Check out my FAVORITE roasted turkeyrecipe that packs all of the flavor and juiciness you expect for the perfect meal, with none of the stress! Plus a step-by-step tutorial – trust me this is easy! Perfect healthy meal & the extra to make recipes throughout the week!
There is a lot of stress around a turkey for Thanksgiving but trust me you will want to cook one year round! This roasted turkey recipe is great to make once, and use all week for other meals! A perfect healthy protein option for you and your family and when you are done you can make bone broth too! Check out my Ultimate Guide to Bone Broth, you won’t be disappointed! I’m convinced that this roasted turkey recipe is not only the simplest way to cook a turkey, but it also yields a gorgeous, super juicy, perfectly cooked turkey.
A few ways you can make sure that your roasted turkey recipe comes out as moist as it can be is to brine it! This is done by soaking your turkey in salted water for up to 24 hours, this helps the turkey to retain its moisture through cooking. Another thing that you can do, if you don’t have the time to brine, is to simply let it rest. Once you have rubbed seasonings on your turkey, allow time for those seasonings to soak in before you start baking!
The real KEY to baking a perfect roasted turkey recipe is not to overcook it–that’s what dries out the meat! So, just plan ahead to get the timing right when you want to eat the turkey. This is the setup that I used: a few sweet potatoes, onion, lemon carrots, and garlic… lots of garlic!
Turkey dos and donts
If this is your first time testing out a roasted turkey recipe, don’t worry, we will make sure you avoid all of the easy mistakes. We also want to make sure you know the basics! First things first: Buy about 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. So, if you’re feeding 4-5 people, buy at least an 8 lb. turkey. I like to buy bigger ones because I love the leftovers that you can use for many meals such as sandwiches, tacos, and quesadillas!
To defrost your turkey safely, make sure and allow plenty of time for your turkey to thaw if it is frozen. A good rule of thumb is to allow one day in the fridge for every 5 pounds of turkey. Set the turkey on a cookie sheet or pan at the bottom of your fridge. Raw meat is placed in the bottom of the fridge to ensure safe food handling. Do NOT thaw your turkey in hot water, this will cause it to start cooking while thawing and is not a safe way to defrost a frozen turkey.
Lastly, one thing you do not want to do when preparing your roasted turkey recipe is washing your turkey. This is unnecessary and can spread harmful bacteria around your kitchen. To prepare your turkey, remove the turkey from its packaging, dry it off with some paper towels, and then prepare it for the oven. Any bacteria on the turkey will be killed in the hot oven while it bakes!
The perfect Roasted Turkey recipe
Get ready to wow your family and friends with this easy, no-fuss, perfect roasted turkey recipe. The seasonings can be changed to taste, as well as the sides that you prepare.
First, Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Remove the thawed turkey from the packaging. Remove the neck and the bag of giblets Discard them, or save them for gravy. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Next stuff the turkey with cubes of lemon, garlic, and lots of herbs. I used rosemary! Use your fingers to loosen and lift the skin above the breasts on top and add tablespoons of butter & rosemary underneath the skin. This is my favorite part I add in lots of lemons, butter, and all kinds of herbs!
Make the herb butter by combining room temperature butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, one tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, one tablespoon fresh chopped thyme, and any other fresh herbs you may have
Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper.
Roast at 325 degrees F for about 13-15 minutes per pound (until internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees).
I removed the turkey from the oven once it reaches 160 degrees. Then, I tent it with foil, and let it rest on the counter. It will continue cooking under the foil, to reach 165 degrees F. This is the way to make it moist and delicious to make sure you do not overcook the turkey!
Allow turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving!
Enjoy Friends!!
Did you make any additions to this recipe that made it even better? Let us know in the comments!
Hugs,
Christina & Trevor
