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–+ servings
Easy No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey

Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

Nosheen Babar
This Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe, with crispy skin on the outside and juicy meat on the inside, will make your Thanksgiving perfect!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 13 people
Calories 631 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 13 lbs turkey (notes)
  • 1½ stick butter
  • 2 tablespoon Paprika
  • 2 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon 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)

Notes

Turkey - When calculating the size of your turkey, use a ratio of 1-1.5 lbs of turkey 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 ahead 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 631kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 71gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 279mgSodium: 1810mgPotassium: 836mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2459IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 3mg
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