How to Cook a Turkey for Beginners
This easy recipe for how to cook a turkey comes out perfectly every time. So buttery, juicy, and flavorful, it's the only turkey recipe you will ever need!
Servings: 12
Calories: 349kcal
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey thawed (18-20 lbs)
- thick celery stalks and onion slices (optional, see steps 2 and 3)
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1-2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- aluminum foil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove turkey from packaging. Remove the neck, giblets, and gravy packet included with the turkey. Keep the gravy packet in the refrigerator until you make the gravy (turkey gravy recipe in recipe notes). Pat completely dry with paper towels (this is important so the butter will adhere to the turkey).
- Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray. Add the chicken broth to the bottom of the pan, then place the turkey on a wire roasting rack inside the pan. Thick celery stocks and thick onion slices can be used instead of a wire rack.Note: If using an aluminum roasting pan, do not place the turkey directly on the aluminum. Place some thick celery stocks and thick onion slices in the bottom of the pan, and place the turkey on top of them.If the turkey is placed directly on the pan, the skin will stick to the bottom of the pan as the turkey cooks and the turkey will be difficult to remove from the pan.
- Tuck the wing tips under the bird so that they will not get too brown while cooking. This also looks much more appetizing.
- Melt butter and brush evenly over the turkey. Gently lift the skin and rub some of the butter under the skin layer.
- Combine the spices and rub them evenly over the buttered turkey.
- Make an aluminum foil "tent" to go over the entire turkey. Using a wide aluminum foil sheet, or two long sheets crimped together to form a wide sheet, loosely cover the entire turkey. Tuck the foil inside the roasting pan around the turkey so the condensation from the turkey drips from the foil back into the pan.
- Place the turkey in the oven and cook according to turkey package directions. Cooking time will vary according to the turkey size. See turkey cooking chart in post above. A meat thermometer is always recommended. A turkey is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. If the turkey has been "stuffed" with dressing, add 15-45 minutes to the cooking time. The dressing, or stuffing, is fully cooked when it reaches 165 degrees in the center of the dressing.
- Remove the foil tent after one hour of cooking. The foil keeps the moisture in the turkey. As the skin browns, it thickens and will do the job of keeping the moisture in without the foil. If the turkey is getting too brown near the end of the cooking time, replace the foil tent.
- Once the turkey reaches 165 degrees, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest, lightly covered with foil, for at least 20 minutes, and up to 40 minutes before carving (flip it so it's breast-side-down for part of the time). This allows the juices to redistribute through the meat.
- While the turkey is resting, make turkey gravy. See the link to "How to Make Turkey Gravy" in the recipe notes below.
- Carve and slice. Enjoy a moist, delicious turkey!
Video
Notes
Cooking a Turkey in an Electric Roaster
If you cook your turkey in an electric roaster, it is going to cook faster. Depending on your roaster, it may cook up to 2 hours faster. This is due to the heat source being much closer to the turkey.
- Check the owner's manual of your roaster to get the most accurate roasting times.
- Don't forget to check the turkey with a meat thermometer when it is half way through cooking to see how it is coming along.
Nutrition
Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.9mg