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Cooking a turkey doesn't have to be stressful or complicated. This easy roast turkey recipe takes little effort but delivers a juicy, perfectly golden bird your guests will rave about. No basting required!
Whether this is your first time hosting Thanksgiving or you're just looking for a turkey recipe that's actually worthy of being the star of your holiday dinner, this is it. The method is simple, reliable, and delivers incredible results. No dried-out turkey here!
Kristen's Keys for Perfect Roast Turkey
After decades of making turkey using this exact method, I have a few key tips to remember to help make the process as easy and successful as possible.
- This simple method works for any turkey. Brined or not, big or small. You can even use this recipe to roast a turkey breast successfully.
- You MUST fully defrost a frozen turkey before roasting. This ensures even cooking, which is critical for juicy results.
- An oven-safe thermometer is essential for perfectly cooked turkey. I can't stress this enough! While I can give you estimated roasting times, every oven and every turkey is a bit different, and the best (really, the ONLY) way to ensure your turkey is fully cooked without being overcooked is to use an oven-safe digital thermometer. Same goes with my homemade rotisserie chicken recipe.
- Use a roasting pan that is fitted with a roasting rack. You don't need an expensive pan, but make sure it fits your turkey.
- Start in a VERY hot oven. Roasting the turkey at a high temperature for the first 30 minutes allows the skin to turn a beautiful brown and lock in all the juices.
5-Star Reader Review
Tried roasting a whole turkey for the first time! Followed the steps, brined it overnight for extra juiciness. The skin turned out crispy, the meat was juicy and flavorful. Perfect! -Macky ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thaw Your Turkey (Don't Skip This Part)
Again, let me stress how critical it is to start with a fully thawed turkey. Roasting a frozen or partially frozen turkey is a sure-fire way to ruin it. So unless you are using a FRESH turkey, you must fully defrost your frozen turkey first.
For every 4-5 pounds of turkey, plan for 24 hours in the fridge.
That means for a 20-pound turkey, count on 4 FULL days in the fridge to defrost. If you want to brine your turkey before roasting it (which I strongly recommend), you will want to tack on an extra 12-24 hours to that timeline.
How to Roast a Turkey the Easy Way
Now that your turkey is defrosted, it is time to roast it. And while that may feel intimidating, this easy step-by-step guide will make it foolproof.
Step One: Prep the Turkey
Remove packaging, the giblets, and that unreliable pop-up timer. (We're using a thermometer that actually works.) Place the turkey breast-side up on the roasting rack.
👉🏻Want to Brine Your Turkey? Use my easy turkey brine recipe to brine your turkey for 8-18 hours before roasting for extra flavor. After brining, remove the turkey from the brine, place it breast-side up on the roasting pan, and proceed with this method as written.
Step Two: Pat Dry
Whether you brined your turkey or not, pat the skin dry with paper towels. This will help the skin crisp and brown beautifully.
Step Three: Season the Turkey
Brush the turkey liberally with canola oil. If your turkey isn't brined, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper or poultry seasoning. If desired, tuck apple slices, celery, and onion into the cavity for added flavor.
👉🏻Skip the Butter! Use canola oil (or vegetable oil) to coat the skin. Not butter, as the high heat at the start will scorch it.
Step Four: Preheat Oven
Wait to preheat the oven until after seasoning the turkey, as it is best to let it come to room temperature for 30-60 minutes before popping it in the oven. This helps the skin crisp up, and the turkey cook evenly.
Step Five: Roast the Turkey at Two Temperatures
This sounds complicated, but it is really incredibly simple and one of the reasons this easy method produces incredible results.
- Roast the turkey at 500°F for 30 minutes. If your oven doesn't reach 500°F, set it to at least 450°F.
- After 30 minutes, lower the oven to 350°F.
- Insert your thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and set it to alert at 160-162°F.
👉🏻 What Temperature is best for Turkey? You want the final temperature to be 165°F at the breast and 175-180°F at the thigh. But keep in mind that as the turkey rests, it will continue to rise in temperature. I typically pull it out of the oven once the breast reaches 160-162°F and the thigh reaches 170°F, then recheck the temperature after the turkey has rested for at least 10 minutes.
Step Six: Rest the Turkey (Don't Skip This!)
Let your turkey rest for at least 30 minutes (up to 60 minutes is fine!), tented with foil. This allows the juices to redistribute and keeps your meat tender and moist. It's the perfect window to make turkey gravy, bake homemade whole wheat rolls, or warm your side dishes.
Step Seven: Carve
Carving a turkey can feel intimidating, but it's really just like carving a large chicken. But remember, even if your carving isn't perfect, the turkey will still taste amazing.
- Remove the wings and thighs first by popping out the joints and slicing through them. Separate thighs and drumsticks if you'd like.
- Cut the breast meat from the rib cage, keeping the knife close to the bones. Slice crosswise for even, juicy pieces.
Roasting Turkey FAQs
To answer your turkey cooking questions, here is a quick overview of the most frequently asked questions. If you still need help, drop a comment, and I will do my best to help.
Plan for 1 per adult and ½ pound per child under 12. If you'd like leftovers or aren't planning many sides, I suggest planning for 1½ pounds per adult and 1 pound per child.
Plan for 30 minutes at 500°F, then roughly 10-13 minutes per pound at 350°F. Don't forget to include preheating and resting time (~ an additional 60 minutes).
No! This method keeps it juicy without basting, especially if you've brined it.
In my expert opinion, no. While the drippings from the turkey certainly add flavor, you will set yourself up for failure if you stuff your turkey. When the turkey is done cooking, your stuffing will not be safe to eat. If you cook your turkey long enough to make the stuffing safe to eat, your turkey will be dried out. It is better to prepare Instant Pot Stuffing or Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing in the oven and ensure your turkey stays moist and avoid food poisoning.
Storage Tips
If you have leftover turkey, you are in luck. It stars in quite a few of my leftover Thanksgiving recipes and is especially delicious in a turkey apple sandwich, southwest turkey soup, or in my from-scratch turkey tetrazzini recipe.
- Refrigerate: Carve the turkey as desired, or pull the meat from the carcass. Place the turkey meat into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Place carved turkey meat into a freezer-safe bag, remove the excess air, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Turkey Bones: Save your turkey bones to make delicious turkey stock using my recipe for homemade chicken stock or Instant Pot chicken stock, swapping the chicken bones for the turkey bones.
Complete Your Holiday Meal
You did it! And your guests are going to sing your praises after you serve them this delicious roasted turkey. Just be warned -- you may be permanently put in charge of the turkey from here on out! Good thing this recipe keeps it easy.😉 Finish up your holiday or Thanksgiving dinner with the following sides.
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole
- Corn Casserole without Jiffy
- From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Easy Roast Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey, fully thawed if needed
- 1 recipe turkey brine, optional
- ¼ cup canola oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 large quartered yellow onion, optional
- 1 large quartered apple, any variety, optional
- 2 stalks celery, optional
Instructions
- Remove the turkey from the packaging. Remove the giblets (which could be in either the body or neck cavity) and remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer as well.
- Place the turkey on a roasting pan fitted with a rack, breast-side up. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- If desired, add the quartered onion, apple, and celery stick to the cavity of the turkey. Brush the skin liberally with canola oil. If you did NOT brine your turkey, liberally sprinkle your turkey with salt and pepper. Tuck the wings under the turkey.
- Let the turkey rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, while you preheat the oven. Position a rack on the lowest section of the oven and preheat to 500°F (260℃). If your oven does not reach 500°F, set it to a minimum of 450°F (232℃).
- Roast the turkey at 500°F (260℃) for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, reduce the oven to 350°F (175℃) and insert an oven-safe digital probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.
- Cook the turkey until the breast reaches 160-162℉ (71-73℃)*. If the turkey breasts are browning too quickly, carefully tent them with foil, leaving the legs and thighs exposed. Plan for approximately 10-13 minutes of cooking time per pound of turkey.
- Once the turkey breast reaches the target temperature, remove it from the oven and check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh to ensure it has cooked evenly. The thigh should be close to 170℉ (77℃). If not, return to the oven for 10 minutes, then recheck the temperature. Keep in mind that the temperature will continue to rise as the turkey rests. You want the final temperature to be 165°F (74℃) in the breast and 175-180°F (80-82℃) in the thigh.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and tent it with foil. Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes (or up to 60 minutes if needed).
- After resting the turkey, carve and serve it. To carve the turkey, remove the wings and then the thighs first by popping out the joints that attach the wings and thighs to the bird, then cut straight through the joint. Separate the thighs and drumsticks if desired. To carve the turkey breasts, slice the meat off the rib cage, cutting as close to the rib bones as possible. Cut the breast meat into individual slices if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Kristen, have you ever cooked a turkey breast side down? The turkey is absolutely the best you can imagine when done. I’ve been cooking it this way for 63 years and even convinced my Mom at that time to change her way of cooking a turkey, and that was truly a feat on my part!!
Hi Dana! I have cooked a turkey breast side down many times! I do this for my Instant Pot Turkey Breast recipe actually. For this particular recipe, the magic is created from the caramelization of the skin at the high temp--which works to seal in the juices. Flipping it works, but you loose that crispy skin.
If I could give this 10 stars, I would. I’ve been making Thanksgiving turkeys for more years than a care to count. This literally was THE BEST Thanksgiving turkey I have ever made! I first followed the instructions on the brining recipe and the. The roasting recipe- the turkey was fantastic. So flavorful, moist and golden. I have shared this recipe with numerous friends, as this is an absolute keeper!
This makes my day, Lea! I am honored to have my recipe be a part of your Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you so much for sharing.
The turkey was looked great and tasted very good. My one problem with this recipe is that I followed it exactly. Brushing the canola oil on the skin resulted in a smokey kitchen. Upon researching smoke points the table I found indicates canola oil smoke point is 400 degrees!
Why would you tell people to crank the oven to 500 if the oil will not be able to handle it?
Hi Coach Dave. If you don't feel comfortable cooking at 500 degrees, you can lower to 450 or even 400 (canola oil's smoke point is actually closer to 475) I have never had any issues with the small amount canola oil burning or smoking at 500 for a short time. Glad your turkey was delicious and beautiful though--that is the ultimate goal.
Can you please tell me how long to cook a 20 pound turkey using your method?
Hi Julie! I would plan for 4-4.5 hours. Happy Thanksgiving!