Thanksgiving roasted turkey is moist, flavorful, juicy, and perfect for being the main component of your holiday meal! This fool-proof recipe is perfect for both beginners and experienced cooks. Trust me when I say that this turkey is so delicious that your family will simply gobble it up!
Easy Thanksgiving Roast Turkey
We all know that turkey is the star of the show on Thanksgiving! Unfortunately, making a Thanksgiving turkey can be pretty stressful. Don't worry because I'm here to help!
This Thanksgiving turkey recipe is incredibly easy to follow, so you won't have to worry about it! Simply follow along and get ready to enjoy a moist and delicious roasted turkey with your family!
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Whether you're a pro at hosting Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties or giving it a try for the first time this year, you're sure to find my ultimate guide to planning Thanksgiving a help! Don't forget to safely thaw your holiday turkey early, too!
🥘 Thanksgiving Roasted Turkey Ingredients
You can adjust the weight of your turkey to ensure you have enough for all of your guests. Simply switch up the cooking time based on how much your turkey weighs!
- Turkey - A 16-pound turkey that has been thawed.
- Butter - ½ cup (or 1 stick) of butter that has been softened at room temperature.
- Onion - 1 medium yellow onion that has been peeled, halved, and quartered.
- Lemon - 1 large lemon that has been washed, halved, and quartered.
- Orange - 1 large orange that has been washed, halved, and quartered.
- Garlic - 1 head of garlic that has been peeled with the cloves crushed.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper to taste.
- Garlic Powder - ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Thyme - ¼ teaspoon of thyme.
- Poultry Seasoning (Optional) - ½ teaspoon of poultry seasoning if desired.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Roast Thanksgiving Turkey
Preparing the turkey for Thanksgiving has a reputation for being a stressful event, but let me assure you that this recipe is a piece of cake! Just grab your roasting pan and rack, a small mixing bowl, and some knives!
For serving, a great general rule is 1-1½ pounds of turkey per person.
Prepare the Turkey
- Bring turkey to room temperature. 30 minutes before you begin, remove the 16-pound turkey from the fridge so that it can come to room temperature. This is also a good time to take out the ½ cup of butter so it can soften.
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and place a roasting rack or tray into a large roasting pan.
- Prepare turkey. Remove the turkey from its packaging as well as the contents of the cavity (neck, gizzards, heart, liver, and sometimes a gravy packet). Rinse both the inside and outside of your turkey and then pat it dry using paper towels.
- Fill the cavity. Transfer it to your roasting rack and generously season the interior of the turkey with salt and pepper. Then, fill the cavity with 1 each of the chopped onion, garlic cloves, orange, and lemon.
- Make herb butter. In a small mixing bowl, add ½ cup of softened butter, ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme, and ½ teaspoon of the optional poultry seasoning if using. Mix until well combined.
- Butter under the skin. Gently loosen the skin of the turkey with your fingertips and spread half of the herb butter under the skin, covering the breast and legs.
- Prepare the skin. Tuck the wing tips under and use butcher twine to hold the legs together. Spread the remaining herb butter all over the entire outside of the turkey, including all sides.
Bake the Turkey
- Bake. Leave your turkey uncovered and place it in the preheated oven. Then, reduce the temperature of the oven to 350°F (175°C) and cook for 13 minutes per pound (with no stuffing) or 15 minutes per pound (with stuffing).
- Baste. Remove your turkey from the oven and baste it using the drippings from the pan every 45 minutes. Keep your oven closed while you are basting the turkey so that the temperature stays steady.
- Remove. Remove your turkey from the oven when it reaches 155-160°F (68-71°C).
- Rest. Carefully transfer the cooked turkey to a cutting board or your serving platter, then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Save the drippings for gravy (if desired). Allow your turkey to rest for about 1 hour before carving and serving.
Your turkey will pair well with any of your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes! For more ideas, check out my list of what to serve with turkey! Enjoy!
💭 Tips & Notes
- Take a look at my guide for how to safely thaw turkey for some tips and tricks!
- Allowing your turkey to come to room temperature will help it to cook evenly and minimize shrinkage.
- An unstuffed turkey cooks at about 13 minutes per pound. However, since the cavity is stuffed with oranges, lemons, onions, and garlic, it will take slightly longer to cook at about 15 minutes per pound.
- Turkey should never be cooked at a temperature that is lower than 325°F (163°C) due to safety.
- If the presentation of your turkey is not vital, you can achieve an incredibly moist turkey breast by cooking the bird with the breast side facing down.
- The hardest spot to get to cook evenly with your turkey is the thigh joint, to help with this don't tie the legs together, and you can even use a sharp knife to cut deeper into the joint. This will cook your turkey evenly, quickly, and perfectly.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Remove the meat from the turkey and transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Additionally, you can place your meat into zip-top freezer bags and freeze them for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat Thanksgiving Turkey
Place your meat into a baking dish with some chicken broth and butter then cover it with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated all the way through.
❓ FAQ
Basting your turkey every 45 minutes using pan drippings will help to keep your bird moist while roasting. Additionally, if the appearance isn't incredibly important, you can roast your turkey with the breast side facing down for amazingly moist meat!
Nope! Don't add any water or other liquids to your roasting pan when preparing the turkey. This will cause the meat to steam rather than roast.
If you are watching your turkey and worried that there are no drippings, don't be. Your turkey doesn't start to release moisture until later on in the cooking process. The bird is pretty big, so it takes some time before the meat heats up enough to start producing drippings.
🦃 More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Sweet Potato Pie - This sweet and delicious pie is a classic holiday dessert that belongs on every Thanksgiving table!
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole From Scratch - Make some homemade green bean casserole using fresh green beans for some delicious comfort food!
- Easy Stuffing - This delicious stuffing only requires 5 minutes of prep work!
- Jiffy Corn Casserole - Corn casserole is creamy, delicious, and incredibly easy to prepare!
- Deviled Eggs - Deviled eggs are an easy and tasty appetizer that always disappears quickly!
- Pumpkin Pie - This sweet and creamy pie is packed with warm spices and tasty pumpkin!
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📖 Recipe Card
Thanksgiving Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
- 16 lb turkey (thawed)
- ½ cup butter (softened, at room temperature, divided)
- 1 medium yellow onion (peeled, halved, and quartered)
- 1 large lemon (washed, halved, and quartered)
- 1 large orange (washed, halved, and quartered)
- 1 head garlic (peeled and cloves crushed)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- 30 minutes before you begin, remove the turkey from the fridge so that it can come to room temperature. This is also a good time to take out the butter so it can soften.16 lb turkey, ½ cup butter
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and place a roasting rack or tray into a large roasting pan.
- Remove the turkey from its packaging as well as the contents of the cavity (neck, gizzards, heart, liver, and sometimes a gravy packet). Rinse both the inside and outside of your turkey and then pat it dry using paper towels.16 lb turkey
- Transfer it to your roasting rack and generously season the interior of the turkey with salt and pepper. Then, fill the cavity with the onion, garlic cloves, orange, and lemon.1 medium yellow onion, 1 large orange, 1 head garlic, 1 large lemon
- In a small mixing bowl, add softened butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and optional poultry seasoning if using. Mix until well combined.½ cup butter, ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Gently loosen the skin of the turkey with your fingertips and spread half of the herb butter under the skin, covering the breast and legs.
- Tuck the wing tips under and use butcher twine to hold the legs together. Spread the remaining herb butter all over the entire outside of the turkey, including all sides.½ cup butter
- Leave your turkey uncovered and place it in the preheated oven. Then, reduce the temperature of the oven to 350°F (175°C) and cook for 13 minutes per pound (with no stuffing) or 15 minutes per pound (with stuffing).
- Remove your turkey from the oven and baste it using the drippings from the pan every 45 minutes. Keep your oven closed while you are basting the turkey so that the temperature stays steady.
- Remove your turkey from the oven when it reaches 155-160°F (68-71°C).
- Carefully transfer the cooked turkey to a cutting board or your serving platter, then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Save the drippings for gravy (if desired). Allow your turkey to rest for about 1 hour before carving and serving.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- Take a look at my guide for how to safely thaw turkey for some tips and tricks!
- Allowing your turkey to come to room temperature will help it to cook evenly and minimize shrinkage.
- An unstuffed turkey cooks at about 13 minutes per pound. However, since the cavity is stuffed with oranges, lemons, onions, and garlic, it will take slightly longer to cook at about 15 minutes per pound.
- Turkey should never be cooked at a temperature that is lower than 325°F (163°C) due to safety.
- If the presentation of your turkey is not vital, you can achieve an incredibly moist turkey breast by cooking the bird with the breast side facing down.
- The hardest spot to get to cook evenly with your turkey is the thigh joint, to help with this don't tie the legs together, and you can even use a sharp knife to cut deeper into the joint. This will cook your turkey evenly, quickly, and perfectly.
- To store: Remove the meat from the turkey and transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: You can place your meat into zip-top freezer bags and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Place your meat into a baking dish with some chicken broth and butter then cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated all the way through.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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