Oven Roasted Turkey Recipe

Juicy Turkey Recipe

I thought for sure everyone started their Thanksgiving turkey in a brine. To me, that is an easy way to guarantee (or almost guarantee) a juicy, flavorful Thanksgiving turkey when you roast it in the oven.

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 for my Thanksgiving turkey recipe, you will be all set to create delicious Thanksgiving dinner memories around the table.

How To Thaw A Frozen Turkey

1. There is no need to take the frozen turkey out of the store packaging. 
2. Fill the large pot (or cooler) with cold water to start thawing frozen turkey. Be sure the turkey is completely submerged.
3. Set a timer and change out the cold water every 30 minutes or until the turkey is completely thawed.

Turkey Defrost Times:

Cold Water Thawing Times  (approximately 30 minutes per pound)

• 4 to 12 pounds - 2 to 6 hours
• 12 to 16 pounds - 6 to 8 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds - 8 to 10 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds - 10 to 12 hours

*These are approximate times and you should check each bird individually for temperature.

Times taken from the USDA

How do I keep my turkey from getting dry?

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 to put inside the turkey for roasting

• an apple
• an orange
• 3 springs of fresh rosemary
• 1 large bundle of fresh sage

Stuff all the aromatics in the turkey cavity of the bird.

They are going to heat up as the bird cooks, releasing flavor and additional moisture to the bird.

How to roast turkey

1. Set your oven to 500 degrees and place your oven rack in the lowest position. Be aware that if you oven is anything like mine, it will burn off any of the drippings that might be on the bottom of the oven.
2. Roast the turkey at 500 for 30 minutes. This will give the skin a beautiful golden brown color and almost sear the turkey, keeping the delicious juices in the bird.
3. Lower the temperature to 350 and continue to cook the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast is 165˚ F and dark meat is 175˚ F.
4. Carefully remove your beautifully roasted turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes, preferably 30 minutes. 

Why do you allow a turkey to rest before carving?

By allowing your turkey to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving it will allow all the juices to redistribute throughout the bird. If you cut it right away you will see all the juices run out of the bird and all over your serving plate. You want the juices and flavor IN the meat, not on your serving plate.

I like to garnish my platter with what was used to create this delicious bird. I tucked in sliced apples, a few wedges of oranges, some sage and rosemary. I added cranberries for a pop of color and the whole bird is resting on a bed of kale,

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and hope my roast turkey recipe and technique were helpful to you!