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Making the Perfect Roast Turkey is really simple when you know the steps. Learn what you need to do to make a moist and flavorful turkey.
Cooking a turkey is a really easy meal. Just a few simple ingredients help enhance its flavor and regular basting helps ensure a moist bird.
Ingredients
Instructions
Step 1. Preheat oven to 325F. Place oven rack on lowest position in oven and remove upper rack.
Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Spray with cooking spray if the pan doesn't have a non-stick surface. I use this roasting pan #ad and clean-up is so easy.
Place the bird on the rack breast up. Tuck wings under the turkey. Below the picture on the left shows the top of the breast portion of the turkey. The picture on the right shows the backside of the turkey.
Mix dried rosemary, thyme, and ground pepper together and sprinkle over the breast of the turkey.
Step 2. Chop lemon and onion into wedges and place inside the bird cavity.
Step 3. Mix broth, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh rosemary, parsley, and thyme in a large mixing bowl. Pour over turkey.
For the broth, I use a bullion base, Better Than Boullion. It is a thick paste that you mix with water and it makes a quick and flavorful broth. Great to have on hand when you are out of the homemade bone broth.
Step 4. Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Use an oven baster to pull pan juices into the baster and drizzle over the turkey. Repeat every 30 minutes until the bird is done. A 12-pound turkey will take approximately 3 to 3 1/2 hours to roast.
Step 5. When the internal temperature of the bird, taken in the thickest portion of the thigh reaches 165F, remove and tent with foil. Allow resting for 20 minutes prior to carving. I use a digital temperature probe like this one to check for doneness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Turkey Giblets
You will almost always find giblets included in a whole turkey and often in a whole chicken. Packaged in a paper bag or plastic, they include the bird's neck, liver, gizzard, and heart.
Giblets are packed in the inside cavity of the bird and sometimes in the tail. Make sure and remove the neck and giblets prior to roasting.
The neck, gizzard, and heart can be simmered in water with herbs for 3 hours until tender. Alternatively, you can saute or roast the giblets and liver with herbs and olive oil.
Finely chop giblets and add to the turkey gravy or stuffing. They will add a depth of flavor to both that you will never get with premade gravy and stuffing packages.
A perfectly roasted golden turkey is the centerpiece of your holiday meal. Add colorful garnishes to the platter to accent the turkey.
First, create a bed of fresh lettuce. Use the ruffled, colorful varieties that have deep green and plum hues. Next, add sprigs of fresh rosemary and fresh bay leaves for texture.
Finally, add color with fresh cranberries, and fruit. Slices of lemons, or oranges, and groups of grapes add texture and color to the platter.
What to Serve with Roasted Turkey
Serve oven roasted turkey with:
- mashed potatoes and turkey giblet gravy
- green beans, broccoli, carrots, or other vegetable
- a leafy green salad with homemade Green Goddess dressing
- warm and fluffy dinner rolls, and
Other Dinner Recipes for You
Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 pound turkey
- 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 lemon
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp Better Than Boullion
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 lemon
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp rosemary dried
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp pepper ground
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh, if available
- 1 tbsp thyme fresh, if available
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Place oven rack at lowest position. Remove upper rack.
- Remove turkey from packaging. Remove neck and giblet bag from the turkey cavity or tail area. Check both places. This needs to be removed prior to roasting.
- Place turkey, breast side up in a roasting pan with a rack.
- Sprinkle with dried rosemary, thyme, and pepper.
- Chop lemon and onion into large quarters. Place in bird cavity.
- Mix broth, add garlic, lemon juice, and fresh herbs if available. Pour over turkey.
- Place turkey on bottom rack of preheated oven. Set timer for 30 minutes. Baste turkey with pan juices. Set timer to baste every 30 minutes until the turkey is done. Roughly 3- 3 1/2 hours. Check for doness with a instant read thermometer inserted in the thigh area of the turkey. The turkey is done when the thermometer reads a minimum of 165°F.
- Remove turkey from oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 20 minutes prior to carving.
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