Roasted turkey is a classic centerpiece for holiday meals, and for good reason. It's juicy, flavorful, and relatively easy to make. Plus, there are endless ways to customize your bird with different seasonings, glazes, and sides.
In this article, we've gathered our very best roasted turkey recipes, from classic to creative. Whether you're looking for a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, a flavorful herb-roasted turkey, or a crispy fried turkey, we've got you covered.
Our recipes include step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and beautiful photos to guide you through the process. We'll also help you choose the right turkey size for your needs, prepare your bird for roasting, and troubleshoot any problems that may arise.
So whether you're a seasoned pro or a first-time turkey roaster, we're confident that you'll find the perfect recipe in this collection. Gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's get started!
A SIMPLY PERFECT ROAST TURKEY
Simple, perfect roast turkey just like grandma used to make. Seasoned with salt and pepper, and basted with turkey stock, the flavors of the turkey really stand out. Stuff with your favorite dressing.
Provided by Syd
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Whole Turkey Recipes
Time 4h30m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
- Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
- Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
- Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 662.6 calories, Carbohydrate 13.7 g, Cholesterol 211.4 mg, Fat 33.8 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 72.2 g, SaturatedFat 10.4 g, Sodium 709.5 mg, Sugar 2 g
OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY
Provided by Patrick and Gina Neely : Food Network
Time 3h50m
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle some of the spice rub inside the cavity of the turkey. Separate the skin from the breast meat with your fingers, starting at the top of the breast and sliding to the right and left, then working down. Massage some of the rub onto the meat under the skin. Sprinkle the remaining rub on the turkey's skin. Place the turkey on a sheet tray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours so the flavors can marry.
- Set a rack at the lowest position in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Drizzle the outside of the turkey with a few tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey about 3 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Transfer the turkey to a platter, cover loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.
THE BEST ROAST TURKEY YOU COULD EVER EAT
While the cooking method is rather unconventional, this is the absolute best turkey you could ever want to eat. Adapted from a recipe by the late Edna Staebler. This is the same way my mother always cooked her turkey each year. We never ever did have a dry turkey. Word of truth.
Provided by MarieRynr
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 4h40m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Rinse the turkey and dry it well. Sprinkle the cavity well with salt. Stuff as desired.
- Rub the softened butter all over the outside of the bird, and sprinkled it lightly with salt.
- Place the turkey on the rack of a large roaster, which has a heavy bottom, pouring about 2 inches of water in the bottom of the pan.
- Lay the neck and giblets alongside, cover the pan tightly and put it on the large burner on top of the stove. Allow it to boil and then steam gently for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, approximately the same length of time that it would take to roast the same bird. Take care to see the pan does not cook dry.
- When the drumsticks are loosened and the meat thermometer indicates the bird is about done, dribble a bot of soft butter over the skin, sprinkled it with a bit of white sugar and flour and bang it into a 350*F oven to brown while theaccompanying vegetables are cooking on top of the stove.
- The drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan will be a rich dark brown. Skim off any fat and then use them to make a rich gravy.
THE BEST ROASTED TURKEY
We wanted a moist and flavorful bird with plenty of well-seasoned drippings. (That way we could use them to make the best gravy!) The key is to use traditional Thanksgiving herbs (think parsley, sage, rosemary, bay and thyme) and classic aromatics like onion and garlic. For richness, we basted with butter which also makes the most golden-brown and crispy skin. Leaving the bird untrussed allows the air to circulate for more even cooking.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 3h10m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Adjust a rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Remove any turkey parts from the neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses if desired. Dry the bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper the inside of the breast cavity and stuff the onion, garlic, herbs, and bay leaves inside. Set the bird on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan breast-side up. Brush generously with half of the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tent the bird with foil.
- Roast the turkey for 2 hours. Remove the foil and baste with the remaining butter. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thigh of the bird, about 45 minutes more.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carve and serve.
JUICY ROAST TURKEY
I can't wait to serve this juicy turkey at Thanksgiving-so I make it several times throughout the year. The aroma that wafts through the house as it bakes is almost as mouthwatering as the bird itself. -Terrie Herman, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 3h50m
Yield 12 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Brush over turkey. Place turkey on a platter. Cover and refrigerate for 1-24 hours. , Preheat oven to 325°. Place turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Add the onion, celery and parsley to turkey cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Arrange bacon over top of turkey breast. Spread butter over turkey. Pour broth and water into pan., Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 3-1/2 to 4 hours, basting occasionally. Remove turkey from oven. If desired, remove and discard bacon. Tent with foil; let stand 20 minutes before carving. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for gravy. Serve with turkey.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 535 calories, Fat 29g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 219mg cholesterol, Sodium 594mg sodium, Carbohydrate 2g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 62g protein.
VERY MOIST AND FLAVORFUL ROAST TURKEY
Does your turkey need a boost of moisture and flavor? Try this! Tweak it to your own liking as much as your imagination wants. Carve the entire turkey and save the bones, joints, tail, wing tips, drippings, and reserved onion, garlic and celery (but NOT the skin) to make turkey soup. Mix the apple pieces into your dressing.
Provided by Andie
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Whole Turkey Recipes
Time 4h30m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces, quarter the pieces, and refrigerate butter until needed.
- Use your fingers to loosen the skin over the turkey breast and thighs. Cut a hole in the turkey skin between tail and body (to affix legs); cut a hole on each side of the turkey beneath each wing (to affix wings). Rub the entire skin with vegetable oil.
- Toss apple and onion wedges, garlic cloves, and celery in a large bowl until combined; sprinkle poultry seasoning over the apple mixture and toss again to coat. Stuff the body and neck cavities with the apple mixture. Insert each wing tip into the hole under the wing to secure wings; insert both legs into hole near tail to secure legs.
- Place turkey onto a rack and set in a roasting pan. Insert cold butter pieces under the loosened skin, distributing the butter as evenly as possible.
- Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 3 1/2 hours. Check for doneness after 3 hours.
- Remove roasting pan containing turkey from oven and cover with aluminum foil, lightly pressing the foil directly onto the bird. Let the turkey rest for 40 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 774.2 calories, Carbohydrate 6.1 g, Cholesterol 284.8 mg, Fat 40.3 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 91.3 g, SaturatedFat 14.2 g, Sodium 305.3 mg, Sugar 3.5 g
THE WORLD'S BEST TURKEY
This recipe makes a deliciously moist turkey.
Provided by Sarah
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Whole Turkey Recipes
Time 4h10m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Gently loosen turkey breast skin, and insert pieces of butter between the skin and breast. Place apples inside the turkey's cavity. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place turkey in a roasting bag, and pour Champagne over the inside and outside of the bird. Close bag, and place turkey in a roasting pan.
- Bake turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) when measured in the meatiest part of the thigh. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 590.5 calories, Carbohydrate 3.6 g, Cholesterol 213.6 mg, Fat 29.3 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 68.2 g, SaturatedFat 10.5 g, Sodium 207.2 mg, Sugar 2.2 g
OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST
Easy to make, great for dinner, leftovers and sandwiches. Adapted for our 2-person household from larger recipes for larger families with larger appetites.
Provided by takestu2tango
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Breasts
Time 1h50m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Mix 1/4 cup butter, garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic and herb seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Place turkey breast with skin side up into a roasting pan. Loosen skin with your fingers; brush half the butter mixture over the turkey breast and underneath the skin. Reserve remaining butter mixture. Tent turkey breast loosely with aluminum foil.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour; baste turkey breast with remaining butter mixture. Return to oven and roast until the juices run clear and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone, reads 165 degrees F (65 degrees C), about 30 more minutes. Let turkey breast rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
- While turkey is resting, transfer pan drippings to a skillet. Skim off excess grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in skillet. Place skillet over low heat; cook and stir shallot in turkey grease until opaque, about 5 minutes. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet with shallot and whisk in white wine, scraping any browned bits of food from skillet. Whisk in chicken stock and flour until smooth. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened. For a creamier, lighter gravy, whisk in half-and-half.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 384.6 calories, Carbohydrate 4.3 g, Cholesterol 191.3 mg, Fat 11.8 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 60.3 g, SaturatedFat 7 g, Sodium 313.8 mg, Sugar 0.3 g
Tips:
- Thaw the turkey properly: Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in a cold water bath for 30 minutes per pound. Do not thaw the turkey at room temperature, as this can promote bacterial growth.
- Use a roasting pan with a lid: This will help to keep the turkey moist and prevent it from drying out.
- Roast the turkey breast-side up: This will help to ensure that the breast meat cooks evenly.
- Baste the turkey regularly: Baste the turkey every 30 minutes with melted butter or olive oil. This will help to keep the skin moist and prevent it from burning.
- Use a meat thermometer: Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh to ensure that the turkey is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the turkey rest before carving: Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful turkey.
Conclusion:
Roasting a turkey can be a daunting task, but by following these tips, you can ensure that your turkey turns out perfectly cooked and delicious. With a little planning and preparation, you can enjoy a stress-free holiday meal that your family and friends will love.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »