Turkey Recipe

Learning how to cook a turkey is easier than you may have thought. With a few simple tips and tricks you can have a perfect juicy, golden brown turkey on your holiday table.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Resting Time 20

Total Time 3 40

Servings people

Calories 421kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Equipment

Roasting Pan

Ingredients

13-15 lb. turkey thawed
1 onion quartered
1 lemon quartered
1 apple quartered
2 springs rosemary
2 spring sage
2 sprigs thyme or oregano

Herb Butter

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
1-2 Tbsp fresh herbs chopped (rosemary, oregano, thyme, etc.)

Instructions

Thaw turkey in refrigerator. 24 hours for every 5 lbs.
Allow turkey to sit at room temperature one hour before putting in the oven.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F with rack at the bottom of oven, you want the turkey in the center of your oven.
Mix together herb mixture.
Remove neck and giblets from inside of the turkey, rinse and pat turkey dry.
Using your fingers, loosen the skin of the turkey and rub half the butter mixture under the skin. Spread the other half over the top of the skin.
Stuff the inside of the turkey with lemon, onion, apple and fresh herbs. Tuck the wings under the turkey and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
Place turkey on rack in roasting pan.
Fold a piece of foil into a triangle and shape it to fit the turkey, covering the breast area. See photo above.
Roast the turkey at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes to let the skin turn golden brown.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F, insert oven safe meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, being sure not to hit the bone. Cover turkey with foil triangle. Cook the turkey until it reaches 160 degrees F. and remove from oven. Tent with foil and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Notes

The best way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator. You should allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. Be sure and place the turkey in its original packaging into a pan to catch any juices that may drip from the turkey as it thaws.

If you need to do it quicker, you can place the turkey into a cold water bath in your sink and change the water every 30 minutes until it’s thawed. It should take about 30 minutes per pound.

When you insert the meat thermometer, make sure it doesn't hit the bone. You want it in the meatiest part of the turkey breast. Insert the thermometer into the breasts and the thighs. The thighs will take longer to cook than the breasts.

When you take the turkey out of the oven, tent the turkey with foil as it rests to help keep it warm. Rest for 15-30 minutes before carving. Make your gravy while the turkey is resting.

The best way to carve a turkey is: Remove the wings first, and then the legs. Carve off the breasts next, cut close to the rib cage and then seperate the legs into thighs and drumsticks. Carve the breast meat into individual slices.

Nutrition