Learn how to make The BEST Roasted Turkey! This turkey is incredibly juicy, tender, flavorful and perfectly golden brown and crispy on the outside. This will be your new go to Roasted Turkey Recipe for Thanksgiving! I’ve also included step by step pictures below!

Serve this Roasted Turkey with my gluten-free turkey gravy, homemade cranberry sauce and creamy mashed potatoes to complete your meal.

roasted turkey surrounded by thanksgiving sides

As a food blogger, people expect 5-star meals at my home, and I strive to deliver on that expectation. So when it came to making my own roasted turkey in time for Thanksgiving, I knew I had to perfect the recipe. It needed to be moist, tender, and juicy on the inside with charred, crispy skin on the outside.

I’m happy to report that this recipe met all of my expectations. We were inspired by Alton Brown’s method for cooking the best, juiciest, golden turkey. His trick is to cook the bird first over very high heat for a very short time, then lowering it and covering the breasts with aluminum foil so they don’t dry out or get too brown.

The best part of this foolproof roasted turkey recipe is that it doesn’t require any brining or prep work! Simply remove it from your fridge and allow it to come to room temperature one hour before you plan to cook it. Then blot it all over — inside and out — with paper towels. Eliminating excess moisture is KEY for achieving that crunchy, crispy skin.

sliced roasted turkey on a serving tray with cranberries and herbs for garnish

Notes on Ingredients

  • Turkey: You want to pick a bird that is between 12-20 pounds, depending on how many people you plan to serve or how many leftovers you want.
  • Vegetables: You’ll need onions, carrots and celery!
  • Apple: Adds a hint of sweetness to the turkey.
  • Herb butter: This is where all the flavor comes from!! Butter, fresh herbs (thyme, sage and rosemary!)

Save Those Drippings for Your Gravy!

Easily the best part of roasting your own Thanksgiving turkey is all of the drippings that pool in the bottom of the pan while it cooks that you can use to make homemade gravy. Talk about flavor! And don’t you dare throw those away or use gravy from a paper packet! If you do, we can’t be friends. Sorry, not sorry.

These drippings are essential for making the most delicious, richest, savory homemade turkey gravy. And let’s be real, you can’t have a Thanksgiving meal without gravy. It’s necessary for the lean turkey meat, creamy mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, and dinner rolls. And the best part is that this recipe is gluten-free, so you can save your calories for the rest of your Thanksgiving spread.

roasted thanksgiving turkey on platter

How To Make the Best Roasted Turkey

  • Remove the turkey from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees, and lower the oven rack to the lowest position.
  • Remove neck and giblets from the turkey. Blot dry turkey as well as you can with paper towels (inside and out, especially under and on top of the skin on the breast meat). Season the cavity with salt and pepper.
  • Place 1/2 cup of the chopped vegetables and apple inside of the turkey cavity. Put remaining vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place turkey on top of the vegetables.
stuffing turkey carcass with diced carrots, onions and celery
  1. Lift the skin up from the breast and smear herb butter under the skin by hand, getting into ever crevice. Then, spread the rest of the skin on top of the bird with the remaining herb butter.
herb butter in small bowl with spoon
  1. Bake for 30 minutes at 500 degrees, then place foil just on top of the breast (see picture).
covering the turkey with foil
  1. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and roast for an additional 1 1/2-2 hours or until the turkey reaches 161-165 degrees.
cooked turkey out of the oven in a roasting pan
  1. Allow the turkey to rest for 1 hour before slicing into it. This ensures it is cooked throughout, allows it to reabsorb some of its juices to make for a moist, tender bite.

How To Store Leftover Turkey

You could also throw any leftover turkey meat into a soup, like turkey and noodle or my turkey tortilla soup.

However you eat them, Thanksgiving leftovers are simply the best.

  • Store leftover turkey in an airtight container or plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to five days.
  • Reheat in the microwave at 30-second intervals, or warm in a skillet over low-medium heat.
  • Freeze any remaining turkey in a freezer-safe Ziplock bag for up to six months.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

Complete your from-scratch holiday meal with these side dishes and deserts:

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    roasted turkey thanksgiving
    Recipe

    Roast Turkey Recipe

    5 from 2 votes
    This homemade roasted turkey is juicy, tender, flavorful, and crispy-skinned — what everyone wants in a Thanksgiving bird!
    Author: Kelley Simmons
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
    Resting: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Serves 12
    Rate Print

    Ingredients 

    Roast Turkey

    • 1 12-20 pound turkey, thawed
    • salt and pepper
    • 2 medium onions, large dice
    • 4 medium carrots, chopped
    • 4 ribs celery, chopped
    • 1 whole apple, peeled and quartered

    Herb Butter

    Instructions

    Herb Butter

    • Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside until you are ready to coat the turkey.

    Roast Turkey

    • Remove the turkey from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
    • Lower oven rack and preheat oven to 500 degrees.
    • Remove neck and giblets from the turkey. Dry turkey as well as possible with paper towels (inside and out). Season the cavity with salt and pepper.
    • Place 1/2 cup of the chopped vegetables and apple inside of the cavity of the turkey. Place remaining vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place turkey on top of the vegetables.
    • Using your hands lift the skin up from the breast and smear herb butter under the skin then smear the rest of the skin on top of the bird with the remaining herb butter.
    • Bake for 30 minutes at 500 degrees then place foil just ontop of the breast (see picture).
    • Reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast for an additional 1 1/2-2 hours or until the turkey reaches 161-165 degrees. Allow the turkey to rest for 1 hour before slicing into it.

    Notes

    Allow the turkey to come to room temperature. Simply remove it from your fridge and allow it to come to room temperature one hour before you plan to cook it. This ensures even cooking!
    Dry the turkey! Blot the turkey all over — inside and out — with paper towels. Eliminating excess moisture is KEY for achieving that crunchy, crispy skin.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 221mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3723IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
    roasted turkey thanksgiving

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