Perfect oven-roasted turkey is easy to dish up for family meals and holidays with this easy, tried, and true roast turkey recipe! This is one of the easiest ways to ensure your holiday turkey turns out beautifully browned, tender, moist, and super tasty!
Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C/Gas Mark 8) and place a roasting rack or tray in your large roasting pan.
Remove thawed 14 lbs turkey from packaging, as well as any packages in the cavity (neck, gizzards, heart, liver are usually inside - some turkeys also have a package of gravy base). Rinse turkey inside and out, place in the roasting pan breast side up, then pat dry.
14 lbs turkey
In a small bowl, combine melted 1 cup butter with 4 cubes chicken bullion cubes and ½ tablespoon smoked paprika. Break apart the cubes and mash them to make a paste.
Using the paste, coat the outside of the turkey as well as inside the body cavity (whether or not you will be stuffing the turkey, it adds sensational flavoring!), starting with massaging the paste into the breast and working over the legs, wings, back, and then the remaining paste inside the turkey.
Stuff your turkey (optional) with prepared stuffing. *I do not cook our stuffing this way, as the turkey cooks more evenly when left open.
(optional) Place a quartered 1 large orange and 4 sprigs thyme herbs inside the cavity for aroma and flavoring.
Pour 2 cups chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan (water will work too; water or broth will combine with the drippings from your roasting turkey and can be used for turkey gravy base).
Leave your turkey uncovered and place the roasting pan with seasoned turkey into the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and cook for 13 minutes per pound without stuffing - or 15 minutes per pound with stuffing.
Every 45 minutes, remove the turkey from oven and baste with the drippings and then return to the oven and allow to continue cooking. Be sure to close the oven while basting, to keep your oven temperature steady for proper roasting time.
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 serving platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, then save the drippings for gravy (if desired). Allow your turkey to rest for approximately half the roasting time (ex. 1 ½ hours resting time for a 3-hour roasting time).
Notes
The second basting interval is when I start checking the internal temperature of my turkey with a meat thermometer. It is also when I evaluate the appearance of the skin
Cover the turkey loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil, if needed, to keep from over-cooking the skin and turkey breast.
To store: Leftover turkey can be refrigerated for 4-5 days in an air-tight container or frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight freezer container.