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How to Cook a Perfect Turkey

By Rachael | Published | Updated on

5 from 18 ratings
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How to Cook a Perfect Turkey:

Everything you need to know to get a perfect turkey, fool proof, and delicious. This turkey is tender, juicy, golden, and easy to make, with lots of flavor and crispy skin.

This method has been tested by me and my sister over at Tangled with Taste, over 100 times, and has been made by 300k+ people. I will help you avoid mistakes and get the perfect bird, no matter your skill level in the kitchen. Each year we place this large bird at the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving meal. And we eat it. So why are we not making it the best turkey ever?

Today we are done with dried out turkeys, scalded hands, and grease fires. Today, I will teach you how to perfectly roast a turkey, in your oven. Even a novice can follow these steps and achieve turkey perfection. Crispy skin, moist and flavorful turkey, and it is easy too!

Turkey Tools I Use

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A Perfect crisp juicy turkey on a white plate and a heading of how to cook a perfect turkey

This recipe was originally created by the master Juli at Tangled with Taste, she shared it with me here at Eazy Peazy Mealz, to get it out to you all. But please visit her site Tangled with Taste for this recipe and many other amazing recipes for Thanksgiving and more.

We love to pair this turkey with Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes and Moms Dinner Rolls, plus all the other fixings, but it is seriously such a highlight. And of course I always use the bones of the turkey after we have picked it clean to make Turkey Stock.

Turkey Cooking Time Chart (325°F)

These times are for a fresh or fully thawed turkey roasted at 325°F. Ovens vary, so start checking the temperature about 30 minutes before the shortest time.

Turkey weight Unstuffed Stuffed
8 to 12 pounds 2¾ to 3 hours 3 to 3½ hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3¾ hours 3½ to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 3¾ to 4¼ hours 4 to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds 4¼ to 4½ hours 4¼ to 4¾ hours
20 to 24 pounds 4½ to 5 hours 4¾ to 5¼ hours

Using this recipe’s 500°F start? This chart is for the standard 325°F method. With the 500°F start, a 14 to 16 pound turkey usually takes about 3 hours in all. Go by the thermometer, not the clock.

How to know it’s done: the turkey is safe to eat at 165°F. Take it out of the oven between 161°F and 165°F, because it keeps cooking as it rests, then make sure it reads 165°F before serving. Check the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing. If you stuffed it, the center of the stuffing needs to reach 165°F too.

Let it rest: give the turkey 30 minutes out of the oven before carving. It finishes coming up to temperature, the juices settle and it’s easier to slice.

Cooking from frozen? Plan on at least 50% more time. My How to Cook a Turkey From Frozen guide walks you through it.

Why this Recipe Works

There are a million suggestions out there for how to cook a perfect turkey, some require basting, or regular checking, or a lot of extra work. But this straightforward method works every time, let me tell you why:

  • No basting required. Once your turkey is in the oven, you can leave it alone and focus on the rest of your Thanksgiving dinner. No opening the oven every 30 minutes means even cooking and easier on you!
  • Butter under the skin makes a difference. It adds rich flavor, but it also helps keep the breast meat juicy while the skin turns beautifully golden.
  • The brine seasons every bite. A simple brine will mean mega flavor for your turkey, giving it that classic Thanksgiving flavor without making things complicated.
  • Foil helps prevent dry breast meat. The breast tends to cook faster than the legs and thighs, so covering it with foil helps protect it from overcooking while the rest of the turkey finishes.
  • A higher starting temperature creates crispy, golden skin. Starting the oven temperature at 500°F helps the skin turn that gorgeous golden brown that makes a Thanksgiving turkey the star of the table, then turning it down means it cooks without burning.

How to Cook a Turkey for Thanksgiving

Step One: Pick the Right Turkey

(Buy at least 5 days before)

What size turkey do you need?

The rule of thumb to follow is to buy 1 pound of turkey per person you are feeding.

This might sound like a lot, but when you buy turkey on the bone, this is going to give you just the right amount of turkey for each person to enjoy dinner, and have a little bit leftover.

Because aren’t leftovers one of the best parts of Thanksgiving?

This method for cooking turkey works great for frozen or fresh turkeys. So you can get either. But for convenience sake, get a frozen turkey.

And don’t forget while shopping for your turkey, get what you need for corn casserole, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and easy stuffing so you can get those started early too.

Step Two: Thaw Your Turkey

(Thaw at least 4 days before, depending on size)

Your turkey needs to completely thaw before cooking for best results. If you do not do this, go to How to Cook A Turkey From Frozen for instructions.

Most turkeys are frozen when you purchase them. This means, do NOT purchase your turkey the day you plan to cook it. There are ways to cook a turkey from frozen, but for the perfect turkey, thaw first!

To thaw: 

Thaw your turkey in the fridge for best results. See How to Thaw a Turkey for detailed instructions and different thawing options based on your needs.

The USDA has provided this guide for safely thawing a turkey.

Step Three: Brine Your Turkey for a perfectly moist bird

(Brine 1 day before)

Brining has become very popular, and when done right, it produces a turkey that is perfectly moist, beautifully seasoned, and has equally tender and flavorful dark and white meat.

It is a thing of beauty.

You should plan on 24 hours for brining. However, it can be done faster. Give yourself at least 8 hours for best results.

What is a brine?

A brine is basically a mixture of kosher salt, water, citrus, and herbs that you soak your turkey in, and that helps flavor the meat.

What I do:

  • Place the turkey in an oven bag.
  • Pour the brine in.
  • Seal the bag.
  • Place the turkey in a refrigerator, or into a cooler and cover it with ice.
  • After the 24 hours is over, lift the turkey out and let the brine drain away. If you want it less salty, rinse it quickly in a clean sink, then sanitize the sink afterward.
  • Pat it dry with a paper towel, and move to the next step.

Use my How to Brine a Turkey recipe for my favorite brine.

Step Four: Rub herb butter between the meat and the skin

(Herb butter rub is done day of roasting)

This next step is probably the trickiest part of getting the perfect turkey, but I have done it hundreds of times and will show you how to do it right so you get the butter where it needs to be, but not tear the skin.

When done properly, the herb butter rub gives your turkey a whole lot of flavor, and the skin will get crisp, and flavorful too. You will be in absolute heaven.

Trick for Getting the butter between the skin and the meat:

  1. Place your turkey on the rack of your roasting pan.
  2. Now, go to the back of the bird, where the tailbone is, and gently work a finger or spoon under the skin between the skin and the meat. Lift the skin.
  3. Gently pry the skin from the meat, starting at the back, and working your way up to the neck.
  4. Apply the herb butter into the space between the skin and the meat of the bird you just created, and gently rub it all over the bird.
  5. When you have finished, rub your buttery hands on the outside of your turkey as well. If you don’t have enough butter to rub the outside, feel free to rub with canola oil as well. This will help it crisp up!

You can make your own herb butter, or get the recipe here: Roast Turkey From Tangled with Taste!

A perfectly crisp and juicy turkey with herbs between the skin and the meat on a white plate with pomegranate seeds in the background

Step Five: Fill the Bird Cavity

(4 hours before serving)

There are so many opportunities for adding flavor to your turkey. And one that is often overlooked, or used for a bread stuffing is the bird cavity.

Instead, make your stuffing elsewhere, and fill that bird cavity with steeped herby aromatics. It will flavor the turkey from the inside, and slightly sweeten the savory meat.

Get a recipe for herb steeped aromatics at TangledwithTaste.com

You can make this ahead of time to be ready for the big day and cut down on the chaos.

Step Six: Roast for 30 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit

(3.5 – 4 hours before serving)

To cook the perfect turkey, you want to preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Don’t worry, you won’t be cooking it at this temperature for long, you just want to cook it for 30 minutes at this super high temperature to brown the skin and crisp it up. The blast of heat browns and crisps the skin, giving you that super golden beautiful outside you want.

Then you will turn the temperature down to let it finish cooking.

  1. Put your rack on the lowest place it will go in the oven so there is room for your bird.
  2. Set temperature to 500 degrees F and preheat.
  3. Roast for the 30 minutes: You will roast breast side up.

A lot of people think you should turn the bird part way through so the breast doesn’t dry out, but we have a trick for avoiding trying to turn a big, sizzling, heavy bird, and still get moist and tender breast meat. So save yourself a few burns, and move to step seven.

Roast Turkey - How to cook a turkey, a lovely roast turkey on a white platter with fresh herbs and sliced lemons

Step Seven: Foil Hat and Turn the Oven Down

(3 hours before serving)

After you have roasted your turkey for 30 minutes at 500 degrees, turn your oven down to 350 degrees.

The skin should be a pretty golden brown at this point, but the turkey is not cooked through, so you want to turn down the heat so it can roast slowly and cook through.

Remove your turkey from the oven, and make him a great looking hat out of foil!

Basically, take a piece of foil, and fold it over the breast, and place it on the turkey breast for the remainder of your cooking time.

This will help it cook at a lower and slower rate than the rest of the turkey, which means perfectly cooked dark meat and white!

Pro Tip: Make your turkey foil hat BEFORE you do the initial 30 minute roast time so you aren’t having to touch a hot bird, and can simply place the foil over the breast.

This video will show you how easy it is:

Step Eight: Let it Cook to 161- 165 degrees Fahrenheit

(3 hours before serving for a 14-16 lb bird)

Everyone wants to know how long to cook a turkey for. The answer is it depends. You want to cook that turkey until a meat thermometer reads 161-165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the turkey.

Every turkey is a different size, and every oven is different, so it is hard to say how long exactly to cook your turkey, which is why a meat thermometer is a good idea.

Of course, if you do not have one, you can rely on the little plastic ones that come with the bird. Though it is not recommended, as they will often only pop out when half the turkey is over-cooked.

How long should you plan for?

Typically a 14-16 pound turkey cooked with this method takes about 3 hours in all, including the first 30 minutes at 500 degrees.

Step Nine: Rest your Turkey

(30 minutes before serving)

Pull that beautifully golden brown turkey out of the oven, and cover it completely with foil.

Then let it rest for 30 minutes.

I know you are worried it will get cold, but those 30 minutes are important because they give the juices a chance to be re-absorbed, and the meat a chance to firm up.

Which means your turkey will be easier to slice and be juicier and tastier.

Also, if you pull the bird out at 161 degrees, know that it needs to be at 165 degrees for safety. The rest time is where that temperature rises to the safe zone, and stays juicy. Check it again with your thermometer before carving to make sure it reached 165 degrees.

So use those 30 minutes to finish your Thanksgiving Yams, bacon wrapped green beans, easy buttermilk biscuits, or sweet potato casserole recipe!

And if you do all of that, your turkey will look like this, and taste amazing.

Juicy tender roasted turkey in roasting pan with rosemary for garnish

I can’t take all the credit for this moist and delicious bird. My sister Juli, from Tangled with Taste, developed this recipe and has graciously shared it with us so I could bring you the best turkey you will ever eat.

Step Ten: Eat the Turkey

Now you get to dig in. Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes to eat this turkey with:

 

Turkey FAQs

Can I use this method for a turkey breast? A whole breast cooks much faster than a whole bird. Use my Roast Turkey Breast or Air Fryer Turkey Breast instead.

Do I need to baste the turkey? No. The herb butter under the skin and the foil hat keep the breast moist, so you can leave the oven closed.

Can I stuff the turkey? Yes, but a stuffed turkey takes longer (see the chart above), and the center of the stuffing must reach 165°F. I prefer filling the cavity with aromatics and baking the stuffing separately.

What size turkey do I need? Plan on about 1 pound of turkey per person, which leaves a little for leftovers.

Want the quick version? Tap through my story

How to Cook a Perfect Turkey (No Basting)

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Roast Turkey - How to cook a turkey, a lovely roast turkey on a white platter with fresh herbs and sliced lemons

How to Cook a Perfect Turkey

How to cook a turkey. The perfect Thanksgiving Turkey recipe. Step-by-step instructions for a perfectly cooked bird with moist and tender meat, a ton of flavor, and a golden, crispy skin! This fool proof recipe will mean your turkey dinner is perfect, no matter how experienced of a cook you are.
5 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Turkey!
Cuisine: American, thanksgiving, thanksgiving dinner
Keyword: 500 degree turkey, how to cook a turkey, thanksgiving turkey
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Thaw and brine: 5 days
Total Time: 4 hours
Servings: 14
Calories: 536kcal
Author: Juli Purcell

Equipment

Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
Roasting Pan with Rack
Roasting Pan with Rack
Turkey Brining Bag
Turkey Brining Bag

Ingredients

Turkey

  • 14 lbs Turkey

Turkey Brine

Herb Butter

  • 1/2 cup Salted butter
  • 1/2 cup Fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt

Herby Steeped Aromatics

  • 1 Granny smith apple
  • 6 Sage leaves
  • 1 Yellow onion sliced
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 1 1/2 cups Apple juice
  • 2 sprigs Rosemary

Foil Hat

Instructions

Thaw Turkey

  • Thaw Your Turkey: To thaw, place your turkey in the fridge, let it defrost for approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey. See How to Thaw a Turkey.

Brine Turkey

  • Brine Your Turkey: Make your turkey brine, and place turkey in brine for a minimum of 8 hours. This produces a bird that is perfectly moist, beautifully seasoned, and has equally tender and flavorful dark and white meat. It is a thing of beauty. You should plan on 24 hours for brining. However, it can be done faster. Give yourself at least 8 hours for best results. Or use a Dry Brine

Preheat Oven

  • Move oven rack down so your bird will fit, and preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Make Herb Butter

  • Mix together butter, parsley, and salt, until it is combined.

Apply Herb Butter to Turkey

  • Place your bird on the rack of your roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck the wings in. Now, go to the back of the bird, and lift the skin. There you will find a place where you can use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the meat. You will need to gently pry the skin up from the meat, starting at the back, and working your way up to the neck. When you have done so, apply the herb butter to the turkey meat, over the turkey breast, into the area you just created, and gently rub it all over the bird. When you have finished, rub your buttery hands on the outside as well. If your bird is cold and the butter won't spread, or you don’t have enough butter to rub the outside, rub with canola oil or an oil with a high smoke point to help crisp the skin. *You can customize your herb butter with other flavors as well, or use the ingredients above for the recipe from Tangled with Taste

Steep Aromatics and Put in Turkey

  • Take your aromatics, and put them in a microwave safe dish, and microwave for five minutes to allow them to steep. Then fill that bird cavity with the steeped herby aromatics. It will flavor the bird from the inside, and slightly sweeten the savory meat. Don't have apple juice? See other options at Tangled with Taste

Roast Turkey

  • Roast for 30 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit

Foil Hat Turkey and Finish Cooking

  • Create A Foil Hat for the breast, place it on your turkey breast, and turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.
  • Let it cook until it reaches 161 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Approximately 13 minutes per pound. Typically a 14-16 pound turkey cooked with this method takes about 3 hours in all, including the first 30 minutes at 500 degrees. Use an instant read meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing to cook to the right temperature. Do not rely on the indicator that may come with your turkey.

Rest Turkey

  • Rest your Turkey: Pull that beautifully golden brown turkey out of the oven, and cover it with foil. Then let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Check that it has reached 165 degrees before serving. Use this time to make Turkey Gravy
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Adjust the herbs you use to your preference.
Adjust the brine as well.
You pull the turkey out at 161 degrees, and it will continue to cook and reach 165 degrees during the 30 minute rest time. 
This is for a 14 pound turkey, which means it serves 14 people, the nutrition info will change based on the size of turkey you purchase. 

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 249mg | Sodium: 584mg | Potassium: 789mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 572IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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Comments

  2. Tifani says

    Thank you for this! The tips helped me to literally cook the perfect turkey. It laid out the steps for me. I had so many compliments on how moist and delicious my turkey was.

    Reply

  5. Avastmemateys says

    This has been my go-to recipe for 4 yrs now. Turns out great! People compliment my turkey every time. (Well, except the one time I mismeasured the salt and the meat was over salty, but it turned out perfect for soups!)

    Reply

  11. Kristyn says

    Mmm…that turkey does look perfect & so juicy!! I’m hosting this year, so these tips will come in so handy for me!!

    Reply

  12. Kimberly says

    That turkey looks like total perfection, I can’t wait until Thanksgiving! Great tutorial full of helpful tips, thank you!

    Reply

  13. Melinda says

    Used this recipe last year for thanksgiving. It was my first time cooking a turkey, ever! Literally the best turkey I’ve ever tasted!Everyone LOVED it. Planning on roasting a turkey next weekend, and will 100% be following this recipe again!

    Reply

  14. Michelle says

    It was attempt at turkey. It turned out perfectly. My turkey came in a brine already so I was able to skip that step

    Reply

  15. Pauline says

    This was the best turkey I ever made. Even though the pop-up timer never popped and I accidentally overlooked the turkey to over 180 degrees, the meat was very juicy and the skin was perfectly crisp. I will be using this method from now on.

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      Pauline! Thanks for taking time to comment. I am so glad you liked it, and that it turned out great for you. It is definitely my go to, and always gets great results. Happy Thanksgiving.

      Reply

  16. Rachel Sherk says

    Hello, most of my family has always cooked the turkey in the bag, it doesnt look like the instructions tell you to place the turkey back in the bag, is that correct? THAnks!!

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      Rachel,
      That is correct. If you want that golden crispy skin, and juicy interior, no bag! But if you did not brine it, and don’t do the butter rub, bag it up because it will need some extra juice.

      Reply

  17. Cassie says

    I’m cooking an 18 pound turkey and trying to get my timing right! I know you had before mentioned 4 hrs for cooking time… is that including rest time and the 1/2 at 500 degrees?

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      The best option would be to use a meat thermometer and cook it to 165 degree internal temp. It is so hard to give an exact time since every bird and every oven is different. You can usually estimate 13 minutes per pound. The 4 hours does include the initial 30, but not the rest time.

      Reply

    • Rachael says

      You definitely can. I have not found it to be necessary, but if you find that is happening for you, yes, cover with foil.

      Reply

  20. Aileen Bluhm says

    Did I miss the part about how to make the herb butter or is that something you bought at the store?

    Reply

  21. Kelley says

    I made my first turkey today and it was SO AMAZING! Perfect, really, to toot my own horn! One of the best I’ve ever had. Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe and detailed instructions. You helped make our Thanksgiving a smashing success!

    Reply

  23. Gema says

    I’ve used this recipe for last years thanksgiving and Christmas and it’s in the oven now 👌🏽👌🏽! Thanks for recipe
    I also Always use a foil pan due to clean up and it comes out amazing!!

    Reply

  26. Gaby says

    Try this and in the first 30 min start to have to much smoke, the oven was clean. I live in an apartment fire alarms go off. Was terrible. Good thing all the apartment smell delicious hahaha. Any suggestion how to avoid that. I take the turkey out and the liquid was burning already a think that cause the excessive smoke.

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      Oh no! I haven’t had this happen. What kind of oil did you use? You may need to rub the turkey with something with a higher smoke point so it doesn’t start smoking.

      Reply

  27. Emily says

    Is the 30 minutes at 500 included in the total cooking time of 2.5 hours? Or is it 2.5 hours at the turned down temperature?

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      It is part of the total cooking time. But I suggest using a meat thermometer to check time at an hour and a half.

      Reply

      • Rebekah says

        What do you mean by, “Fill the bird cavity with steeped herby aromatics?” Are you talking about using the same ones that were used to make the brine?

      • Rachael says

        You make aromatics (herbs apples with gingerale or apple juice that you warm in the microwave) and you stuff the cavity of the bird with them to add some flavor while it cooks. You can skip this step if you would like.

  28. Kevin says

    Can u use roasting pan lid to cover completely..I have a new pan with lid.. And if making foil hat do u cover entire turkey… U say Just breasts.. And one more question. On aromatics for inside.. Do u add the 1.5cups of the aromatic liquid inside after steeping or strain first… Thx

    Reply

  29. Sarah says

    Hey there! I don’t have a roasting pan. Can I use a foil pan instead? I ask because the directions say to place on the rack of the roasting pan, and the foil ones don’t have a rack. Thank you so much!!! Can’t wait to try!

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      You sure can. If you want to put a cooling rack in the bottom to lift it a bit it will help crisp the skin and cook more evenly, but it is not necessary.

      Reply

  30. Susan says

    I started using brine this year, I made a practice turkey, 17 pounds, last weekend but I also went a step further and spatchcocked the turkey and then kicked it up another notch and put it out on my new wood pellet Traeger grill, smoked for half an hour and then turned it up and cooked at 325 for 2 more hours what a perfect bird. Love the brine, won’t make another one without it.

    Reply

  31. Sara Glover says

    This literally gave us the perfect turkey!! I’ve used it 2 years in a row now and always always get compliments on the Turkey and how perfectly it looks and tastes!

    Reply

  35. Brittny says

    I accidentally bought a prebasted turkey with 9.5% of turkey broth, salt and sugar… Will I be safe to brine still? Or will it make it too salty? If no to the brine, would you still recommend the butter rub and cooking at 500 degrees for 30 minutes?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      I actually do not know the answer to this exactly because i have not experienced it. However, I would still brine, but not for as long. You don’t want it to be too salty. Yes, add the butter and the cook time should stay the same.

      Reply

    • Rachael says

      I would say you have 2 options, cook it nearly all the way so that when you reheat you essentially finish cooking it, rather than have it dry out. Or when you reheat it make sure to add some moisture with a fat or gravy of some kind.

      Reply

    • Rachael says

      Nicole,
      If I have a large turkey I like to use convection for the air circulation. But either works. Just be sure to pay attention to the temperature of the turkey, and pull it out once it hits 165 so it doesn’t dry out.

      Reply

  39. C Engstrom says

    This is my first time cooking a turkey. I will be cooking two 12-14 lb turkey’s at the same time (I was told to do in separate pans too) . What will I need to do differently for this recipe, or should everything still be the same cook time and temps?

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      I have never cooked two in the same oven at the same time. If you have a convection oven it should be okay, in theory. But my suggestion is that you use a meat thermometer and place it in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching bone. And cook to 165. That way you for sure get it out in time. Good luck! You are going to love this recipe. It is so juicy and delicious.

      Reply

  40. Katie says

    Do you think I could use olive or canola oil in place of the butter? I have a friend coming who has a severe dairy allergy which includes butter! I was thinking of doing the rub with herb infused oil instead of butter. Do you think it would work?

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      I do think it would work. However, the butter acts as a baste as well while cooking, so be sure to use enough oil, and maybe put a little stock in the bottom of your roasting pan to help insure it stays nice and moist while cooking. Oil will be fine for making the exterior crisp up and turn brown, but we want the breast meat to get nice and juicy. But I think it should be just fine.

      Reply

  41. Sarah Bittick says

    Hi Rachel, thanks for this recipe, it sounds amazing! My question is: if you’re using a roaster, how does the cook time/temperature change?

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      Sarah, I am not sure what you mean by if I am using a roaster? The idea here is to cook at a high temp up front to crisp the skin, and seal in juices, then turn it down and cook it until the bird reaches 165 degrees internal temp. So if you use a different cooking method, you could just watch the internal temp with a meat thermometer to know cooking time. I wish I could be more help.

      Reply

  42. Nato says

    Thank you Rachel! I didn’t see it the first time I read through your article. I see it now and will give it a go! Thanks again and God bless.

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      Nato, You are going to love brining turkey. It adds so much flavor and helps keep things moist. Brine is usually citrus, salt, and herbs, with liquid. I have linked to my all time favorite brine recipe in the post, so click on over!

      Reply

    • Rachael says

      No basting necessary. It is so nice. The foil hat will help keep the breast from drying out, and the butter rub helps a lot too!

      Reply

  45. Nazira Carter says

    Hi Rachel, thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have always been intimidated to cook the turkey on Thanksgiving because they’ve always come out dry or under cooked and my family would not eat it because of that. So I have had my daughter cooked it for the past 2 years, but this year she couldn’t and I was forced to do it myself. That’s when I came across your recipe and decided to try it. Well, I must say it came out very very good. It was moist and flavorful and everyone was so pleased with it and gave me all kind of complements. (Of course I made sure to give you the credit) 🙂 I only have one regret though, I had bought a little turkey because I was afraid it was going to be the same story and I wish I had gotten a bigger one because there was not much leftovers. Once again thank you so much you added an extra blessing to our Thanksgiving.

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      Thank you so much for your super nice comment. It really made my day, and brought a huge smile to my face. I am happy that I was able to help. Take Care!

      Reply

  47. Kat says

    Been making turkeys for 45 yrs. Have used many different methods and recipes. This was absolutely the best ever! The whole family agreed. Will use this recipe again next year. Thank you Rachel.

    Reply

  48. Chris says

    Well I have had my 14 pound turkey in oven for 3 hours now and my internal temo is only around 138? Should I remove foil hat? Turn up heat. I donttrust want toto ruin the Turkey

    Reply

  49. Kristin says

    My turkey is sizzling in the oven at 500 degrees right now! It already smells delicious! Thanks for your helpful tips! Looking forward to yummy food and time with the family! I hope you enjoy your Thanksguving as well!!

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      Plan 13 minutes per pound. Cook until the interior reaches 165 degrees if you have a meat thermometer. The nice thing is with this method that you won’t have a dry bird even if you cook it a little too long. So plan about 4 hours to cook an 18 lb bird.

      Reply

  52. Russell says

    If you have brined the turkey for 24 hours and remove, rinse, and pat the bird dry, can you keep it in the fridge overnight and cook it first thing in the morning without sacrificing quality?

    Reply

  53. Shane says

    Is there a stuffing that you would recommend to go with this turkey? I’m going to cook it per your instructions…but some of the family requested stuffing…so I’m going to make that as a side.

    Reply

  54. Kaytlin Daugherty says

    Hi, Rachael. Thanks for this recipe. It looks amazing! I do have one question for you though. My family only buys a turkey breast for thanksgiving. With it only being half of the turkey, how would the instructions change? I would appreciate any insight you can give to me. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Rachael says

      I can’t speak to that, as I have not ever cooked it that way, but I would still brine (1 hour per pound) and rub with an herb butter. Then cook until the internal temp is 165 degrees.

      Reply

      • Kelly says

        Hi Rachael, I’m using your instructions to roast my turkey tomorrow. I know you said to place the rack on the lowest possible when roasting it at 500° for 30 min; however, I was wondering if I’m supposed to leave the rack at the lowest possible when I lower the temp down to 350? My rack normally stays in the center of the oven, so moving it all the way down to the burner makes me nervous lol

      • Rachael says

        Kelly, It depends on how big your turkey is. I would say you just want to make sure there is room between the top of the turkey and the top of the oven so it doesn’t overcook. The foil hat will help though, so maybe go one up.

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