Easy Roasted Turkey Recipe

A sliced whole roasted turkey on a platter.

This is our easiest, no-fuss homemade roast turkey that delivers the juiciest and tender results. A perfect first-time turkey maker will love how easy it is to make this recipe. For the more experienced home cook, feel free to use this recipe as your base and add in some fresh herbs and spices to the butter oil mixture.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword easiest roast turkey, oven roasted turkey, roasted turkey

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

rest time 30

Total Time 3 50

Servings servings

Calories 747kcal

Author Eileen Murphy Kelly

Equipment

Ingredients

11-12 pound whole turkey

Herbed Butter

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh herbs chopped, Note 1
1 teaspoon kosher salt Note 2
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Turkey Cavity

½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 large yellow onions peeled and sliced in half, divided
2 stalks celery chopped into thirds
1 large carrot peeled and chopped into thirds
3 cloves garlic peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley

Roasting Pan

1 medium yellow onion peeled and chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C. Have a roasting pan with rack ready for the turkey.

How to make Herb Butter

Ina small bowl, mix 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons chopped herbs, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon paprika to combine the ingredients into a paste.
Set aside while preparing the turkey

Prepare the turkey

Prepare the turkey by removing the giblets. ( Note 3) Use a paper towel to pat dry the turkey both inside and out.
Set the turkey on the rack in the roasting pan. Rub the herb butter on the entire turkey, under the skin and on top of the skin.

Cavity of the turkey

In a small bowl combine ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon onion powder. Sprinkle the mixture inside the cavity of the turkey.
To the seasoned cavity of the turkey, add halved yellow onions, chopped celery, chopped carrots, 3 cloves garlic, fresh thyme sprigs, and fresh parsley sprigs.

How to roast the turkey

Place the turkey in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/163°C.
After hour 2 of cooking, check the turkey and if it has browned to your liking, cover with foil so the turkey does not burn. Turkey roasts an average of 13 minutes per pound. When the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165°F/74°C the turkey is fully cooked.
Once the turkey has reached 165°F, remove the roasting pan from the oven.
Let the turkey cool for about 10 minutes before removing it from the roasting pan and let it finish cooling on a cutting board for another 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Note 1: Approximately 5 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs parsley, 6-7 leaves sage, 3-inch rosemary twig, we also had a lot of basil and added some in. Oregano can also be used. If fresh herbs are not available, use dried herbs, although fresh herbs give the ultimate flavor.

Note 2: Homemade seasoning salt or a store-bought seasoning salt can be used, about 1 ½ Tablespoons total will work well.

Note 3: The giblets can be used to make a gravy. Also great to roast in Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

Nutrition