Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe

Cook Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

This method delivers the juiciest roast turkey — no lengthy marinating required, and the brine is optional. You'll love the crisp, salty skin, and the foil tip produces the juiciest turkey breast. It's an easy, failproof method for your Thanksgiving turkey.

Servings: 12 people

Ingredients

For the Turkey

• 12 lb turkey (anything from 11–15 lbs will work, but bake time will vary), thawed*

• Salt & pepper, for the inside and outside of the bird

For the Flavored Butter

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, not extra virgin, plus more to drizzle on top

• 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon), plus 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest

• 3 large garlic cloves, pressed

• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

• 1/2 Tbsp salt (I used sea salt)

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Stuffing

• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

• 1/2 bunch parsley

• 1 lemon, quartered
  

  Instructions

  Prepping Your Turkey

  Remove the thawed turkey* from the fridge about 30 minutes before you start working with it. If the turkey is closer to room temperature, it will bake more evenly. Remove the neck and bag of giblets, then pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Let it sit in a roasting pan lined with paper towels to soak up any excess water, then discard the paper towels. Fold the wings behind the turkey so they don't scorch in the oven.

  Seasoning, Stuffing, and Tying Up a Turkey

  1. Season the inside of the turkey cavity generously with about 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

  2. Make the flavored butter – In a medium bowl or a food processor*, combine: 2 sticks softened butter, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, 3 pressed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 Tbsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mash or stir with a fork until well combined. (The lemon juice doesn't easily stir into butter, but keep mixing and it will come together after a few minutes.)

  3. Separate the skin from the turkey breast by pushing your fingers under the skin. Do this from both the front and the back of the turkey, being careful not to tear the skin.

  4. Stuff 2/3 of the butter mixture under the skin, then spread the butter around by massaging over the top of the skin. This butter keeps the turkey breast tender and juicy and provides rich flavor.

  5. Pat the skin dry and rub the remaining butter over the outside of the turkey (breast, legs, wings). Drizzle olive oil all over the top and generously season with salt and pepper — I just love a crisp, salty skin.

  6. Stuff the turkey cavity with the quartered onion, 4 halved garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch of parsley, and quartered lemon. Use kitchen string to tie the turkey base and legs together, crossing the legs to better close up the cavity — plus it looks extra fancy on the table.

  How to Roast a Turkey

  1. Prep – Preheat the oven to 430˚F on bake mode. Place the oven rack in the lower part of your oven (mine was on the second level from the very bottom).

  2. Make the foil shield – To protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy, fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of the triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove the foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry. You'll apply this shield later in the roasting process.

  3. Place an oven-safe meat thermometer into the bird, beneath the drumstick and deep into the dark meat. Start roasting uncovered at 430˚F for 20 minutes.

  4. Baste – Remove from the oven and quickly baste with the butter from the bottom of the dish. You can use a baster or tilt one side of the pan and collect drippings with a large spoon. Now apply the prepared foil triangle to the turkey breast area.

  5. Reduce the oven to 350˚F and bake for another 2 hours 30 minutes for a 12 lb bird. (Once you've reduced the oven to 350˚F, you'll bake about 13 minutes for every pound of turkey.) The turkey thigh should register 170˚F on the temperature probe and the breast 160˚F to ensure it's fully cooked through, then remove it from the oven. (Keep in mind the turkey temp continues to rise slightly after it's out of the oven.*)

  6. Rest the turkey – Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and cover loosely but fully with foil. Let it rest for at least 1 hour. The longer it sits, the more tender and easier to carve it becomes. Keep the drippings from the roasting pan for turkey gravy. Now you can decorate around your turkey and make it festive. I used kale for my greens, then added small apples, sliced oranges, and quartered lemons.
     

     Notes

     • To thaw turkey – If using a frozen turkey, defrost it in its plastic bag in the refrigerator 1 day for every 4–5 lbs (thaw a 12 lb turkey for 3 days before roasting).

     • Food processor tip – A food processor makes it much easier to blend the lemon juice into the flavored butter, saving time and effort.

     • Final temperature – As the turkey rests, it will continue to rise to a final temperature of 165˚F at the breast and 175–180˚F at the thigh.

     • Nutrition note – The nutrition label is a rough estimate; remember that most of the butter and oil will remain in the pan when the turkey is done roasting.    

       Nutrition Per Serving

       • Calories: 556 kcal

       • Carbs: 3g

       • Protein: 103g

       • Fat: 13g