Description
The Perfect Roast Turkey recipe delivers golden, crispy skin and tender, juicy meat infused with herbs, garlic, and citrus. This easy and flavorful holiday turkey recipe is ideal for Thanksgiving or Christmas, complete with storage tips, step-by-step instructions, and serving ideas. Keywords: perfect roast turkey, juicy turkey recipe, holiday turkey, Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredients
12–14 lbs whole turkey
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 orange, halved
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
1. Remove the turkey from the fridge at least 1 hour before roasting. Pat dry completely with paper towels, including inside the cavity. Remove giblets if present.
2. In a bowl, combine softened butter, garlic, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
3. Loosen the turkey breast skin gently and rub some of the herb butter underneath. Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the bird.
4. Stuff the turkey cavity with halved lemon, halved orange, onion quarters, and whole sprigs of herbs.
5. Place chopped carrots and celery in the bottom of a roasting pan. Set the turkey on a rack over the vegetables. Pour chicken broth into the pan.
6. Truss the turkey legs with kitchen twine if desired. Roast at 325°F (163°C), basting every 45 minutes.
7. If the skin darkens too quickly, tent the turkey loosely with foil.
8. Roast until a meat thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh, about 3 to 3.5 hours for a 12–14 lb turkey.
9. Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Let rest for 20–30 minutes before carving.
Notes
Allow the turkey to fully rest before carving to retain juices and moisture.
If you don’t have a rack, use thick-cut vegetables like carrots and celery to lift the turkey.
For more flavorful drippings, use homemade broth and toss extra herbs into the roasting pan.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of turkey
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 170mg