Juicy oven roasted turkey starts with a simple trick: a hot sear at 500°F before the oven drops to 350°F to finish. I brine mine first with my turkey brine recipe, and between the two steps you get deep golden skin and meat that stays moist all the way to the wing. Plan on about 30 minutes of active prep, roughly 3 to 4 hours in the oven depending on the size of your bird, and at least 15 minutes of rest before you carve.

Easy Juicy Oven Roasted Brined Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe. Let me walk you through, step by step on how to thaw, brine and roast a delicious Thanksgiving turkey. Once you learn these few easy steps, you will be all set to create delicious Thanksgiving memories around the table.

Start with how to thaw a frozen turkey if yours is still frozen, and once it's carved, how to carve a turkey breast walks you through the rest. If you want a juicy turkey in less time, my spatchcock turkey method cuts the roasting time by close to half.

Juicy Turkey Recipe

A brine is what makes this recipe reliable. It is not the only path to a moist turkey, but it is the one I trust every year because it gives you a margin for error; if the bird spends an extra 20 minutes in the oven than you planned, the brine is still doing its job.

The full ingredient list is in the recipe card below. Two things do more work than the rest: the brine you make ahead, and the aromatics you pack into the cavity right before the bird goes in the oven.

How do I keep my turkey from getting dry?

easy-juicy-oven-roasted-brined-thanksgiving-turkey-recipe-3

My answer is simple! Brine your turkey to keep it from getting dry. The infusion of flavor and salt will help the turkey to retain the delicious juicy flavors .

What Aromatics Go Inside the Turkey

Apple and orange add gentle sweetness and moisture as they heat up in the cavity. Rosemary and sage are doing the real flavor work; I use a full bundle of sage because it wilts down fast in that heat and you want enough left to actually season the meat.

1 apple, quartered
1 orange, quartered
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 large bundle fresh sage

easy-juicy-oven-roasted-brined-thanksgiving-turkey-recipe

Pack all of it into the cavity. As the bird roasts, the aromatics heat up and release moisture and flavor back into the meat. You will discard this after roasting; it is for flavor, not for eating, and it is not a substitute for cooking stuffing separately.

Turkey Preparation Essentials

How to Roast a Juicy Turkey

This is a two-temperature method: a hot sear first, then a slower finish. It takes more attention than setting one number and walking away, but it is why the skin comes out deep gold instead of pale.

Preheat and position the rack

Set your oven to 500°F and move the rack to the lowest position. Ovens vary; if yours is anything like mine, drippings on the bottom of the oven will start to smoke at this heat, so crack a window or run your range hood before you start.

A person places a raw, seasoned turkey in a disposable aluminum roasting pan into an oven, following a juicy turkey recipe for delicious results.

Sear at 500°F

Roast the turkey uncovered at 500°F for 30 minutes. This high heat sets the skin fast and helps seal in the juices before the long cook ahead. You will see the skin blister and deepen in color within the first 15 minutes.

An oven roasted turkey is sitting on a white platter with greens.

Drop the temperature and finish

Lower the oven to 350°F and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F and the dark meat reads 175°F. Check both spots separately; dark meat carries more connective tissue and needs the higher number to be tender, not just safe.

Preheat and position the rack

I garnish the platter with what went into the bird: sliced apples, orange wedges, sage, and rosemary, plus cranberries for color, all resting on a bed of kale.

Sarah's Culinary Insight

I've rested turkeys the full 30 minutes and rested them for barely 10, and the difference shows up on the platter every time. Rush the rest and the juices pool on the plate; give it the full window and they stay in the meat.

Skip the 500°F sear and go straight to 350°F, and you lose the deep gold color in the skin along with some of that initial moisture lock. The extra half hour at the start is doing real work, not just adding a step.

My oven smokes a little in that first 500°F stretch because of drippings hitting the bottom of the oven. If yours does the same, that's not a sign anything is wrong; crack a window or run your range hood and keep going.

Check the dark meat separately from the breast every time. They finish at different internal temperatures, and if you only probe the breast, you can pull the thighs before they're actually tender.

Most turkeys come with a little plastic leg clamp holding the legs together. I leave it in place; it does the same job as trussing with kitchen twine, and it saves you from digging through a drawer looking for twine on a morning when you don't have time for that.

Seasonal Favorite

This is my award-winning Crisco pie crust recipe; flaky, tender, and made with simple ingredients you already have.

Crisco Pie Crust

Juicy Turkey FAQ

While I try to share all the information you need to make this recipe in your home with restaurant-quality results, there still may be a question or two. Or these are questions I have received from the community about this recipe. I do my best to answer them as clearly as I can. I hope this helps.

Why does this recipe start the oven at 500°F instead of a steady 325°F or 350°F?

The high heat sets the skin fast, giving you that golden color right away and helping lock the juices in before the long, slower finish. A constant lower temperature browns the skin more gradually and gives moisture more time to escape.

What internal temperature means the turkey is done?

165°F in the thickest part of the breast, and 175°F in the dark meat. Check both; the breast and thighs cook at different rates and dark meat needs the higher number to be tender.

Do I need to put liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan?

No. The turkey's own drippings will collect in the pan as it roasts. Adding a lot of liquid at the start steams the bird instead of roasting it, which works against the crisp skin this method is built for.

Should I stuff the cavity with bread stuffing?

I don't, and for a food safety reason as much as a flavor one: bread stuffing packed inside the cavity often doesn't reach a safe internal temperature by the time the turkey itself is done. I keep the cavity to aromatics only and bake my vegetable stuffing recipe separately in its own dish, where I can control its temperature directly.

Can I make the turkey brine ahead of time?

Yes. My turkey brine recipe has the exact timing for mixing it ahead and brining the bird before roasting day.

originally posted: Nov 14, 2017

I am Sarah Mock. Welcome!

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and a graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 17 years, Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

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