- Compound Butter: You can use as much or as little of the compound butter under the skin and on the outside of the turkey as you want. If you like more flavor, you can mix in Creole seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or Soul Dust seasoning to the butter before spreading it.
- Creole Butter Injection: You can also use a Creole butter injection for extra moisture and bold flavor. We use this in our Deep Fried Turkey and Spatchcock Smoked Turkey recipes, and it works great with this roasted turkey too. This step is optional but adds a delicious kick.
- Thawing: A turkey needs about 1 day for every 4 pounds to thaw in the fridge. A 12-lb turkey needs about 3 days.
- Brining: Brining helps the turkey stay juicy. If you do not brine it, make sure to season the turkey very well, inside and out.
- Cooking Temp: Roast until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F. Use a thermometer so you don’t guess.
- Cavity Aromatics: Stuff the cavity loosely with orange, onion, and herbs so the air can flow and the turkey cooks evenly.
- Basting: Baste the turkey every 25 minutes with melted butter. Rotate the turkey each time to help it brown evenly.
- Browning Too Fast: If the breast gets dark too quickly, cover it lightly with foil and keep cooking.
- Not Browning Enough: Turn on convection or raise the heat to 400°F for the last 10–15 minutes. Brush melted butter over pale spots.
- Sides Near Wings Not Browning: Spoon hot drippings on those areas and rotate the turkey so that side faces the hotter part of the oven.
- Veggies as a Rack: If you don’t have a roasting rack, place the turkey on carrots, celery, and onion. This lifts the turkey so the bottom doesn’t get soggy and makes better drippings for gravy.
- Tying the Legs: If the legs aren’t already tied, use kitchen twine to tie them together so the turkey cooks evenly.
- Dry Turkey: Let the turkey rest 20–30 minutes before slicing. If it still seems dry, slice it thin and serve with gravy.
- Done Too Early: Cover the turkey with foil and a clean towel. It stays warm for up to 2 hours.
- Crispy Skin Tip: Pat the turkey very dry before adding butter. Moisture stops the skin from crisping.
- No Roasting Rack Needed: Veggies under the turkey work the same way and taste great in the drippings.
Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
Make the best roasted Thanksgiving turkey with this simple, juicy, and flavorful recipe. The turkey is brined, coated in garlic herb butter, stuffed with citrus and herbs, and roasted until it’s golden and tender. Perfect for holiday meals and great for beginners.
Servings: 12
Equipment
- Roasting pan (large enough for a 12-lb turkey)
- Roasting rack (optional)
- Basting brush or large spoon (for basting every 25 minutes)
- Meat thermometer (to check for 165°F doneness)
- Aluminum foil (to tent if the turkey browns too fast)
- Carving knife and carving fork (for slicing the turkey)
Ingredients
- Cooks with Soul
Turkey Brine Recipe - 1 whole turkey 12 pounds, thawed
- 1 orange quartered
- 2 onions quartered (yellow and/or white onion, one in the cavity, half for roasting pan)
- 3 carrots cut into chunks
- 3 celery stalks cut into chunks
- fresh herbs rosemary, thyme, sage
Garlic Herb Compound Butter
- ½ pound unsalted butter softened (use more if your turkey is larger than 12 pounds)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- fresh herbs rosemary, thyme, and sage
Instructions
Brine the Turkey (12–24 hours ahead)
- First, follow the Cooks With Soul wet brine recipe and let your turkey soak in the brine for 12 to 24 hours. When the brining time is done, remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it well, and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Then place it uncovered in the fridge for a couple of hours to help the skin dry out. This step helps the skin get extra crispy later.
Garlic Herb Compound Butter
- Let butter sit at room temperature until soft and spreadable. In a bowl, combine the softened butter with lemon zest, minced garlic, and chopped herbs. Stir until fully mixed and smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
Prep the Turkey
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavity and set them aside for gravy. Then gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs using your fingers or a small spatula. This creates space for the butter to go underneath the skin.
Lightly Stuff the Cavity
- Place the orange quarters, 1 onion (quartered), and a few sprigs from the poultry herb blend inside the cavity. Do not pack the cavity too tight. Leaving space inside helps hot air flow through the turkey so it cooks evenly.
Add Garlic Compound Butter Under the Skin
- Take about ⅔ of the softened garlic herb compound butter and spread it under the skin of the turkey. Try to spread it out as evenly as possible so the butter melts into the meat while it cooks. This helps the turkey stay juicy and gives it great flavor.
Add Garlic Compound Butter on the Outside
- Rub a light layer of the compound butter all over the outside of the turkey, and save the rest for basting. Make sure you coat the whole bird, including the legs and wings.
Prepare the Roasting Pan
- Add the carrots, celery, and the remaining onion and herbs to the bottom of a large roasting pan. Drizzle the vegetables with a little olive oil so they’re lightly coated. Then place the turkey breast-side up on top of the vegetables. The veggies help lift the turkey so heat can circulate, and they create flavorful drippings for gravy. If your roasting pan has a rack, arrange the vegetables around the turkey instead.
Roast the Turkey
- Place the turkey in the oven and let it roast for the first 25 minutes without opening the door. Melt any leftover garlic herb butter while it cooks. Every 25 minutes, baste the turkey with the melted butter by brushing or spooning it over the breast and legs. Each time you baste, rotate the turkey 180 degrees so it cooks and browns evenly. Keep roasting until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, which usually takes 2½ to 3 hours for a 12-pound bird.
Rest the Turkey
- Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 45–60 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to settle back into the meat so every slice stays moist. Save the drippings and roasted vegetables from the pan, they make the best base for your giblet gravy!
Notes
