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This Thanksgiving Turkey recipe is practically foolproof – it’s flavor packed and so tender and juicy with a golden, crispy skin. With my step-by-step tutorial, even first time cooks can pull this roast turkey recipe off stress-free!
About This Recipe
This perfect Thanksgiving Turkey will be the star of your family’s holiday dinner. Of course, the best turkey recipe needs the best Thanksgiving side dishes, like my Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Stuffing, and classic Green Bean Casserole.
This juicy turkey recipe isn’t complicated at all. There’s no brining, no basting, no weird cooking techniques. Just simple instructions to give you great results every time while your bird roasts stress-free.
In this post, you’ll learn tons of tips and tricks, plus step-by-step instructions for the most perfectly tender, incredibly juicy, totally stress-free, best Thanksgiving turkey recipe, ever! Your holiday meal is about to get a whole lot easier.
Why This Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Works
- It’s easy! Even a first-time cook can make a delicious turkey for Thanksgiving, or any day, by following this easy turkey recipe.
- Butter keeps it moist. Placing butter underneath the turkey skin adds extra flavor and keeps the meat moist and juicy.
- Foil keeps it from drying out. Covering the top with foil during the first few hours of cooking helps to keep the breast meat from drying out since the turkey legs take a little longer to cook.
- High heat crisps the skin. Turning up the heat during the last hour ensures golden, crispy skin without drying out the meat.
Recipe walkthrough
How To Cook A Turkey: A Step By Step Tutorial
No brining, no basting, just simple ingredients for an exceptionally flavorful Thanksgiving turkey! Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
- The bird – For this recipe and the cooking times that go with it, I used a 12-pound turkey. This is a fairly average size that will feed 8-10 people.
- Butter – Pats of butter are placed under the skin of each turkey breast. Add even more flavor by using my yummy Garlic Butter.
- Onion and garlic – peel and stuff inside the cavity of the turkey. You can also add fresh herbs and citrus fruits, like lemon or orange, if you like.
- Dry Rub – Mix together kosher salt, dried thyme, dried sage, rosemary, paprika, black pepper, and ground mustard and rub into the skin. This is also a delicious seasoning for Roast Chicken.
- Equipment – A big roasting pan, preferably with a wire rack to hold the roast turkey up above the drippings.
How To Defrost A Turkey
If your turkey is frozen, you will need to completely defrost it in the refrigerator before you even remove any of the packaging. Place your bird in a deep roasting pan in the fridge to catch any juices that may run out.
Resist the urge to thaw in your kitchen sink as this can encourage harmful bacteria to spread. Be sure to start defrosting the turkey a few days before you need to cook it.
How long do you defrost a turkey? A good rule of thumb is to allow 24 hours for every 4 pounds of turkey. So for our 12-pound bird, at least 3-4 days. To be safe I usually give it an extra 12-24 hours.
Once your turkey is fully defrosted, you can prep it for roasting using the recipe below.
How To Prep A Turkey For Roasting
First remove from packaging and remove extra parts. Remove the fully thawed turkey from its packaging. I usually do this in a large container in the kitchen sink. If included, remove the neck and the bag containing the gizzards and giblets. Keep these for making extra stock for the Homemade Turkey Gravy or discard them.
- Dry the skin. Pat the skin dry with paper towels. Dry skin equals crispy skin!
- Separate the skin from the breast. Using clean hands, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast starting on the side closest to the legs. Slide your hand underneath, separating the skin from the breast meat. Repeat the process with the other side.
- Add butter under the skin. Slide 3 pats of butter (1 pat = 1 tablespoon) under the skin on each side and spread it around with your fingers.
- Add seasoning and aromatics. Mix together the dry rub, sprinkle it all over the outside of the turkey, and press it into the skin. Sprinkle a little inside the cavity, too. Place the onions and garlic inside the cavity, then transfer the whole bird to a roasting pan with a rack.
Roasting The Turkey
These instructions are for how to cook a 12-pound turkey in the oven. If your bird is bigger or smaller, you will need to adjust the cooking time based on the provided instructions. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full instructions, or check out the handy chart below.
- Preheat your oven. We start with the oven at 325℉, keeping it low and slow for 2 hours (depending on the size) so the meat gets moist and tender, then crank it up to 400 for the last hour to get that crispy skin.
- Cover. Cut a piece of foil large enough to cover the turkey breasts. Press it down and mold the foil to the shape of the breasts. This will keep the breasts from drying out. You’ll remove it before the turkey is finished cooking to brown the skin.
- Roast the turkey in the oven at 325℉ for 2 hours, adding additional time depending on the size (use the chart below). Then turn the heat up to 400℉, remove the foil, and roast until the cooked turkey reaches the optimal temperature. Use our handy guide below to adjust the time. (Be sure to pin this chart to save it for later!).
- Let the turkey rest. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes or up to 40 minutes. This will give you plenty of time to cook a Sweet Potato Casserole or warm up some dinner rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
A pound of turkey per person will feed your guests and leave them satisfied. But if you want leftovers, I recommend 1.5-2 pounds per adult and about half a pound per child. I personally think leftovers are awesome, because you can make Turkey Tetrazzini or Turkey and Stuffing Casserole.
A 12 pound turkey takes about 3 hours to cook. Start at 325℉ for 2 hours, then increase the temperature to 400℉ for another hour. For a larger bird, increase the initial cooking time (at 325℉) by 15 minutes per pound.
One of the best tricks we have for keeping your cooked turkey juicy and moist is butter! Stuffing pats of butter under the skin creates a beautifully crisp skin, but it also melts and keeps the meat super moist and juicy.
Another trick I use is placing aluminum foil over the turkey breasts to help dissipate some of the heat and lock in moisture. Since dark meat takes longer to cook than light meat, this method lets the thighs and legs get their roast on while the breast gently cooks.
A turkey should be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 165℉. Insert an instant-read meat thermometer in the base of the breast meat or the thickest part of the thigh, careful not to touch any bone. Those are the absolute basics.
The actual length of time it takes to reach the correct temperature will depend on the temperature of the bird before cooking, its size, and your oven temperature.
Expert Tips, Do’s and Don’ts
Every year we get lots of questions about how to cook a turkey, so we’ve put them all in one place. Hopefully, these helpful hints will take the guesswork out of cooking your turkey!
- Don’t wash your turkey. Washing poultry is a no-no and will just contaminate your sink. Remove from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels.
- Don’t cook stuffing inside your turkey. If you cook stuffing inside your turkey, the meat will be dry and overcooked before the stuffing reaches a temperature that’s safe to eat. Instead, stuff the turkey with aromatics like onions, garlic, celery, herbs, or lemons that will add a ton of flavor to the bird as well as to the drippings for pan gravy, and cook your stuffing in a casserole dish. You can try my yummy recipes for Classic Homemade Stuffing, Cornbread Stuffing, Sausage Stuffing, or Bacon and Onion Stuffing.
- Don’t baste or brine your turkey. These extra steps are really unnecessary for achieving the perfect roast turkey. Basting requires constantly opening your oven, which costs you valuable heat and extends the cooking time. Brining isn’t necessary with a high-quality turkey.
- Do save the turkey drippings. The drippings are used to make the gravy, and the flavor will complement beautifully.
- Do thaw your turkey. Use the handy guide that I shared above for how to thaw your turkey. If your turkey is frozen, it may not cook all the way through, leaving you with a raw turkey in the center while the outside looks done.
- Do have a meat thermometer handy. Test the temperature of your turkey by inserting the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. It should register at least 160℉. Remove it from the oven and tent with foil. It will continue cooking while tented and should quickly reach 165℉.
Storage Tips
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
Make Ahead: Once your turkey is fully thawed, you prep it for roasting up to 24 hours in advance. Add the butter, seasoning, and aromatics, then cover loosely with foil and place in the fridge overnight. Take it out about 30 minutes before you put it in the oven so it can shake off the chill.
Storage: If you’re going to eat your leftovers within 3-4 days, store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag in the fridge. Use for sandwiches, BLT Turkey Wraps, tacos, and Turkey Soup.
Freezing: One of the reasons I love turkey leftovers is because I can keep some in my freezer and easily toss it in Turkey Shepherd’s Pie or in soups.
Reheating: If you’re just looking to reheat a late-night Thanksgiving dinner leftovers plate, you can do that in the microwave. If it’s frozen, thaw it overnight in the fridge before adding to other recipes.
Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Your Thanksgiving turkey may be the best ever, but you’re still going to need to fill some supporting roles. Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving sides that will compliment your cooked turkey in the best way!
Side Dish Recipes:
- Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- One Hour Dinner Rolls
- Scalloped Corn Casserole
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Cranberry Fluff Salad
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Classic Apple Pie
- Southern Pecan Pie
101+ Thanksgiving
Side Dishes
Find all the sides you could possibly want for the perfect Thanksgiving menu!
Need a smaller turkey this year? Try my other easy turkey recipes for cooking a turkey breast in the air fryer, roasting in the oven, or even an Instant Pot Turkey Breast. Any of these recipes would be a great way to feed a smaller crowd, or to add some extra servings of turkey to your meal.
Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Equipment
- Roasting Pan (click the link to see the one I use)
Ingredients
- 12 pound Turkey thawed
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted butter cut into 1 Tablespoon pats. Chilled, but soft enough to spread under the skin.
- 1 1/2 Yellow onions peeled and halved
- 4 Garlic cloves peeled
Dry Rub:
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dried sage
- 1 teaspoon Dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground mustard
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325℉.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, thyme, sage, paprika, pepper, and ground mustard until evenly incorporated.
- Remove the turkey from its packaging. From the bird's cavity, remove the neck and the bag containing the gizzards and heart. (You can keep these items to make stock or discard them.) Note – I do this in a large, clean container in the sink, like a wash basin or a small cooler.
- Use a few paper towels to dry off the skin of the bird and inside the cavity.
- Lift the skin over the turkey breast (on the side closest to the legs) and slide your hand under the skin separating it from the breast meat. Do this on both sides of the breast.
- Insert three pats of butter under the skin on one side of the turkey breast spreading them around evenly. Repeat on the other side.
- Sprinkle the dry rub all over the turkey – breast, legs, wings, anything you can see. Using your hands press the rub into the skin a little. If you have any extra rub sprinkle it inside the cavity.
- Place the onion halves and garlic cloves inside the turkey’s cavity.
- Transfer the bird to your roasting pan. (I like to use a pan with a rack to keep the bottom of the turkey from getting soggy.)
- Take a good sized piece of foil and place it over just the turkey breast. (You want to make sure to the foil piece is big enough to fit over the whole breast.) Press down and mold the foil to the breast. Let the ends stick out if the foil's a bit big.
- Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 2 hours. Carefully remove the foil from the turkey. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and cook the turkey for another hour, or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165℉ and the skin is golden and crispy.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30-45 minutes before carving.
Notes
- 10 pounds: 1 hour 30 minutes at 325℉; 1 hour at 400℉.
- 12 pounds: 2 hours at 325℉; 1 hour at 400℉.
- 14 pounds: 2 hours, 30 minutes at 325℉; 1 hour at 400℉.
- 16 pounds: 3 hours at 325℉; 1 hour at 400℉.
- 18 pounds: 3 hours, 30 minutes at 325℉; 1 hour at 400℉.
- 20 pounds: 3 hours, 45 minutes at 325℉; 1 hour at 400℉.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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I made my first turkey ever last year. This recipe was amazing!! It was so easy and got rave reviews. Many people came up to me after dinner even “turkey haters” to say it was the best they ever had. It was moist and flavorful. I followed the gravy recipe too and it was delicious, perfectly seasoned. This is now my go to recipe for Thanksgiving.
should i cook it with roasting pan lid off or on?
You do not need a lid.
If I cook until the breast is 165 how will the thighs reach proper temp?
Because they are all cooking at the same time.
I’m a little confused on the cooking times. It says 15 minutes @ 325 per lbs of turkey. So a 10 lbs turkey would be 150 minutes (15×10) or 2 hrs and 30 mins at @325 but you listed that a ten lbs turkey should be 1 hr and 30 min and then an additional hour @ 400. So is the cooking time (15 min/lbs) for the total cooking time or is it just for the time @ 325?
Thanks, this is my first year doing the turkey and I don’t want to mess it up 🙂
I’m sorry that was confusing. The line before that statement clarifies that it’s based on a 12 pound bird. So that is your base. Anything abover 12 pounds you’ll add 15 minutes per pound. So for your 10 pound bird, you’ll actually subtract 15 minutes per pound. Hope that helps!
Ive cooked turkeys a lot of ways but this is the best recipe! Thank you! I have a question though. Should I leave my prepped uncooked turkey uncovered in the fridge 8-10 hours before cooking? I’ve heard by doing this it will give an extra crispy exterior when cooking .
I usually leave mine open white it’s defrosting, so it will dry out the skin. You could prep it the night before and that could help get the skin even crispier. However, with this method alone you’ll get crispy skin.
What would be the cooking time with a convection oven
Hi Ginger, It really depends on the oven and I have not tested this with a convection oven.
I purchased my Empire 14.6 lb. turkey a week ago and put it in the refrigerator to defrost. The turkey is still very cold. What are my options for still being able to use it for Thanksgiving?
Hi Mollie, it should be defrosted by Thanksgiving, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it.
sorry if you have already answered these questions! What salt do you recommend (kosher, table, sea?) and would you recommend salted or unsalted butter? Thank you so much!
Hi Caitlin, I recommend using whatever salt you have on hand. I personally always use kosher salt. Same with butter – whatever you have on hand. I usually just use regular salted butter.
I revisit this post every single Thanksgiving. If you ever delete it, I’m screwed! 😀 Seriously though, thank you for helping me win the holidays every year.
Ha Ha! You are so welcome Wendy! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Do you need to put any water or broth in the bottom of the roaster?
No water is needed.
My turkey is 21.5 lbs. Would you suggest doubling the butter, spices, onions and garlic? Also, how long would I cook at 325 degrees & how long would you still just do 1 hour at 400 degrees?
Karen, you probably wouldn’t need to double the ingredients. They just cover the surface area, but maybe 50% more. You can follow the instructions and do the calculations for the size bird you have. And yes, one hour at 400 no matter the weight.
I made this turkey recipe back in 2017 I believe and it was awesome! Few questions in preparation of this year’s thanksgiving:
How much flavor will be altered if I don’t used garlic cloves? What do you suggest instead of any garlic ingredient?
If I’m looking to cook a 15-17 pound bird, how much do I alter the ingredients?
Thank you for posting the varying cooking times as well
Hi Karissa, You can leave out the garlic. It won’t alter the flavor much. For a 15-17 pound bird, you can add a little more seaoning and butter if you want, but really you can follow the instructions and it will be fine. Enjoy!
This is my 2nd year using the recipe. This by far is the best recipe I have ever tried. However I am making a much bigger turkey this year and nervous that it will not turn out the same as past years. I have a 17 pound turkey this year. How long do you suggest I cook it for?
Hi Jenna, you can find the cook times for different size birds in the printable recipe card. Enjoy!
Hi! I made this recipe with a 10 pound turkey last year and loved it! This year I will be making a 4 pound turkey. What would the time for a 4 pound turkey be?
Hi Carrie, do you have a turkey breast or a whole turkey? 4 pounds is pretty small, so I wonder if you are talking about a bone-in breast.
Hello,
I am brining my turkey this year. How would you adjust this recipe to account for brining? Perhaps not at all, but let me know. Thank you! Looks delicious.
Hi Melissa, there is no need for brining your turkey with this recipe. It’s incredibly tender and juicy just as it is. If you decide to brine, you will probably want to reduce the salt in the rub.
Great looking recipe! Excited to give it a try this year. I’ve never made a turkey but I’ve seen a lot of sites that recommend trussing. Do you recommend it with this recipe?
It’s not necessary with this recipe and method.
This is the best turkey I have ever made the breast was juicy and not dry and it was amazing. I do have to say that I didn’t do 400 for a full hour because my oven runs hot and I tempted the turkey in between 325 and 400 to see where it was at. But oh my goodness best turkey recipe ever. Thank you
You are so welcome Jessy! Thanks for the awesome feedback.
K.
Have you ever made this in a roasting pan,I have a small oven I like to keep it open for other dishes.
If your making a smaller turkey, you can use a regular roasting pan without a rack (I think that’s what you’re talking about). Keep in mind that it will sit in the juices so the bottom will be a little soggy and not crispy.
This might be a silly question…bear with me this is my first turkey…but do I put a lid on the pan? I saw I put tin foil on the breast but wasn’t sure about the lid. I have a roasting pan with a rack.
Hi, no silly questions! You do not need to put a lid over the turkey when roasting in the oven. You cover the breast with foil to keep it from overcooking. You’ll be fine!
Thanks! I’m making this soon. It looks so easy. Crispy skin is so yummy….some people won’t try it, they don’t know what they’re missing.
You are so welcome Carolyn! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Thank you.
You are so welcome Rebecca!
Best turkey recipe, hands down. I’ve used this recipe for the past 2 thanksgivings and anytime I just want to make a turkey (I usually pick up an extra to freeze when they’re on sale). One thanksgiving, my aunt couldn’t make the smoked turkey she normally does for our big family gathering. I whipped this baby up easily and now my aunt officially designated me the official turkey-maker after her 20+ years of being the turkey-maker!
Awesome feedback Misty! Thank you so much for stopping by.