Roasted Turkey

Servings: servings (10 people)

Calories: 557cal

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Discard paper towels.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Remove the giblets and neck, either save for use or discard. Tuck the wings behind the turkey's shoulders. At this point, if you want to add the optional ingredients, you can add them to the turkey's cavity.
Sprinkle Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper all over the turkey. Add the butter on the top of the turkey.
Add 2 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water) to the bottom of the pan.
Place the roasting pan with the prepared turkey in the center rack of the preheated oven. Close the door. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Bake for 13 minutes per pound, so a 13-14 pound turkey should be done in just under 3 hours.
Using a turkey baster, you can baste the liquids over the top of the turkey every 45 minutes. As the turkey gets close to being done, keep an eye on it, if the top looks too brown, you can use a foil tent to protect the top from over-browning.
When you think the turkey is done, using a meat thermometer, check the thickest part of the breast and thigh. It should register at 165 degrees F when done.
Allow the turkey to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

5 from 2 votes

We are partial to using butter on the turkey as it yields golden crispy skin, however, you can easily substitute with olive oil if preferred.
Don't truss the turkey legs - you're banking on the air circulating in the cavity while in the oven in order to cook evenly.
Thawing - It's best to allot 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey when thawing in the refrigerator. Place the turkey, in its packaging, on a baking sheet in the fridge. I always recommend giving yourself 1 extra day for the turkey to thaw in the refrigerator just in case.
If you are pressed on time and your turkey is still frozen then you can submerge the packaged turkey in either a cooler or sink filled with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until thawed. Do not use warm or hot water.
A whole roasted turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast or 175F when inserted into the thigh. I typically remove my turkey from the oven when it reaches 160F as it will continue to cook when resting.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Resting Time15

Total Time3 10