American · Main · Medium
Roast Turkey
A golden, juicy bird with crisp skin and plenty of drippings for gravy. This is the centerpiece the whole table gathers around.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Roast Turkey, in 5 ideas
- Dry skin is the secret to crisp skin, so pat the bird down well and leave it uncovered in the fridge the night before if you can.
- Herb butter under the skin bastes the breast from the inside as it roasts.
- A thermometer takes all the guessing out. Thigh at 165°F means done, never dry.
- Resting is not optional. The juices settle back into the meat instead of running onto the board.
- Room temperature stock in the pan keeps the drippings golden instead of scorched.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (12 to 14 lb), thawed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 cups turkey or chicken stock
- Kitchen twine
How to make it
Directions
- Take the turkey out of the fridge 1 hour before roasting. Remove the neck and giblets, pat the bird very dry with paper towels, and let it sit at room temperature.
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Mash the softened butter with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chopped herbs until it forms a paste.
- Loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers and spread half the herb butter underneath. Rub the rest all over the outside of the bird.
- Stuff the cavity with the onion quarters and lemon halves. Tie the legs together with twine and tuck the wing tips underneath.
- Set the turkey breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 2 cups of stock into the pan so the drippings do not burn.
- Roast about 13 to 15 minutes per pound, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F and the breast reads 160°F. Add more stock to the pan if it runs dry.
- Tent loosely with foil and rest at least 30 minutes before carving. Save every drop of pan drippings for gravy.
A frozen turkey needs about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds. Put it on a tray on the bottom shelf by Sunday night for a Thursday feast and you will never wrestle a half frozen bird again.