Roasting a turkey can be daunting but my recipe will help you take the guesswork out of it. I’m here to teach you how to achieve a juicy, tender and moist turkey with some of the crispiest skin in town. No defrosting or brining required!
I love using a fresh turkey - it’s really the secret here! A fresh turkey inherently has a little more moisture and flavour relative to its frozen counterpart. Using fresh versus frozen also cuts down on the overall prep time, by avoiding an often tedious and lengthy defrosting process, while also ensuring a more even cook. All you have to do is simply season the turkey, add a little Herb and Garlic Compound Butter under the skin, stuff the cavity with a few flavourful aromatics and pop it into the oven to cook. It couldn’t be easier than this!
To set you up for success, here are some helpful hints:
When picking a turkey, size matters! You want to consider your overall guest count and the volume and extent of your side dishes. An appropriate starting point is to plan for 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person.
Bringing the turkey to room temperature and drying it with a paper towel will help you achieve the crispiest skin.
Massaging a Herb and Garlic Compound Butter under the skin will add a ton of flavour to your turkey and keeps it extra juicy and tender.
Cooking time will vary based on the size of your bird. But, the general rule of thumb is a cook time of approximately 13 minutes per pound. So, if you’re using a 19 lbs turkey, like I have in this recipe, you should expect and plan for a cook time of 4 hours and 15 minutes.
Letting your turkey rest after it’s removed from the oven will allow the juices to be re-absorbed by the turkey and distributed throughout, producing a tender and juicy bird.
Holiday party planning is stressful as it is. My goal is to empower you in the kitchen and take the stress out of the equation when roasting a turkey. When planning your Thanksgiving Day or Christmas dinner, just follow my Perfectly Roasted Turkey recipe for an easy, delicious and satisfying dish. So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours and 35 minutes
Serves: 13 - 18
Ingredients:
Turkey
19 lbs fresh turkey
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp ground pepper, divided
1 yellow onion, halved
1 head of garlic, cut crosswise
1 lemon, halved
6 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
A handful of fresh parsley leaves and stems (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 cup white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
Vegetable Medley
4 celery stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
5 thyme sprigs
Herb and Garlic Compound Butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup parsley leaves and stems, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon (approx. 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425F and set aside a large roaster, measuring at least 50 x 18cm in size. To the base of the roaster, add the vegetable medley, including the celery, carrots, onion and thyme. This will create the rack on which the turkey roasts.
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before roasting. This will ensure the temperature of the bird is uniform, promoting a more even cook.
Making the Herb and Garlic Compound Butter: To a small bowl, add the softened butter, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper and mix until fully incorporated.
Preparing the Turkey: Check the cavity of the turkey for any giblets and the neck. Remove them and discard or set aside for use thereafter. Give the turkey, including the cavity, a good rinse. Then, pat it dry with a paper towel.
Transfer the turkey to the roaster, breast side up, and place it over top of the vegetable medley.
Using your hands or a serving spoon, loosen the turkey skin, separating it from the breast on either side. Take half of the Herb and Garlic Compound Butter and push it under the skin on one side, massaging it in to ensure that it is evenly distributed. Repeat the process on the other side of the breast with the remaining Compound Butter.
Drizzle olive oil over the top of the turkey and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Season the cavity of the turkey with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and stuff it with the onion, garlic, lemon, rosemary, thyme and parsley. At this stage, if you want increase the depth of flavour of your turkey, you can add the neck and giblets back into the cavity.
Pour the chicken broth or stock and white wine over the vegetables.
Roasting the Turkey: Transfer the turkey into the oven and cook uncovered for 45 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350F, loosely tent the turkey and cook for an additional 3 hours and 30 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through and the juices run clear.
Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
No Wine For Me: If you prefer to keep this dish alcohol-free, then simply replace the white wine in this recipe with an additional cup of chicken broth or stock. This will yield a total of 2 cups of chicken broth or stock in this dish.
Using a Thermometer to Check for Doneness: A surefire way to test your turkey for doneness is to use a meat thermometer. Simply insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. You know your turkey is fully cooked, if the temperature here registers at 180F. Be mindful that, as the turkey rests, the temperature of the meat will continue to rise.
Letting Your Turkey Rest: As soon as the turkey comes out of the oven, you’ll want to dig right in. But, don’t! Carving the turkey too early will cause the juices to run. You worked so hard to create that lovely jus - so, instead, you want to let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes after roasting. This will allow the juices to be re-absorbed by the turkey and distributed throughout, producing a tender and juicy bird.
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