Perfect roast turkey starts with a 12 pound bird seasoned inside and out, stuffed with thyme, lemon, onion and garlic, then brushed with butter. It roasts at 350F for two and a half hours. The Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving main course, eight generous servings and no brine needed.
Use a thermometer, not the colour of the juices. Juices can run clear from meat that is still under temperature, so pull the bird when the thickest part of the thigh reads 165F.
The source tells you to wash the turkey inside and out. That advice is out of date, because rinsing raw poultry sprays bacteria around the sink and the counters. Pat it dry with paper towels instead.
Perfect Roast Turkey
Course: Main CourseCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalA whole bird salted hard inside the cavity, packed with thyme, lemon, onion and a split head of garlic. Buttered, trussed and roasted uncovered at 350F, then rested twenty minutes before carving.
Ingredients
1 fresh turkey (12 pounds)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon, halved
1 Spanish onion, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Directions
- Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 350F and set a rack low enough for the bird to sit under the top element.
- Prepare the turkey: Take the giblets out, remove any excess fat and pinfeathers, and pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels. Do not rinse it. Set it in a large roasting pan and season the cavity well with salt and pepper.
- Fill and butter: Pack the cavity with the thyme, lemon, onion and garlic. Brush the outside of the bird with the melted butter, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
- Truss: Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body.
- Roast and rest: Roast about 2 1/2 hours, basting with the pan juices once they build, until a thermometer reads 165F in the thickest part of the thigh. Move it to a board, cover loosely with foil and rest 20 minutes before carving.
FAQs
How long do I roast a turkey per pound?
This recipe works out at about twelve and a half minutes per pound at 350F, from two and a half hours for twelve pounds. A sixteen pound bird lands near three and a quarter hours on the same maths. Start checking the temperature forty minutes before the time is up.
Do I need to brine the turkey?
Not for this one, because the salt goes straight into the cavity and onto the skin instead. Brining buys you juicier breast meat but costs you a day and a lot of fridge space. Dry skin browns better, so if you do brine, let the bird air dry uncovered overnight.
Why rest it for twenty minutes?
Carving a turkey straight from the oven pushes the juice onto the board instead of keeping it in the meat. Twenty minutes under loose foil lets everything settle and the bird stays hot the whole time. It also frees the oven for whatever else has to go in.
Can I put stuffing inside instead?
You can, but the cavity here holds aromatics, not bread, and stuffing adds thirty minutes or more to the roasting time. Stuffing also has to reach 165F itself, which usually means overcooked breast meat. Bake it alongside instead, like this bacon stuffing.
What should I serve with roast turkey?
Something creamy and something green, because the bird itself is lean and dry by nature. Gravy covers the first job and a baked side covers the second. A tray of green bean casserole goes in while the turkey rests.
