This guide on how to cook a turkey will give you a delightfully golden, flavorful, and succulent roasted turkey that will have everyone reaching for seconds. No complicated techniques or expensive special tools are needed to make the best Thanksgiving turkey recipe. You’ll love how tender the dark meat is without sacrificing juicy white meat.
A whole turkey makes an impressive centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner table when it’s roasted to golden perfection. And it’s perfect served alongside some of my other traditional Thanksgiving side dishes like my creamed corn recipe, cornbread dressing, or sweet potato casserole.
What You Need To Roast a Turkey
Turkey — a fresh or thawed frozen turkey. A fresh turkey that hasn’t been pre-brined is my ideal kind. If you buy a frozen turkey, be sure to allow enough time to properly thaw it before you get started.
Butter — you’ll rub a mixture of softened unsalted butter, salt, and black pepper all over the bird so the skin crisps up and achieves a gorgeous golden brown color.
Herbs — a trio of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, and sage) infuse the turkey with earthy flavor and also produce the most delicious drippings, so save them for making gravy!
Aromatics — an entire onion and head of garlic go into the cavity to season the turkey from the inside during roasting.
Broth — chicken broth helps the turkey remain moist while it roasts and also adds flavor to the drippings. If you don’t have broth, you can use water or white wine.
How Many Pounds Of Turkey Do I Need Per Serving?
Generally, allocate 1 to 1½ pounds of turkey per guest. I lean towards more (1½ pounds per guest) to ensure I have more than enough food for my gathering, plus leftovers! Take the weight of the uncooked whole turkey to calculate the servings and size needed.
Here’s a simple guide you can follow to decide how much your turkey should weigh:
- 8-10 pound turkey: 6 to 10 servings
- 10-12 pound turkey: 8 to 12 servings
- 12-16 pound turkey: 10 to 16 servings
- 16-20 pound turkey: 14 to 20 servings
Safely Thawing A Frozen Turkey
If you buy a frozen turkey, the most important step is to make sure it thaws fully before you prep and roast it; otherwise, it may not cook evenly. Turkeys should always be thawed in a cool environment to keep bacteria from growing.
Allow 24 hours of thawing time in the refrigerator per 5 pounds of turkey. To figure out how many days you need, take the total weight of your turkey and divide it by 5. (Fun fact: this is the number of days you need!) Multiply that number by 24 to get the total number of defrosting hours needed to determine your exact timing.
For example, if you have a 10-pound turkey:
15 ÷ 5 = 3
3 x 24 = 72 hours
Thus, a 15-pound turkey will take about 72 hours (3 days) to thaw out completely in the refrigerator. If time allows, I like to give myself an extra half or full day to make sure there’s no frozen surprise when I go to prep the bird.
Shortcut thawing method: Soak the packaged turkey in cold water, which you will need to change every 30 minutes. It should take 1 hour per 2 pounds of turkey. To figure out how much time you need, divide the total turkey weight by 2. So, if you have a 10-pound turkey, it should thaw out in about 5 hours. If you opt for this method, only use cold water (not warm or hot water). If at any point you can’t change the water regularly, do not leave the turkey out on the counter. Remove it from the water and return it to the fridge to continue thawing.
Should I Brine The Turkey First?
A turkey brine — essentially a long soak in a seasoned saltwater bath — creates a very flavorful and juicy turkey. You can certainly do this if you’d like. Be sure you give enough time for the turkey to thaw and then brine before roasting. If you do brine it, you can use this roasting method for a turkey that has been seasoned in a dry brine or wet brine.
My roasted turkey recipe will result in a succulent and flavorful bird without brining, so it is not a necessary step, especially if you don’t have the time or fridge space to do so. Some turkeys come pre-brined, so look for that on the label if you’re buying from the grocery store.
How To Cook A Turkey
1. Place the thawed turkey, breast side up, in a large roasting pan with a wire rack. If you brine your turkey, let it drain well before placing it in the pan. Remove any giblets in the turkey cavity. Pat the bird dry all over with paper towels. Let it sit uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Stuff the cavity with onion, garlic, 8 sprigs of rosemary, and 8 sprigs of sage. Place the remaining herbs in the roasting pan around the turkey.
4. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
5. Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey, making sure to get under the skin on the breast and legs. Pour the chicken stock into the roasting pan.
6. Roast for 15 minutes at 450°F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue roasting, basting the turkey every 30 minutes with the pan juices until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh registers 165°F. Add more broth or some water to the roasting pan if it starts to dry out at any point. Let the turkey rest in the roasting pan for 15 minutes before carving. Strain the turkey drippings and serve them with the turkey or use them to make a delicious, flavorful gravy.
How Long Does It Take To Cook A Turkey?
This is one of the most common questions people ask when learning how to cook a turkey! Typically, an unstuffed turkey will take about 13 minutes per pound of turkey to cook completely. A stuffed turkey will take about 15 minutes per pound to roast (when filled with a hefty bread stuffing, not aromatics!).
Your turkey may cook faster than that, though, so just make sure you start checking the internal temperature about 15 minutes earlier than you think it might be done.
Here’s a breakdown of the general cooking times to ensure you roast a perfect Thanksgiving turkey:
- 8-10 pounds: 1:45 – 2:15 hrs
- 11-13 pounds: 2:20 – 2:50 hrs
- 14-16 pounds: 3 – 3:30 hrs
- 17-20 pounds: 3:40 – 4:20 hrs
How To Properly Check The Internal Temperature
It is vital to use an instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your turkey. There’s really no better way to keep an eye on it. If your turkey comes with a pop-up “thermometer,” keep in mind that these can be wildly inaccurate and may cause you to inadvertently overcook the Thanksgiving turkey, and I do not recommend using them to determine if your turkey is done cooking.
Insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey, typically where the thigh meets the breast. Do not touch the bone. The turkey is ready to come out of the oven when the thermometer registers an internal temperature of 160°F in the thickest part of the thigh. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests, coming up to 165°F— which, according to the USDA, is the safe minimum internal temperature for turkey.
How To Serve Roasted Turkey
Start by carving the turkey as the centerpiece for the meal. Check out my tutorial for How to Carve a Turkey — don’t worry, it’s much easier than you think!
You can use the turkey drippings to make a creamy gravy to drizzle over the turkey and side dishes. Serve turkey with any of your favorite classic Thanksgiving side dishes, like mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, classic stuffing or sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce, and candied yams. For more inspiration, have a look at all my side dish recipes!
Ways to Use Leftovers
My favorite leftover turkey meal is a simple turkey sandwich made with sliced turkey, a good cheddar cheese, and a healthy slathering of mayo on slices of potato bread or white bread. You can also save the bones, main carcass, and any trimmings to make homemade turkey stock. If any of your leftover turkey meat is a bit dry, turn it into a turkey pot pie or turkey noodle soup.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. This will help dry out the skin for better browning and take the chill off the turkey.
- Use different flavor combinations: The simplicity of the turkey seasoning shouldn’t be underestimated! The butter, salt, pepper, and bunches of aromatics create a wonderfully juicy and flavorful turkey. If you’re feeling more adventurous, use your favorite spice blend or make a homemade turkey seasoning rub, and mix it into the softened butter. Cajun seasoning or a garlicky Greek seasoning are two of my favorites. Have fun with the flavors!
- If I plan to make a gravy with the drippings, I like to slice up an extra onion, carrots, celery, an apple, or whole lemon and place it in the bottom of the roasting pan before adding the turkey, infusing the pan drippings with even more flavor.
- Start the oven at a high temperature. Starting the turkey at a higher oven temperature essentially “sears” the outside, creating a more crispy golden skin during roasting while also helping to seal in the juices so the turkey stays moist during the long cooking time.
- Baste the turkey: Continuously basting the turkey keeps the outside from getting too dry and also helps brown the skin for a moist turkey, so I definitely wouldn’t skip that step! I use a pastry brush dipped in the pan juices to brush over the bird. There is no need for a baster if you don’t have one.
- If the breast area or leg or wingtips start to get too brown during cooking, shield just those areas with aluminum foil.
- Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This is a vital step so the juices in the turkey can redistribute, so that every bite is juicy and moist. If you carve the turkey immediately, the juices will run out onto your cutting board.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there is no need to rinse the turkey before preparing it. Rinsing it will spread bacteria around your sink and the rest of your kitchen, so I advise against it.
Yes. Keep in mind that cooking a frozen turkey takes about 50% longer than a thawed one, or 20-23 minutes per pound. Unwrap the turkey and place it in the roasting pan as-is. Roast at 325°F for 2 hours. Then, carefully remove the giblets from the cavity. Stuff the cavity with herbs, garlic, and onion, and brush the turkey with the seasoned butter. Continue roasting until the breast and thighs both register 165°F.
Starting from frozen can cook the turkey unevenly, so I still recommend thawing it first.
Yes, you can put stuffing in the turkey. Adjust the cooking time to 15 minutes per pound of roasting time. The stuffing will also need to reach 165°F. Unfortunately, the time it takes for the stuffing to cook completely often takes longer than the turkey itself and can dry out the meat. For this reason, I recommend cooking it on the side instead.
Yes, it’s a good idea to increase the seasoned butter for a larger turkey. For a 14- to 18-pound turkey, increase by 50%. For an even larger turkey, double the amount in the recipe.
While you can use a turkey bag, the turkey skin will not get crispy as the bag traps steam keeping the skin soft. This roasted turkey recipe produces a perfectly juicy turkey, so as long as you use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, you will not need a turkey bag.
If you love this recipe try these out!
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How to Cook A Turkey
Video
Equipment
- Roasting pan with rack
- Basting or pastry brush
- Aluminum foil (if needed)
Ingredients
- 1 (10-12-pound) fresh turkey thawed if frozen*
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (227g)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 onion peeled and quartered
- 10 to 12 rosemary sprigs
- 10 to 12 thyme sprigs
- 10 to 12 sage sprigs
- 1 head garlic halved
- 4 cups chicken broth (960ml)
Instructions
- Remove all packaging and place the turkey breast side up in a large roasting pan with a wire rack. If brining your turkey, let the turkey drain well before placing it in the pan. Remove any giblets in the turkey cavity. Pat the turkey dry all over with paper towels. Let sit uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour. (This will help dry out the skin for better browning and take the chill off the turkey.)
- After an hour, preheat the oven to 450F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the butter, salt, and black pepper.
- Stuff the cavity with the onion, garlic, 8 sprigs of rosemary, and 8 sprigs of sage. Place the remaining herb sprigs in the roasting pan around the turkey.
- For better presentation, tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey, making sure to get under the skin on the breast and legs. Pour the stock into the roasting pan.
- Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325F. Continue roasting, basting the turkey every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh registers 165F, 2 to 2½ hours or about 12 minutes per pound of turkey. Add more broth or some water to the roasting pan if it starts to dry out at any point. If the breast area or leg or wingtips start to get too brown anytime during cooking, shield just those areas with foil.
- Let the turkey rest in the roasting pan for 15 minutes before carving. Strain the drippings in the roasting pan and serve with the turkey or use it to make a delicious, flavorful gravy.
Notes
- Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. This will help dry out the skin for better browning and take the chill off the turkey.
- Use different flavor combinations: The simplicity of the turkey seasoning shouldn’t be underestimated! The butter, salt, pepper, and bunches of aromatics create a wonderfully juicy and flavorful turkey. If you’re feeling more adventurous, use your favorite spice blend or make a homemade turkey seasoning rub, and mix it into the softened butter. Cajun seasoning or a garlicky Greek seasoning are two of my favorites. Have fun with the flavors!
- If I plan to make a gravy with the drippings, I like to slice up an extra onion, carrots, celery, an apple, or whole lemon and place it in the bottom of the roasting pan before adding the turkey, infusing the pan drippings with even more flavor.
- Start the oven at a high temperature. Starting the turkey at a higher oven temperature essentially “sears” the outside, creating a more crispy golden skin during roasting while also helping to seal in the juices so the turkey stays moist during the long cooking time.
- Baste the turkey: Continuously basting the turkey keeps the outside from getting too dry and also helps brown the skin for a moist turkey, so I definitely wouldn’t skip that step! I use a pastry brush dipped in the pan juices to brush over the bird. There is no need for a baster if you don’t have one.
- If the breast area or leg or wingtips start to get too brown during cooking, shield just those areas with aluminum foil.
- Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This is a vital step so the juices in the turkey can redistribute, so that every bite is juicy and moist. If you carve the turkey immediately, the juices will run out onto your cutting board.
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