Our complete step-by-step guide on How to Cook a Turkey! No need to make it complicated, this simple and easy process is guaranteed to give you a juicy and flavorful bird every time. Perfect for your next Thanksgiving Day dinner!
The Ultimate Guide On How To Cook A Turkey
Thanksgiving is, without a doubt, one of our most favorite holidays and that Thanksgiving dinner is always centered around the perfect turkey. But have you ever considered making a turkey on a day other than Thanksgiving? We are here to tell you that making a whole turkey doesn’t need to be a complicated process and maybe you will even want to cook one more than just once a year. Now let’s dive in to all things turkey!
Looking for More a Turkey Baste Recipe?
If you love a flavorful turkey as much as we do, you definitely need our Turkey Baste Recipe!
What You Will Need
- fresh turkey – you will want to fully thaw your whole turkey before prepping it for roasting. It is possible to cook one that is still partially frozen but it will increase your cook time.
- butter – put some under the turkey skin and mix some with seasonings to spread on the outside of the turkey for a nice, crispy skin.
- chicken broth or stock – pour in the roasting pan to keep things moist and mix with the drippings to make a creamy gravy, once the turkey is done cooking.
- sweet yellow onion, fresh rosemary, & thyme – perfect for an optional stuffing and adding to the chicken broth for extra flavor + yummy smells.
- fresh orange – another optional stuffing ingredient that is so good!
- dried thyme, kosher salt, & ground pepper – the perfect combination of seasonings that bring great flavor!
- kitchen twine – optional, but you can use it to tie up the turkey legs.
- basting brush – the perfect tool for adding melted butter, making sure the turkey stays juicy, with a perfectly brown, crisp skin.
- meat thermometer – we always use this one to make sure our turkey meat is fully cooked!
- roasting pan – you have to catch those turkey drippings and make follow the simple steps on how to make turkey gravy!
How Big Of A Turkey Should I Buy
A good rule of thumb is to buy about one pound of turkey for every person that you will be serving. So if you have 15 people coming to dinner, you would want a 15 pound turkey. If you want to have leftovers (yes, please!) then you will want to add in about another 1/2 pound per person. You might only need a small turkey breast if you are cooking for only a few people.
If you need any help with the calculations you can checkout this handy turkey calculator.
How To Thaw Turkey
There are two ways to easily thaw a frozen turkey:
- refrigerator: place the frozen turkey on a baking sheet (to collect any juices) in the fridge to thaw. This will be the slowest way and it will take about 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. So if your turkey is 15 pounds, that will take about 3 days.
- cold water bath (do NOT use warm water): this is a quicker way to thaw a turkey and probably the one that we use most often. You will want to allow for about 30 minutes for every pound of turkey. So if your turkey is 15 pounds that will take 7.5 hours.
Read more: checkout our How To Thaw A Turkey tutorial for more info!
Can You Cook A Frozen Turkey (Whole or Breast)
Yes, you absolutely can. However, it will be much more difficult (if not impossible) to stuff the turkey cavity, get butter under the skin, and to spread butter and season the outside. A frozen or partially-frozen bird will also take MUCH longer to fully cook so you will need to add to the total cook time. We highly recommend thawing your turkey as much as possible before cooking.
How To Cook A Turkey
Once you have a fully thawed turkey, you can begin by removing the neck from the main cavity and the giblet bag from the neck cavity.
Pro Tip
Don’t throw away the turkey neck and giblets! Option to use them to make a delicious Turkey Giblet Gravy (no pan drippings required). Or use them to make the a classic giblet stuffing to serve as a side dish!
What Is A Brine & What Does It Do
A brine is a the simple process of soaking a cut of meat, here a turkey, in a mixture of water and salt (along with other aromatics and herbs) for a period of time (usually 12-48 hours). As the meat is submerged in the brine mixture, it soaks up the extra moisture and salt resulting in a more flavorful and juicy cut of meat. This is an optional step, but we highly recommend! We have a complete guide for Brining A Turkey (wet brine) and a recipe to Dry Brine Turkey, check them out!
Plus, recipes for a variety of different wet brine recipes: Apple Cider Turkey Brine, Smoked Turkey Brine, & a Citrus Herb Brine.
After your turkey is done in the brine or if you choose to not brine your turkey, you can move forward with cutting off the hock lock. Next, pat your turkey dry with clean paper towels.
Pro Tip
Another great way to add great flavor and moisture to turkey is to use a turkey injection! Pick-up one of these handy turkey injectors to put melted butter and flavor directly into the meat of the turkey.
Generously season the inside of the turkey cavity with salt & pepper. Just place the stuffing ingredients in the cavity and then peel the skin at the top of the breast back. This is when you will push in some tablespoons of butter.
Should I Stuff My Turkey
Stuffing a turkey can provide some great added flavor and moisture to the inside of the turkey cavity. We love stuffing our bird with large chunks of sweet yellow onion, fresh orange, and fresh herbs, like thyme and rosemary. Feel free to stuff your turkey the same or change it up!
Next, mix-up your herbed butter. And prep the roasting pan by pouring the chicken broth or chicken stock in the bottom of the pan and then add chunks of sweet yellow onion and fresh rosemary & thyme.
Place the turkey on the roasting rack and slather on the herbed butter! Make sure to get it in all the nooks and crannies.
How Long To Cook a Turkey
Plan about 13 minutes of cooking time for each pound of turkey, if the turkey is empty or not stuffed. If you do add a stuffing, then the cook time will be closer to 15 minutes for each pound of turkey. For example, if you have a 10 pound, stuffed turkey the cook time will be around 2.5 hours. When cooking any type of meat, always use an instant-read thermometer to watch the internal temperature. A fully cooked turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Pro tip: if you want to considerably shorten your cooking time, try spatchcocking your turkey!
Best Ways To Cook A Turkey
Of course the classic way to cook a turkey is to roast it in the oven, like our Butter & Sage Roasted Turkey. But there are so many different ways to cook a turkey that you have to try! Here are a few of our favorite options:
- Grilled Turkey – an easy step-by-step tutorial for making a juicy turkey right on the grill!
- Smoked Turkey – if you love your smoker as much as us, you have to try smoking your turkey too! So easy and delicious!
- Deep-Fried Turkey – this may seem intimidating, but you have to try it! The result is so juicy and tender.
How To Make Turkey Gravy
After the turkey is fully cooked there will be pan drippings in the bottom of the pan that are perfect for making the most flavorful turkey gravy you have ever had! Let’s face it, the gravy is the best part so make sure you don’t skip this step. Our simple tutorial on How To Make Turkey Gravy will answer all your gravy questions. We also have a Gluten Free Gravy option, if you need it.
Don’t have drippings: if you are making a Deep Fried Turkey you might not have any pan drippings, in that case you may want to make this easy Turkey Giblet Gravy that doesn’t require drippings!
Best Ways To Serve A Cooked Turkey
The options are endless!! We absolutely love a good side dish recipe, some of our favorites are Ultimate Mashed Potatoes, Sausage Stuffing, Cranberry Orange Sauce, Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole, & Gluten-Free Cornbread! And don’t forget some Easy Pumpkin Pie for dessert and a glass of Mulled Wine.
How To Carve A Turkey
Carving a whole turkey might seem intimidating at first, but rest assured, it is actually fairly simple. If you follow our easy tutorial on How To Carve A Turkey you will see just how easy it is. Don’t forget to keep use the turkey carcass to make this Turkey Stock!
Turkey FAQs
- let it rest – insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast to determine when the turkey reaches an internal temp of 160 degrees F, then place the turkey on a cutting board and wrap in aluminum foil so that it can rest for 20-30 minutes.
- storage – store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- leftovers – there are so many great recipes you can make with leftover turkey, our favorites are Turkey Salad, Turkey Noodle Soup, Turkey Wild Rice Soup and this Turkey Pot Pie!
Made this delicious recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
Don’t forget to check out my Instagram and TikTok account for some behind-the-scenes action! Or give me a follow on Facebook or see what I am pinning on Pinterest!
Other Turkey Recipes You Might Like
How to Cook a Turkey (Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Turkey
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our ultimate guide on How to Cook a Turkey (Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe) is a simple, easy and delicious thanksgiving turkey recipe that the entire family will love!
Ingredients
Turkey + Basting Liquid:
- (1) 10-16 pound whole turkey
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- sprigs of fresh rosemary + thyme
- (optional) a splash of white wine adds a fun flavor to the drippings
Optional Stuffing:
- 1 small yellow onion, quartered
- 1 small orange, quartered
- fresh thyme
- fresh rosemary
Herbed Butter:
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Basting Butter:
- 3–4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Thaw + Room Temp: Ensure turkey is fully thawed. Remove turkey from packaging. Take the turkey neck and any giblets out of the turkey cavity. Place turkey on a plate or in a roasting pan (breast side up) and let sit out at room temperature for approximately 60 minutes (why: this will help the oven get a jump start on raising that internal temp + allowing the skin to dry out, results in a crispier, more delicious skin).
- Oven + Roasting Pan: preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (we will reduce later) and ensure you have a roasting pan + rack (which lifts the turkey off the bottom of the pan and allows it to cook a bit faster). Add chicken broth, onion and rosemary/thyme to the bottom of the roasting pan. Ensure turkey is sitting in the roasting pan on top of the roasting rack, breast-side up.
- Prepare the Turkey: Combine the Herbed Butter ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Pat turkey dry (outside and inside the cavity) with paper towels. Season the inside of the cavity with kosher salt + ground black pepper. If stuffing, add the onion, orange and herbs to the cavity. Using your fingers gently separate the skin from the turkey breasts as much as you can. Push 3-4 tabs of butter underneath the skin. Take the Herbed Butter mixture and spread all over the outside of the turkey skin. (sprinkle a little extra salt and pepper all over the turkey, on top of the butter)
- Place Turkey in Oven: place seasoned turkey inside the preheated oven and turn the temperature down to 325 degrees F. Do not cover the turkey initially with aluminum foil – allow it to cook and once it starts to turn brown, tent a large piece of foil over the top, as-needed.
- Roast: Let turkey roast for 13-16 minutes per pound. For example, a 10 pound turkey would take about 130-160 minutes of total cook time.
- Baste: Melt the Basting Butter in a separate bowl and use that to baste the turkey with a brush every 30-40 minutes. Once the Basting Butter is all used up, simply use the basting liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Internal Temp: A turkey is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F. at the thickest part of the meat (usually the thigh + breast). About halfway through the estimated cook time, start checking the internal temperature so you can project how much longer will be needed. Again, if you notice certain parts of the turkey skin browning too quickly feel free to place a piece of foil over a specific area or tent the whole turkey if the whole thing is browning.
- Rest: Once the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. remove from oven. Lift the roasting rack up and out of the roasting pan and place on a cutting board. Cover with foil and let rest 20-30 minutes. The turkey will continue cooking and residual heat will continue to raise the internal temperature 5 degrees. Transfer any liquid remaining in the bottom of the roasting pan to a glass measuring cup or fat separator and use it to make turkey gravy. Don’t forget to save the carcass to make homemade turkey stock.
- Carve + Serve: Follow this tutorial to learn how to carve a turkey, then serve with homemade turkey gravy and all of your other favorite thanksgiving side dishes!
Notes
- Roasting Rack/Foil Roasting Pan: if you are using a disposable roasting pan then I would recommend using either carrots or celery stalks as your “roasting rack” – just line them up in the bottom of the pan and place the turkey breast-side up on top of them.
- Tin Foil: you can start with the foil tented over the turkey and then remove it halfway through the cooking process, if you prefer, but we tend to favor starting without it and adding it as-needed as the turkey browns.
- Storage: store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Leftovers: we love making these quick and easy Turkey Cranberry Wraps or this Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup!
- Servings + Cook Time: the servings + cook time listed in the recipe card are assuming you are using a 12 pound turkey. Prep time also assuming you are not brining your turkey, which would take additional time to complete.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 334
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 217.1 mg
- Fat: 11.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Protein: 54.9 g
- Cholesterol: 201 mg
EH says
Thank you!!