This roast turkey recipe is actually easy to make so don’t feel intimidated. Below I will show you step-by-step how to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving or any special dinner!
While cooking turkey takes time, the steps are not difficult. Follow the guide below for our best tips to ensure your roast turkey is perfect and juicy!
Cook up some stuffing and mashed potatoes for a perfect thanksgiving feast!
This is an easy turkey recipe and can be served with your favorite sides like mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and of course cranberry sauce.
How to Cook a Turkey
Cooking a turkey may seem overwhelming but if you follow the step-by-step directions below, this turkey recipe is easy to make.
OVERVIEW of the Steps for Cooking a Turkey:
- Thaw in the fridge.
- Prepare the turkey.
- Stuff if you’d like.
- Tie the legs.
- Roast until golden.
- Rest before serving.
What You’ll Need to Make a Roast Turkey
- A large rimmed roasting pan with a rack. The rack can even be a small cooling rack, you just want to hold the turkey up and out of the liquid in the bottom of the pan.
If you don’t have a cooling rack, use balled up aluminum foil and/or celery, carrots and onions to hold the turkey up. - A meat thermometer or Instant Read Thermometer. These are not expensive (under $15) and will make sure ALL of your meats are cooked to perfection, not just turkey. I have this thermometer for roasting, it’s fairly inexpensive and I use it for everything!
- Kitchen twine, a carving knife.
How to Prepare a Turkey for Roasting
- Thaw – If using a frozen turkey, be sure to allow time for it to thaw in the refrigerator. A whole turkey can take several days ot defrost. Read more about thawing a turkey here.
- Brine (optional) – Brine turkey for up to 24 hours or according to this brine recipe. Drain well and pat dry. If you brine a turkey, it will follow the same cooking directions and times as a turkey that hasn’t been brined.
- Remove Giblets/Neck – Look inside the turkey to see if it has the neck and giblets inside. Some turkeys don’t have these. They are often in a little white bag inside the turkey.
Remove these from the cavity, open the bag and place them in the roasting pan along with the turkey if you’d like. They will add flavor to the drippings for gravy. Cook the giblets too and use them for giblet gravy. - Dab Dry – Dab the skin dry with a paper towel, this will help the skin crisp better. If you’re stuffing the turkey, wipe the inside with a dry paper towel to remove any debris.
- Oil & Season – In this turkey recipe, you’ll rub the skin with olive oil or slightly cooled melted butter and season with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and lots of fresh herbs.
- Stuff turkey (optional) – Loosely stuff the turkey with cooled stuffing or herbs & onion and even lemon or other citrus fruits if you’d like. Scroll below for more info and important tips if you’re stuffing the bird. A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook.
Tips for Stuffing a Turkey
Before stuffing or seasoning, flip the wing tips under the turkey (photo above left), this keeps the tips from burning and also helps stabilize the turkey. Place the turkey breast side down and fold the tip of each wing under the turkey as in the image above. If you’re not sure how, watch the video below.
Stuffing a turkey is optional, a stuffed turkey will take longer to cook. If you decide not to stuff your turkey, I would suggest adding onion and some fresh herbs to the cavity for extra flavor.
- Prepare stuffing according to recipe directions. Boxed stuffing is fine too if you’d prefer.
- Cool the stuffing completely, this is important to avoid bacteria. I prepare my stuffing up to 24 hours in advance (but do not stuff the turkey in advance).
- Very gently spoon the stuffing into the main cavity of the turkey, do not pack it in.
- Add a little bit of stuffing to the neck cavity as well, and seal with the flap of skin left on the turkey with a small metal skewer or even a toothpick. Leftover stuffing can go into a casserole dish.
How to Tie or Truss The Legs
Once the turkey is stuffed and seasoned, the next step in this turkey recipe is to tie the legs. This helps with even cooking and makes sure nothing burns.
If the turkey has a band of skin near the cavity opening, you can tuck the legs into the band. If not, simply crisscross the legs over the cavity and tie them together (this is called trussing) with a piece of kitchen string or twine. This helps everything cook more evenly.
Next, season the turkey by rubbing with oil or butter and sprinkling with herbs/salt/pepper per the recipe below.
The Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe
Now that it’s all prepped, here’s how to cook a turkey! You’ll need a large roasting pan, I do not recommend a disposable roasting pan as they don’t tend to hold the heat as well which can sometimes add lots of extra cook time (an hour or even more!).
- Preheat oven to 350°F (per the recipe below).
- Place prepared turkey breast side up on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. If you do not have a rack, balled-up foil or large pieces of onion/celery/carrot are great to hold the turkey up and off the bottom of the roaster.
- Add an onion, a couple of pieces of celery, and a couple of carrots (and some garlic if you’d like) in the bottom of the pan (optional, this will add great flavor to your gravy). Add 1-inch or so of chicken stock or broth to the bottom of the pan.
- Place turkey in the oven, reduce heat to 325°F, and roast until it reaches 165°F (and if stuffed, the center of the stuffing should reach 165°F).
- Remove from the oven and REST at least 20-30 minutes before carving.
What Temperature to Roast a Turkey
Preheat the oven to 350°F and then when you place the turkey in the oven, turn the oven down. Slow-roasted turkey at 325°F comes out perfectly tender and juicy.
According to the USDA, a turkey is fully cooked with both the meat and the center of the stuffing reach 165°F. Use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh and ensure it is not touching the bone.
I usually take the turkey out a few degrees early (around 160-162°F) as the temperature will continue to rise while it rests.
Use the drippings to create a quick and easy turkey gravy for the perfect holiday meal.
How Long to Cook a Turkey
Turkey roasting time can vary depending on if the turkey is stuffed or not. If you are short on time, you can Spatchcock Turkey to make cooking extra quick. For a smaller turkey meal, make Roast Turkey Breast.
| Size | Unstuffed | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 14 pounds | 3 to 3 ¾ hours | 3 ½ to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 pounds | 3 ½ to 4 hours | 4 to 4 ½ hours |
| 18 to 22 pounds | 3 ¾ to 4 ½ hours | 4 ½ to 5 hours |
| 22 to 24 pounds | 4 to 4 ½ hours | 5 to 5 ½ hours |
| 24 to 30 pounds | 4 ½ to 5 hours | 5 ½ to 6 ¼ hours |
Classic Turkey Dinner Side Dishes
Easy Roast Turkey Recipe (Step by Step)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12-14 pound whole turkey *
- ¼ cup olive oil or melted butter, slightly cooled
- ½ cup herbs chopped; parsley, rosemary, sage and/or thyme
- 1 recipe stuffing optional
- 1 large onion optional
- 2 medium carrots optional
- 2 ribs celery optional
- 4 cups chicken or turkey broth
- additional herbs if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavity if they are inside (not all turkeys have this) and set aside. Pat the skin of the turkey dry with paper towels. If stuffing the turkey, wipe the inside of the cavity with paper towels.
- Rub the skin of the turkey with olive oil and chopped herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper. Twist the tips of the wings under the turkey.
- If stuffing the turkey, fill the cavity stuffing loosely with cooled stuffing (do not pack stuffing). There is a small area near the neck that you can also fill with stuffing and cover with a flap of skin if you'd like. If you are not stuffing the turkey, add ½ an onion and fresh herbs to the cavity.
- Crisscross the legs and tie them together with kitchen string or tuck under the flap of skin at the tail if your turkey has one to hold them in place.
- Prepare a large rimmed roasting pan by placing a rack in the middle. Add a quartered onion, chopped celery, and carrot. Add the turkey neck and giblets to the pan as well.
- Place turkey in a roasting pan on a rack, breast side up. Add 3-4 cups of broth to the bottom of the pan (just enough to fill the pan about 1" deep).
- Add turkey to the oven, reduce heat to 325°F and roast until turkey reaches 165°F *see cooking times below. Once the breast starts to brown, loosely tent a piece of foil over the breast so it doesn't overcook.
- Remove the turkey from the roasting pan to a rimmed baking sheet or a plate and tent it with foil. Rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
- Make gravy from the drippings while the turkey rests if desired.
Video
Notes
- 12 to 14 pounds Unstuffed: 3 to 3 ¾ hours, Stuffed: 3 ½ to 4 hours
- 14 to 18 pounds Unstuffed: 3 ¾ to 4 ½ hours, Stuffed: 4 to 4 ½ hours
- 18 to 22 pounds Unstuffed: 3 ½ to 4 hours, Stuffed: 4 ½ to 5 hours
- 22 to 24 pounds Unstuffed: 4 to 4 ½ hours, Stuffed: 5 to 5 ½ hours
- 24 to 30 pounds Unstuffed: 4 ½ to 5 hours, Stuffed: 5½ to 6 ¼ hours
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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step 6 and step 7 are those the same roasting pans or different?
thank you, first time making a turkey and I always check your blog for recipes first. thank you for sharing!
Yes! Thanks for clarifying, Celeste. You want to prepare the roaster in step 6 by adding the rack, veggies, neck, and giblets. Then in step 7 add the turkey to the same roasting pan on the rack breast side up.
Would you share how much of each seasoning to use for a 14 pound turkey?
I usually do mostly parsley (about ¼ cup or so) and then the rest chopped herbs based on what I have. Our store sells a poultry pack of fresh herbs that has sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley.
Thank you for the turkey email. And all the sides. I usually do turkey breasts but I think what you do will work.
I try many of your recipes.
I am so glad you have been enjoying the recipes Esther! Happy Thanksgiving!
What about basting?
I personally don’t baste the turkey. I don’t find basting makes the meat more tender and opening the oven frequently adds cooking time. I prefer to pat the skin dry before seasoning to dry it making for extra crisp skin.
I believe the cooking times for the unstuffed 14-18 lb and 18-22 lb turkeys may be reversed. The chart shows a longer cook time for the smaller turkey.
Hi Bill, thanks for reaching out. We have updated the chart to reflect the correct cook times.
Your list of herbs reminds me of a song I heard back in the day.
Is the broth still necessary if I’m not making gravy? Can I put it in the oven without any broth? Or should it have broth no matter if you’re making gravy or not? Thanks Holly! Love your recipes!
Hi Jana, I would still add the broth to the pan. It helps keeps the turkey moist and delicious!
I love how straightforward this recipe is with easy to follow instructions! Thinking of letting the children help during the holidays and this looks like the winning recipe.
Thanks Heidy, so happy to hear you think so! Have fun cooking with the kids.
Such a perfect holiday meal! I love how you made it sound so easy and doable. My mouth is watering just by looking at these clicks.
It is so easy but so delicious Neha! Hope you enjoy.
Saving this to make again for my family for the holidays, so so tender and juicy!
Such a delicious turkey Tawnie! Your family will love it.
So many great tips here! I love the one about starting the oven at 350 and then reducing temperature! I also love the simplicity of just using olive oil and herbs! I’m going to give that a try!
Thanks Beth! It is simple but oh so delicious. Enjoy!
I know it’s only October, but it’s a really good time to prepare and try some recipes ahead of time Takes away the stress.
Absolutely! I am already planning our Thanksgiving feast!
Which herbs do you suggest?
Great question, I use parsley, rosemary, sage and a bit of thyme. I’ve added this to the recipe. Enjoy!
how do you make the gravy
To make a delicious turkey gravy you can use the turkey drippings (with additional broth if needed) following this easy turkey gravy recipe!
If my understanding of this recipe is correct, with the exception of the loose foil tent over the breast later in the cook time this Turkey is in the oven for several hours completely uncovered.
I have always covered my turkeys for the beginning and majority of the cook time to prevent the breast from drying out. What causes the meat to stay juicy in this recipe?
Covering the turkey will allow it to steam if it’s covered tightly. In this case, we start the oven at 350°F and then reduce it which allows the skin to crisp and brown while sealing in the juices.