Perfect Roast Turkey

Learn how to make a juicy, flavorful, roast turkey to wow your guests. Whether you pick up a fresh, frozen, pre-brined bird or want to try dry-brining, it’s all covered here.

Table of Contents

1. Fresh vs. frozen
2. Time needed for defrosting
3. Turkey size
4. Self-basted or unbrined
5. Dry brine for extra flavor
6. Surface seasoning
7. Dry the surface for crispier skin
8. Trussing a turkey
9. Roast vegetables in the pan
10. Start roasting breast-side down
11. Roasting procedure
12. How long to roast a turkey
13. How to check for doneness
14. Let it rest
15. Carving the turkey
16. Save the drippings to make gravy
17. What to serve this with
18. Perfect Roast Turkey (Step by Step) Recipe

If you’re in charge of making the Thanksgiving turkey this year, I know it can be a little daunting. But no worries, I’m here to help! Over the years, I have tested many popular methods, such as roasting frozen, basted, and unbrined varieties. This roast turkey recipe is the best!

Fresh vs. frozen

• Frozen turkeys are quick-cooled, which prevents large ice crystal formation that could impact the meat’s texture when thawed. It gives you flexibility on when to defrost for the big feast. 
• Fresh turkeys are chilled to around 26ºF (-3.3ºC) and should not refreeze. It’s best to purchase them closer to the week you plan to roast.

Time needed for defrosting

Just remember, defrost a frozen turkey in the refrigerator 1 day for every 4 pounds. For example, a 12-pound turkey needs at least 3 days. If wet-brining, salting (dry-brining), or air-drying in the refrigerator for crispier skin, defrost 4 to 5 days in advance.

Turkey size

It’s safe to assume you need 1 pound of turkey per guest. A 10-pound turkey is ideal for a smaller feast. I usually choose a turkey between 12 to 14 pounds in size. It cooks in a reasonable amount of time while achieving juicy meat and beautifully browned skin.

If any larger, the bird could dry out, and you may also need to cover the breast if it darkens too much. Honestly, I would rather roast two smaller birds than one mega one.

Self-basted or unbrined

For convenience, a pre-brined, self-basting (basted) bird is usually injected with a solution of salt, sweetener, seasonings, and sometimes phosphates for water retention. These are all meant to add flavor and retain moisture, so you can skip the brining process at home. Check the label for those ingredients.

Alternatively, you can buy an unbrined turkey, typically labeled as natural or organic. They may have water retention (around 6%) but no added salt. They require a little more work, but I prefer this option for more control over the flavor. I like to dry brine the turkey a day before roasting, but you can also wet brine if you prefer.

Dry brine for extra flavor

For unbrined turkeys, place a mixture of kosher salt and sugar underneath the breast and leg skin and inside the unstuffed turkey cavity. Remove the neck and giblets. The ingredients are similarly found in basted birds to season and up the juiciness level. However, you don’t need any water, just some space in the fridge.

Dry brining works by osmosis, where the salt and sugar draws out the juices from the turkey and replaces it with concentrated seasoning. This makes it incredibly savory. If you’ve never done this method before, it’s a game-changer.

Surface seasoning

To add flavor and crispiness to the skin, sprinkle on a mixture of kosher salt, baking powder, and black pepper. I use this on my crispy baked chicken wings. The salt and pepper season the surface, while the baking powder makes the skin more alkaline, accelerating the Maillard browning reaction.

The baking powder also reacts with any moisture left on the skin, creating carbon dioxide bubbles that harden and make the skin crunchier. I add this mixture right after the dry brining process, but I also do this for a self-basting (basted) turkey for extra flavor while air drying the day before.

Dry the surface for crispier skin

Air dry the turkey in the refrigerator for at least 12 to 24 hours, uncovered, and elevated to remove any surface moisture. Steam is the enemy when roasting if you’re trying to achieve crispy brown skin.

Trussing a turkey

The process is a little different than what you do for whole roasted chicken. First, add the aromatic sage, rosemary, thyme, and a lemon slice to the cavity and massage. Tuck the wings back and tie the legs together with the butcher’s twine.

You can also tuck the wings under the skin at the tail to prevent the legs from being completely open. Tying the legs too tightly will take longer to cook inside the cavity.

Roast vegetables in the pan

I like to add a mixture of onion wedges, carrots, celery, and thyme sprigs to the roasting pan. The vegetables keep the turkey drippings from burning as it roasts. They also add lovely flavors to the juices at the bottom of the pan to make a gravy. You can serve the cooked veggies as a side dish or puree them into a soup.

Start roasting breast-side down

Place the turkey breast-side down on the roasting rack for the first part of cooking. This position gives a jumpstart to the dark meat of the wings, thighs, and legs, which take longer to cook. I also find it helpful to line the V-rack with aluminum foil and grease it to create a nonstick surface.

Poke vent holes to allow the fat drippings to drain into the pan and prevent soggy skin. Roasting the turkey initially on foil prevents the breast skin from sticking to the rack.

Roasting procedure

Remove the foil after about 45 minutes when you flip over the bird. You want the hot air to be able to circulate underneath the thighs. Since the underside had a chance to cook, you don’t have to worry about the raw skin sticking to the V-rack. 

Brush the breast, wings, thighs, and legs with butter. The extra fat and milk solids will help deepen the golden brown color. After 30 minutes of cooking time, brush it once more with butter. If you notice the breasts changing color too quickly, especially with larger turkeys, loosely cover that area with foil.

How long to roast a turkey

The essential temperatures to shoot for are 160 to 165ºF (71 to 74ºC) in the thickest part of the breast and 170 to 175ºF (76 to 79ºC) in the thickest part of the thigh. Depending on the bird size, the turkey roasting time will be between 1 hour 35 minutes and 1 hour 45 minutes. 

If there are still raw areas (pink is okay!), you can roast longer in 5-minute increments. Sometimes the leg and thighs don’t finish cooking. If that happens, you can cut them off and cook them on a sheet pan while the turkey’s body is resting.

How to check for doneness

Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. For the breasts, insert the probe from the neck-end parallel to the meat and check both sides. For the thighs, check the thickest part between the breast meat and the drumstick. Avoid hitting the bones; otherwise, you’ll get a false high reading.

Let it rest

After cooking a turkey, it needs time to rest for about 45 minutes. This duration allows the hot juices to reabsorb into the meat. Cutting it too soon will cause the juices to run out, leaving you with drier pieces. Let the bird sit uncovered to prevent trapped steam from ruining the crispy skin.

Carving the turkey

Traditionally if you like to serve the whole turkey on a platter and carve the meat at the table, go for it. However, it can get a little messy, so I prefer to slice it up on a cutting board and not keep guests salivating.

Save the drippings to make gravy

There are flavorful drippings at the bottom of the turkey roasting pan once you scoop out the roasted vegetables. Make sure to scrape off any brown bits of fond, use hot water to release them if needed. Those bits will give the gravy its color. 

Transfer the liquid to a fat separator, and let the fat and juices move into two layers. Refrigerating will speed this process up. Use flour to thicken the juices, and adjust the consistency as desired. Plan for about ⅓ cup of gravy per person. You can reduce this recipe by half if serving a smaller crowd.

What to serve this with

• Green bean casserole
• Homemade mashed potatoes
• Sweet potato casserole
• Cranberry sauce
• Buttermilk biscuits