkey’s cavity.

  • Transfer the bird to your roasting pan. (I like to use a pan with a rack to keep the bottom of the turkey from getting soggy.)

  • Take a good sized piece of foil and place it over the turkey breast. (You want to make sure to the foil piece is big enough to fit over the whole breast.) Press down and mold the foil to the breast., let the ends stick out if the foil’s a bit big.

  • Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 2 hours. Carefully remove the foil from the turkey. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and cook the turkey for another hour, or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165 degrees F and the skin is golden and crispy.

  • Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30-45 minutes before carving.

Notes

This recipe is for a 12 pound bird. You will add 15 minutes per pound at the 325 degree cooking time. The temperature increase at the end does not change. Here is a handy list of how long to cook your turkey at different weights:

  • 10 pounds: 1 hour 30 minutes at 325 degrees; 1 hour at 400 degrees.
  • 12 pounds: 2 hours at 325 degrees; 1 hour at 400 degrees.
  • 14 pounds: 2 hours, 30 minutes at 325 degrees; 1 hour at 400 degrees.
  • 16 pounds: 3 hours at 325 degrees; 1 hour at 400 degrees.
  • 18 pounds:3 hours, 30 minutes at 325 degrees; 1 hour at 400 degrees.

If you have questions, please be sure to read the entire post – we answer lots of questions and offer tons of helpful tips and tricks!

Be sure to save some of the drippings to make my turkey gravy!

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcalProtein: 70gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 232mgSodium: 361mgPotassium: 721mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 180IUCalcium: 35mgIron: 3mg

Keyword how to cook a turkey, thanksgiving turkey, turkey recipe

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Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350? ›

We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).

How long to cook a 15 lb turkey at 350 degrees? ›

For whole, unstuffed turkeys in oven cooking bags, cook at 350 °F for the following approximate times:
  1. 8-12 lb turkey: 1 1/2 to 2 hours;
  2. 12 to 16 lb turkey: 2 to 2 1/2 hours;
  3. 16-20 lb turkey: 2 1/2 to 3 hours;
  4. 20-24 lb turkey: 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Apr 5, 2024

Is a 15 lb turkey enough for 10 people? ›

The general rule of thumb is 1–1½ pounds turkey per person. If that seems like a lot, remember that a whole turkey comes with a lot of parts that don't end up getting eaten.

What is the best temperature to cook a turkey? ›

What Temperature to Cook the Turkey? Cook your turkey at 325 degrees F for most of the cook time; in the final 45 minutes, remove the cover or foil tent from the turkey, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and baste the bird with butter. The initial lower oven temperature cooks the turkey through evenly.

Should you bake a turkey covered or uncovered? ›

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

Do you cook a butterball turkey at 325 or 350? ›

Preheat oven to 325° F. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels. Place turkey breast-side-up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep. Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place.

How often should you baste a 15 pound turkey? ›

Basting a turkey every 30 to 45 minutes is standard, especially if you wait until the last hour or so of cooking to begin basting. Remember that basting too often can greatly increase the turkey's cook time, so don't baste anymore often than every 30 minutes. When you do baste the bird, be sure to work quickly.

How long to roast an unstuffed turkey at 325? ›

These times are based on a room temperature turkey at 325 degrees F the entire time; plan on about 15 to 17 minutes per pound (the times below are based on 15 minutes per pound).

How many minutes per pound for 15 lb turkey? ›

Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature. The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that's about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb. turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

How long does it take to thaw a 15 lb turkey? ›

It takes 24 hours for every four to five pounds of weight for a turkey to thaw in the refrigerator (a 15-pound turkey will take three days to thaw in your refrigerator). A completely thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for one or two days before cooking.

What is the best size turkey to roast? ›

Q: What size turkey should I buy? Plan on about one pound of turkey per person, which translates to around half a pound of edible meat. Over 15 pounds or so, turkeys become more difficult to cook, take much longer, and are more prone to drying out. I find the best birds are around 10 to 12 pounds.

How long do you rest a turkey for? ›

REST: Once you're sure the turkey is fully cooked (check by piercing the thickest part of the leg with a skewer to see if the juices run clear), leave it to rest in a warm place for at least 45 minutes or up to a few hours. This lets the meat relax and allows all the juices to be reabsorbed.

Should turkey be room temperature before cooking? ›

First, Bring Your Bird to Room Temp

Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. If you plan to stuff your turkey, wait until you're ready to put it in the oven before putting the stuffing in the turkey.

Is it better to cook a roast at 325 or 350? ›

When roasting meat and poultry, set the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) or higher. Explore the charts below to learn how to get great results every time you cook.

Does turkey need to be 165 everywhere? ›

When an instant-thermometer reads 165 F, your turkey is ready. If using an oven-proof thermometer, once the thigh has reached 165 F, check the temperature of the wing and the thickest part of the breast, according to the USDA. If you get a read of 165 everywhere, you're good to go.

How long to cook a 14 lb unstuffed turkey at 325? ›

Roasting the bird slowly, at a lower temperature is the best way to achieve tender meat. You should still prep the bird with butter, salt, and pepper, as described above (or dry-brine it). To cook, set your oven to 325°F and roast for 3½ to 4 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird.

What is the best setting for cooking a turkey? ›

Oven Temps: Best roasting is two stage process—425°F (218°C) for 1 hour, then down to 325°F (163°C) for however long it takes until the turkey is done.

Can you cook a turkey at a lower temperature for longer? ›

It is not safe to cook any meat or poultry in an oven set lower than 325 °F. At lower temperatures, meat stays in the Danger Zone (between 40 °F and 140°F for too long.

Is it better to cook a turkey on low heat or high heat? ›

Ideal for turkeys under 14 pounds, the high-heat method guarantees a juicy and crisp-skinned turkey. The high-heat roasting method is one of my favorite ways to cook a turkey.

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