This Easy Roast Turkey recipe creates a moist, tender turkey that is layered with flavor from top to bottom with fresh herbs and aromatic vegetables. With a perfectly browned, crispy skin, it will make a beautiful centerpiece for your meal.
Round out your Thanksgiving meal with some homemade cranberry sauce, cornbread casserole, and pumpkin slab pie for dessert!
Easy No Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Making the Thanksgiving turkey is often the most intimidating part of hosting a holiday meal – but it doesn’t have to be. This roast turkey recipe keeps things easy, while stilling created a tender and moist turkey. The flavorful drippings make an excellent base for some homemade gravy, too!
I use both oil and butter on the skin, which not only browns perfectly but results in a crispy skin that’s super flavorful. Once carved, this roasted turkey will be the star of the holiday dinner! (And I’ve included tips below to make carving easy too!)
Ingredients Needed
This Thanksgiving turkey recipe requires a handful of seasonings, some vegetables, and just a few other ingredients.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Fresh turkey – This recipe works perfectly for a 10 to 14-pound turkey. Generally, you want to plan 1 & 1/2 pounds per guest.
- Spices & seasonings – This roast turkey recipe is flavored with salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic.
- Vegetables – Carrots, celery, and onion are cooked with the turkey.
- Lemon – For a bright, citrus flavor.
- Butter – Rubbed on the outside of the turkey to help brown the outside.
- Canola oil – Used with the butter to ensure a crispy outside.
- Chicken broth – Low sodium to avoid an overly salty bird.
- For the brine – If you choose to make the optional brine, you’ll also need water, salt, sugar, lemon, and additional dried herbs and onion.
How Long Does It Take To Thaw A Turkey?
A frozen turkey will need approximately 1 day per 5 pounds to thaw. A 10 pound turkey will need at least 2 days to thaw, while a 15 pound turkey will take 3 days.
Do I Need Brine My Thanksgiving Turkey?
- Fresh turkeys need a brine. If you are using fresh turkey, you will want to brine your turkey before roasting. Frozen turkeys are already injected with a saline solution, and the brine will not make a difference in the final result, so skip brining frozen turkeys. Turkeys injected with saline will have “enhanced with a 15% solution” printed on the packaging.
- Rinse and dry thoroughly. One important thing to note about brining your Thanksgiving turkey – do not skip rinsing and drying the turkey after brining. It will be too salty, so will your gravy. Wet turkey skin will turn leathery instead of crisp. Drying and bringing your turkey to room temperature will help achieve crisp, beautifully browned skin.
How to Brine a Turkey
Brining your Thanksgiving turkey is an easy process but one that will need to be started the night before.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Make the brine solution. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, then add the salt and sugar. Stir to dissolve quickly. Add the lemon, herbs, onion, and garlic. Remove from heat and add a few cups of ice to cool it down quickly.
- Add the turkey. Place your turkey in a brining bag. Add the prepared brine solution and the remaining cold water.
- Brine overnight. Place the turkey in the fridge overnight to brine.
- Rinse and dry. The next morning, rinse the turkey well and pat dry. Bring to room temperature and then continue with the roasting process.
How to Roast a Turkey
Making a Thanksgiving turkey doesn’t have to be hard! Here are the few steps needed to making a roast turkey.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Prepare the turkey. Preheat the oven and position the rack in the middle of the oven (or lower, if needed.) Bring the turkey to room temperature, pat it dry, and remove the giblets. Place the turkey breast side up on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan.
- Season the turkey. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon halves on and inside the turkey. Place half of the herbs, garlic, lemon, and onion inside the turkey and the other half in the roasting pan with the celery and carrots. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and fold the wings under the back. Brush liberally with butter and oil.
- Add the broth. Pour half of the chicken broth in the bottom of the pan.
- Roast the turkey. Roast the turkey for 15 to 20 minutes per pound. Add more broth as needed to keep the pan moist. Cover loosely with foil if needed to prevent the turkey from browning too much.
- Allow the turkey to rest. If you haven’t already, tent the turkey loosely with foil when you remove it from the oven. Allow it to rest for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Save the pan drippings if you plan to make gravy.
How Long To Roast A Turkey?
The amount of time it takes to roast a turkey depends on the size of the turkey. A general rule of thumb is 15 to 20 minutes per pound. A 10-pound turkey will take approximately 2 & 1/2 to 3 hours, while a 15-pound turkey will require at least 3 hours and 45 minutes.
Always double-check the temperature of the turkey with a thermometer. It should read 165F and any juices should run clear before being removed from the oven.
Tips For The Best Oven Roasted Turkey
Here are a few tips for the best roasted turkey.
- Add flavor to your brine. For optimal flavor and aromatics, include the herbs, onion, and garlic in the brine, but if needed, they can be omitted and it will still yield delicious results.
- Make sure the turkey is dry and at room temperature. This helps ensure you get a crispy skin vs one that is tough and leathery.
- Tent the turkey to prevent over-browning. If your turkey is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last hour of cooking.
- Let the turkey rest before carving. Let the turkey sit on the counter, tented with foil, for at least 15 to 30 minutes before carving to give the juices time to settle.
How to Easily Carve a Turkey
The easiest way I’ve found to carve a turkey is to remove the entire breast by slicing down between the backbone and the breast, then under the entire breast from the neck end to the cavity. Use the knife to help remove the breast from the bone. Then place it on a carving board and cut it into thick slices against the grain. Much easier than any other method I’ve tried!
Serving Suggestions
This roasted turkey recipe is obviously intended for Thanksgiving, for enjoying with all of your favorite holiday sides. A few of my favorites include classics like stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole. For something a little different, I also love fall roasted vegetables and creamed spinach.
But chances are you’ll likely have some turkey leftovers and that’s where things get fun! This roasted turkey is perfect for turkey tetrazzini, turkey cranberry and brie pizza, leftover turkey salad, and even cranberry-turkey enchiladas.
How to Store Leftovers
- Storing leftovers. Leftover roasted turkey should be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or enjoy cold on sandwiches.
- To freeze. You can also freeze leftover roasted turkey, as long as it’s been sliced from the bones. Freeze in ziploc bags or other containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Roast Turkey
Ingredients
FOR THE BRINE (OPTIONAL)
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 lemon
- fresh or dried herbs also used below (optional, but recommended)
- 1/2 onion (optional, but recommended)
- 3 cloves garlic , smashed (optional, but recommended)
- ice cubes
- 2 gallons cold water
FOR THE TURKEY
- 10-14 pound fresh turkey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- fresh sage
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 large carrots , peeled and halved
- 2 large ribs celery , halved
- 1 medium onion , peeled and quartered
- 6 cloves garlic , smashed
- 1 lemon , halved
- 3 tablespoons butter , melted
- 1 tablespoons canola oil
- 32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
- additional fresh herbs , for garnish
Instructions
- If you are using a fresh turkey that has not been injected with saline solution, start the night before with a brine: In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add salt and sugar stirring until dissolved. Add the lemon, herbs, onion, and garlic cloves. Add a few cups of ice to help to cool it down quickly. Place the turkey in a brining bag, add the brine solution and remaining cold water. Brine the turkey overnight in the fridge. The next day, rinse turkey, pat dry, and bring up to room temperature before continuing with the following steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position oven rack in the middle, or one step lower if needed to fit your turkey. Bring your turkey up to room temperature and pat it dry. Remove the giblets and save the neck if you'd like to use it to fortify a gravy. Place the breast side up on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Season the turkey inside and out with the salt and pepper.
- Squeeze the lemon halves on and inside the turkey. Place half the herbs, garlic, lemon, and onion in the cavity, and place the other half in the roasting pan with the celery and carrots. Fold the wings under the back and tie the legs together with some kitchen twine, this ensures a more even roasting process. Mix together the butter and oil, and brush liberally on the turkey.
- Pour about half of the chicken broth in the bottom of the pan.
- Roast the turkey for 15-20 minutes PER POUND or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone reads 165F, and the juices run clear from the cavity. (Cover loosely with foil if the turkey starts browning too fast. Add more broth as needed to keep the bottom of the pan moist.)
- Remove the turkey from the oven and tent loosely with foil – the temperature will continue to rise as it rests. Rest turkey for at least 15-30 minutes before carving. Save pan drippings if you want to make a gravy.
We celebrated Thanksgiving early since that’s when everyone could get together. I like the simplicity of this recipe and the ingredients – my first time making a turkey! It came out delicious and beautiful. Everyone loved it. And we’ve got leftovers to enjoy all week. I’m going to make your turkey salad for lunch today.