Thanksgiving Turkey
How to cook a turkey in the oven, step-by-step! This Roasted Turkey is juicy, golden and the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving meal.
Ingredients
Turkey Brine Ingredients
- 1 gallon cold water (divided)
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 head garlic (halved crosswise)
- 1 large yellow onion (quartered)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon (sliced)
- Ice
Turkey Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (12 to 16 pounds, thawed)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 6 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (ground)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 large yellow onion (quartered)
- 1 head garlic (halved crosswise)
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- lemon slices, rosemary (for garnish)
Instructions
How to Brine a Turkey
- Start by adding 8 cups of water to a very large pot over medium heat. To the water, add the kosher salt, brown sugar, a whole head of garlic, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, and sliced lemons. Stir well, and allow it to come to a boil. Let the brine simmer for a few minutes to ensure the salt and sugar dissolve completely.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the liquid come to room temperature. If you need to speed up the cooling process, add a bit of ice. Once it’s completely cooled, add 4 more cups of cold water to the brine.
- Prepare the thawed turkey. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavities. Either discard these or save them in a separate container in the fridge to cook them later.
- If it fits, you can place the turkey in the pot with the brine, OR place it in a brining bag and pour the brine into the bag with the turkey. Let the turkey sit in the brine in the fridge for no less than 12 hours, preferably overnight, to roast the next day.
How to Roast a Turkey
- About 2-3 hours before roasting, remove the turkey from the brine. Pat the turkey dry very well using paper towels. Grab your roasting pan. Place the turkey on the rack, breast side up, and dry off any remaining wet spots. Place the roasting pan with the turkey in the fridge, uncovered, to dry while you prepare your herb butter.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the softened butter, fresh, minced garlic, rubbed sage, ground rosemary, dried thyme, celery salt, black pepper, poultry seasoning, and onion powder. Mix really well until combined into a paste.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and pat dry once more to get all the remaining liquid off the surface of the turkey. Stuff the quartered onion, head of garlic, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme into the center cavity of the turkey, then tie the legs together with twine.
- To the basin of the roasting pan beneath the rack, pour in the water and broth. Add the neck and giblets to the bottom of the pan, if you choose to use it for the gravy. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- While the oven preheats, use your hands to loosen the skin of the turkey from the meat. Take half of the herbed butter mixture in your hands and spread it underneath the skin, covering as much surface area as you can. Spread the rest of the herbed butter mixture on the exterior of the turkey, covering the whole thing as best as you can.
- Place the buttered turkey in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, uncovered. After 30 minutes, lower the temperature of the oven to 325°F, and loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil. Let the turkey cook for 3 more hours if it’s a small bird, and 4 more hours if it’s a large bird. (The rule of thumb is about 12-15 minutes of cook time per pound of turkey.)
- Check the turkey 1 hour prior to when you expect it to be ready, and make sure the bottom of the roasting pan still has plenty of liquid in it. You’ll know it’s ready when the thick part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, and the thigh/leg part about 170°F. Many turkeys have a thermometer that will pop, but I recommend checking it yourself as well.
- Optional step, but once it’s ready, remove the foil and baste the top of the turkey with some olive oil. Let it sit under the broiler for a few minutes (watch closely so it doesn’t burn) to get a crisp skin with a beautiful, shiny golden-brown color.
- Remove the turkey from the oven, and transfer it to a large cutting board to rest for about 25-30 minutes. Keep it loosely tented with foil to retain warmth. Save the juice from the bottom of the pan to make a turkey gravy. Learn how to make one here.
- Place the turkey on a large serving plate and line it with herbs, lemon slices, and any other garnishes you see fit. Carve out slices to serve and enjoy!
Notes
Thawing: A frozen turkey needs about a day of thawing in the fridge per 4-5 pounds of turkey. For example, if you have a 15lb turkey, it will take about 3-4 days to thaw in the fridge. Keep the turkey in the packaging it comes in while it thaws. Place a tray, and maybe even an extra bag under it to catch any liquid that might seep out while it thaws.
Please see post above for extensive tips and answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Nutrition
Calories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 48gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 195mgSodium: 9884mgPotassium: 557mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 607IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 2mg
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.