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Tender, juicy, and intensely flavorful, this is the easiest and Best Thanksgiving Turkey recipe you will ever make! Citrus, herbs, and a hearty slathering of garlic butter make this the best no-brine recipe around.
Jump to:
- Best Turkey Recipe
- Turkey Recipe Ingredients
- How Cook a Turkey
- Turkey Temperature Chart
- Turkey Recipes FAQs
- How to Make Turkey Gravy
- How to Carve a Turkey
- How to Thaw a Turkey
- Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
- Turkey Recipes
- What to Do with Leftover Turkey
- Turkey Side Dishes
- 📌 Pin it for later!
- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Best Turkey Recipe
Every time I make this roasted garlic butter turkey, I get asked for the recipe. And every time, I am happy to admit how easy it is! It’s the easiest oven-roasted turkey but is absolutely packed with flavor from herby garlic butter sauce.
What I love most about this dish is that it’s a no-brine recipe. Roasting the perfect bird may seem intimidating, but following my easy step-by-step instructions on how to cook a turkey, you’re guaranteed to serve the best dinner on the block.
Tried this today and it turned out great!
Melanie on Pinterest
Turkey Recipe Ingredients
- 12-15 lb turkey
- Garlic butter
- Orange halved
- Lemon halved
- Onion halved
- Several sprigs of fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme
- Baking twine
- chicken broth
- milk
- flour
How Cook a Turkey
- Preheat your oven to 425°F with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Rinse and pat turkey dry with paper towels.
- Remove neck and giblets, gravy packets, or any packages inside the cavities of the bird. Check the large cavity as well as the neck cavity.
- For the turkey seasoning, you will need to make our Garlic Butter Sauce. It’s just 3 ingredients and takes only a few minutes to mix together!
- Carefully lift up the skin, separating it from the breast as much as you can. The back of a spoon works well for this. Season underneath with garlic butter. Rub the outer skin all over with more garlic butter.
- Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, onion, and herbs.
- Tie the legs with cooking twine and transfer to a rack set inside a roasting pan. Tuck the wings underneath so they don’t burn – this is important! Pour 2 cups of chicken broth into the roasting pan and transfer to the oven.
- Roast the turkey for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- After the first hour of roasting the turkey, baste it every 30 minutes. Tent the turkey with foil if the skin becomes deep golden brown before the turkey is cooked through.
- Roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh joint registers 160°F.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer to a carving board. The turkey will continue cooking and should reach 165°F.
- Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
Turkey Temperature Chart
| Turkey Weight | People Fed | Roasting Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10-18 pounds | feeds less than 10 people | roast for 3-3.5 hours at 350°F (unstuffed) |
| 18-22 pounds | feeds 10 to 15 people | roast for 3.5-4 hours at 350°F (unstuffed) |
| 22-24 pounds | feeds 16 to 20 people | roast for 4-4.5 hours at 350°F (unstuffed) |
| 24-29 pounds | feeds more than 20 people | roast for 4.5-5 hours at 350°F (unstuffed) |
I always recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure you cook your turkey to the right temperature. Always insert it in both the breast and the thigh area. It should be inserted close to, but not touching, the thigh bone.
The perfect temperature will read 180°F on the thigh and 170°F on the breast. You can follow my guide to the perfect turkey temperature.
Turkey Recipes FAQs
You will need approximately 1½ lbs. per person. I like to add up how many people and tack on a few extra pounds to account for the bones. This will give you your weight with leftovers to spare.
The perfect temperature to cook a turkey is 350° F. Although, I am a bit of a rebel and I like super crispy skin. So I always start off my turkey at 425° F and then lower the temp to 350° F.
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.Go ahead and put your leftovers in the fridge as soon as possible once you’re finished with your meal to keep them fresh!
How to Make Turkey Gravy
- To make gravy from drippings, place the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat (or transfer juices to the saucepan if you prefer).
- Add 2 cups of the remaining broth to the pan drippings and bring to a simmer. Skim off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the fat, depending on the size of your bird.
- Combine milk and flour in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- Whisk the milk mixture into the gravy and simmer, stirring continuously until the gravy thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
At this point, you can carve the bird and serve it with the gravy. Or, make it the star of the show by placing it in the middle of your table on a platter.
Garnish the platter with citrus fruits, sliced, whole halved, and sprigs of fresh herbs.
How to Carve a Turkey
- Place on a cutting board. Remove the twine around the legs using your knife.
- Remove the legs by cutting through the area that connects the breast and the drumstick. Use your knife to slice down until you reach the joint. Then, using a paper towel, grab the leg and push down. This will separate the leg and thigh from the bird. Use your knife to slice through the joint.
- Remove the drumstick by separating the drumstick and the thigh by cutting through the joint area connecting them. Place the drumstick on a platter. Set aside the thigh meat to slice later.
- Find the wishbone at the front center of the breast. Use your fingers to pull it out. Removing the wishbone makes it easier to carve the breast meat, so don’t skip this step.
- Find the breastbone and place your knife on one side of it, and slice down close to the bone. As you are slicing, use your other hand to pull the meat from the breastbone. This will help you take the breast in one piece. Set aside the whole breast to slice later.
- Using your knife, slice through the joint to remove a wing. Place the wings on the platter.
- Hold the thigh bone with tongs or a paper towel, and remove the meat from the bone with your knife. Place the meat on the platter.
- Use tongs to hold the breast in place, then place the meat on the cutting board so you can cut it at a shorter length. Slice the breast against the grain. Trust us, this will make a huge difference. Make sure to keep the skin attached. Place the slices on a platter.
How to Thaw a Turkey
For three different methods and tips on thawing the turkey in time for Thanksgiving, take a look at my guide on How to Thaw Turkey!
| Turkey Weight | Days to Thaw in Refrigerator | Time to Thaw in Cold Water |
|---|---|---|
| 6-11 pounds | 2 days | 3 to 5½ hours |
| 12-15 pounds | 3 days | 6 to 7½ hours |
| 16-20 pounds | 4 days | 8 to 10 hours |
| 21-24 pounds | 5 days | 10½ to 12 hours |
For a turkey less than 6 pounds, thaw for 1 day.
Note: it is extremely important to thaw your turkey safely. Never, ever thaw your turkey on the counter.
Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
The secret to making this the best recipe ever is our garlic compound butter. It’s so easy to make – just mix herbs, garlic, and butter following our instructions – but the flavor is amazing.
You will want to put this garlic herb butter recipe on everything. I know I do!
I also recommend giving my Butter Injection for Turkey a try!
Turkey Recipes
- Boneless Turkey Roast
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Grilled Turkey Recipe with the Best Turkey Rub
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Smoked Turkey Recipe with Turkey Butter Injection
- Spatchcock Turkey
- Deep Fried Turkey
What to Do with Leftover Turkey
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Turkey Sliders
- Zuppa Toscana
- Empanada Recipe using Thanksgiving leftovers!
- Turkey Carcass Soup is the best turkey noodle soup!
Turkey Side Dishes
- Creamed Corn Casserole
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole
- Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
- Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes or try Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes. They are super easy and quick!
Give our Popular Thanksgiving Dishes a try for even more ideas!
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📋 Recipe
Amazing Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Equipment
- Roasting Pan with Rack (large enough for your turkey)
- Baking Twine
- Turkey Baster (optional)
Ingredients
- 12-15 lb turkey If using a larger turkey, use our cooking chart
- Garlic butter
- 1 Orange halved
- 1 Lemon halved
- 1 Onion halved
- Several sprigs of fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme
- Baking twine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Rinse and pat turkey dry with paper towels. Remove neck and giblets, gravy packet, or any packages inside the cavities of the bird. Check the large cavity as well as the neck cavity. For the turkey seasoning, you will need to make our Herb Butter Rub. It’s just 3 ingredients and takes only a few minutes to mix together!
- Carefully lift up the skin, separating it from the breast as much as you can. The back of a spoon works well for this. Season underneath with garlic butter. Rub the outer skin all over with more garlic butter. You don’t have to use it all: the leftover butter is perfect for buttering rolls, or on vegetables, or potatoes! You can also freeze the extra.
- Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, onion, and herbs.
- Tie the legs with cooking twine and transfer to a rack set inside a roasting pan. Tuck the wings underneath so they don’t burn – this is important!Pour 2 cups chicken broth into the roasting pan and transfer to the oven.
- Roast the turkey for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. After the first hour of roasting the turkey, baste it every 30 minutes. Tent the turkey with foil if the skin becomes deep golden brown before the turkey is cooked through. You can also cover just the parts that are browning too quickly.
- Roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh joint registers 160°F. Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer to a carving board. The turkey will continue cooking and should reach 170°F. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
- To make gravy from drippings, place the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat (or transfer juices to the saucepan if you prefer). Add 2 cups of the remaining broth to the pan drippings and bring to a simmer. Skim off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the fat, depending on the size of your bird. Combine milk and flour in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine. Whisk the milk mixture into the gravy and simmer, stirring continuously until the gravy thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
Notes
- Turkey Breast: You can use a turkey breast in place of a whole turkey for this recipe.
- Garlic Butter: Trust us, once you try this garlic butter spread on your turkey, you will never go back to traditional roasting. It makes the juiciest turkey you will ever try.
- Carving Turkey: When carving the turkey, find the wishbone at the front center of the breast. Use your fingers to pull it out.
- Slicing Turkey: Slice the turkey breast against the grain. Trust us, this will make a huge difference.
Audrey says
Would like to know if I’m roasting the turkey covered or uncovered?
Em Beitel says
Hi Audrey! You do not cover the turkey unless you have to. You should tent the turkey with foil if the skin becomes deep golden brown before the turkey is cooked through. You can also cover just the parts that are browning too quickly. Thank you for asking!
zoe says
when i got a turkey from my workplace, i had no idea what i was going to do with it. i’m not a huge fan of turkey and every time someone has served it for me in thanksgiving it’s been painfully dry. not this turkey, though! easily the best turkey i’ve ever had! it was juicy and flavorful and smelled incredible the whole time we cooked it. i ended up quartering the lemon, orange, and onion so they’d release more flavor and it definitely paid off!
Em Beitel says
Zoe, that is awesome! Thank you so much for trying our recipe and for leaving a review. We’re very glad you had a different, enjoyable experience with your turkey this time around! Thank you so much!