With this Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe at your fingertips, turkey cooking will never be easier! All my 20-plus years of turkey-cooking family secrets are written in this one single post to make Thanksgiving a breeze for you!
From buying the right-sized Thanksgiving bird to cooking it, carving it, and serving it with many traditional sides and desserts, like the best-ever sweet potato casserole, individual pumpkin pies, super-easy sweet cornbread, and deconstructed pumpkin pie, you can host Thanksgiving dinner like a pro!
If you want a unique turkey recipe this season, check out my tandoori turkey recipe. Pair it with cranberry chutney and pumpkin halwa for an authentic South Asian Thanksgiving spread.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy Recipe - Easy-to-source ingredients and simple-to-follow steps make this Thanksgiving turkey recipe a keeper!
- Juicy Turkey - I've made this recipe countless times and always have a juicy roast with a crispy exterior on the table.
- No special cooking tools - This Thanksgiving turkey recipe doesn't require any special cooking equipment. A simple foil roaster from the supermarket is all you'll really need.
Ingredient notes
- The turkey - When calculating the size of your Thanksgiving turkey, use a ratio of 1-1.5 lbs of meat per person, depending on whether or not you want leftovers. If serving 12 or more people, never buy a bird larger than 16 lbs. as cooking can become tricky. Cook one small bird and a breast for best results. Similarly, I would suggest one large turkey breast, two small turkey breasts, or a 10 lb bird minimum for eight people or less. Anything smaller than 10 lbs will have too many bones and insufficient meat.
- The broth - I often prepare a large batch of homemade, easy chicken broth for all my holiday cooking. This can be done and frozen a few weeks before Thanksgiving and is much more flavorful than store-bought chicken stock. However, if you're short of time, feel free to use store-bought stock. The broth adds flavor and moisture to the turkey.
- The butter- The fat is essential for both flavor and making the skin crispy. For best results, use a good-quality butter like kerrygoldusa.com.
- The seasoning - I keep it simple since there are so many accompanying sides and condiments to eat with the turkey. Salt, pepper, and paprika are a perfect blend in addition to the other herbs and vegetables used to flavor the turkey.
- The herbs - Sage, thyme, tarragon, and rosemary add a heady aroma and subtle flavor to the roast, drippings, and, as a result, the gravy.
- The vegetables - Onion, garlic, lemon, celery, and carrots add the last layer of flavor to the meat and drippings.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Glaze versus baste - Try brushing on a honey-based glaze instead of a traditional baste for crispier, chewy skin.
- Foil roaster - Forget the fancy roaster and use a disposable foil one instead. Layer the base with vegetables to catch the drippings in place of a rack. Perfect juicy turkey, no roasting pan to store, and easy cleanup!
- Use a dry brine - A dry brine works really well for a whole roast. The poultry will take up much less room in the fridge and will be a lot less messy this way. To dry brine, massage the skin with salt, pepper, and paprika as described in the instructions in the recipe card, and let the turkey sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Then add the butter just before putting it in the oven to roast.
- Herbed butter as seasoning - Using herbed butter as part of the seasoning adds extra flavor and taste. Just make sure to adjust the salt as necessary if using this butter.
- Cook as a spatchcocked bird - Spatchcock your turkey and finish cooking it in half the normal time! Once you get the hang of it, you may never cook it any other way.
Step-by-step instructions
First step - Always start off with a well-brined turkey. Most Turkeys nowadays usually come pre-brined and prepped. If yours isn't, be sure to soak it in salt water for a minimum of four hours, but preferably overnight.
Then, clean and prep the herbs and aromatics to place in the cavity as the Turkey cooks.
Second step - Place these ingredients inside the cavity of your turkey and raise your turkey on a bed of onion, celery, and carrot sticks.
Since I make my stuffing separately, these are added to flavor the meat and drippings. Once the turkey is cooked, they can be discarded, and the flavored drippings can be used to make some quick turkey gravy.
Third step - Adding seasoning to the turkey under and above the skin's surface is important. I like to use paprika in addition to salt and pepper, as I love the smoky flavor and vibrant color it adds to the Turkey.
Fourth step - I also make sure to keep a mixture of broth and melted butter on hand and use it to baste the turkey as needed. If the skin is drying out too rapidly due to the oven temperature, this additional liquid and fat helps keep the skin from becoming too dry.
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Fifth step - If the skin seems to be getting too brown, place a loosely tented foil over the meat. The turkey is perfectly cooked when its internal temperature at the innermost thigh, wing, and breast has a reading of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Expert Tips
- Use a thermometer - The rule of thumb is to cook the turkey for 15 minutes per pound. However, since ovens vary, this is not a fully foolproof method. For best results, always use a reliable meat thermometer like the Thermapen One by Thermoworks.
- Cook the Turkey to 165 degrees Fahrenheit - Any higher than this, and your turkey will be dry. After you turn the oven off, the meat will continue to cook for a while. So, even if the meat looks a little pink, trust your thermometer and stop cooking it as soon as it reaches this temperature.
- Start checking the temperature ⅔ of the way - Calculate the total cooking time by multiplying 15 minutes per pound of turkey. Start checking the temperature after ⅔ of this time has passed, and then check every 15 minutes till you reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure that your turkey doesn't overcook.
- Wait 30 minutes before slicing the Turkey - This will allow the meat to cook completely and the juices to settle.
Recipe FAQS
Refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. If you don't plan to finish everything within 48 hours, then it's best to freeze them. They can be frozen safely for up to 3-6 months.
A turkey thaws best in the fridge at the rate of 1 day per 4 pounds. Leave all the packaging on and place your bird breast side up on a tray to catch all the drippings.
According to Usda.gov, it's best not to wash the Turkey as this can infect the sink and surrounding area. Make sure to wash your hands after handling the meat, but let the cooking process destroy any bacteria on the meat.
Other recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
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Ingredients
- 13 lbs turkey (notes)
- 1½ stick butter
- 2 tbsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp black pepper
Vegetables & Cavity Filling
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 onions
- 2 sticks celery
- 2 carrots
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1 lemon
- 1 sprig sage
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig tarragon
Basting Liquid
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Clean out the cavity of your Turkey and wash and pat it dry.
- Quarter one onion, cut the celery and carrots into half, and place everything at the bottom of your roasting pan.
- Place the roasting rack on top of the vegetables and rest the turkey on top.
- Pour 2 cups of the chicken broth into the pan to create some steam
- Place the remaining onion (quartered), peeled garlic bulb, halved lemon, and all of the herbs in the cavity of the Turkey.
- Melt the 1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter and brush the turkey with it generously {both inside the skin and on top of the skin}.
- Sprinkle all of the seasoning on the turkey, rubbing it in to get it evenly distributed all over the bird.
- Cook the Turkey until the temperature reads 165 degrees when the thermometer is inserted inside the deepest part of the thigh (see notes)
Basting Liquid
- Heat the remaining 2 cups of broth with 1 stick of unsalted butter and set aside to baste the turkey later.
- Start basting with the broth and butter mixture every 30 minutes (see notes)
- Let your Turkey sit for 30 minutes before carving. (see notes)
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