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Home » Holiday » How to Cook a Perfect Turkey
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Holiday

How to Cook a Perfect Turkey

By Rachael | Updated on August 10, 2020

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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 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!

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

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.

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:

In fridge: Place your turkey in the fridge, let it defrost for approximately 24 hours for every four to five pounds of turkey. This means a 15 pound turkey needs 3-5 DAYS to thaw, so plan ahead.

In cold water: You can thaw it a bit quicker by putting in a bath of cold water, and changing the water every 30 minutes until it is thawed. If you do this, keep an eye on it, and make sure the water stays cold to the tough, as you don’t want to let bacteria grow on your turkey.

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, dump the brine, and rinse the turkey.
  • Pat it dry with a paper towel, and move to the next step.

My FAVORITE brine recipe can be found HERE.

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: Juicy Roast Turkey!

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. This will seal in juices, and crisp up 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 will take about 2.5 hours to cook fully.

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 juicer 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.

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. I have partnered with my sister Juli, from Tangled with Taste, to develop this recipe and bring you the best turkey you will ever eat.

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. The nine steps to 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.
3.97 from 27 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Turkey!
Cuisine: American, thanksgiving, thanksgiving dinner
Keyword: thanksgiving, turkey
Prep Time: 5 days
Cook Time: 3 hours
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 days 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 14
Calories: 7kcal
Author: Rachael

Ingredients

Turkey- 14 lbs

    Turkey Brine

    • 1 recipe brine

    Herb Butter

    • 1 recipe herb butter

    Herby Steeped Aromatics

    • 1 recipe Steeped Aromatics

    Foil Hat

      Instructions

      • Thaw Your Turkey: To thaw, place your turkey in the fridge, let it defrost for approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey.
      • Brine Your Turkey: 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.
      • Rub herb butter between the meat and the skin: Place your bird on the rack of your roasting pan. Now, go to the back of the bird, and lift the skin. There you will find a place where you can gently lift the skin from the meat. You will need to gently pry the skin from the meat, starting at the back, and working your way up to the neck. Apply the herb butter 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 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 for the one we use at FlirtingwithFlavor.com
      • Fill the Bird Cavity: Fill that bird cavity with steeped herby aromatics. It will flavor the bird from the inside, and slightly sweeten the savory meat.
      • Roast for 30 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit
      • Create A Foil Hat for the breast and Turn the Oven Down to 350 degrees.
      • Let it Cook to 161 degree Fahrenheit. Approximately 13 minutes per pound. Typically a 14-16 pound turkey cooked with this method will take about 2.5 hours to cook fully.
      • 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.
      • 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: 7kcal | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 36mg

      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.

      Tried this recipe?Mention @ezpzmealz or tag #ezpzmealz!
      Want to use this recipe in a meal plan?Try PrePear, my FREE Meal Planning App that allows you to save your recipes, plan meals, shop for groceries, and cook simply in one place. Join Here!

      Pin to your Thanksgiving or Holiday board:

      How to perfectly cook a thanksgiving turkey, and roast it in the oven.

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      Related

      Related categories:
      Christmas Christmas Holiday Main Dish Thanksgiving Thanksgiving TurkeyCooking a turkey How to cook a perfect turkey How to cook a turkey How to get a moist turkey How to get flavorful turkey Thanksgiving turkey recipe Turkey recipe

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Sarah says

        November 16, 2019 at 6:28 am

        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

          November 16, 2019 at 10:47 am

          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
      2. Kevin says

        November 22, 2019 at 9:03 am

        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
        • Rachael says

          December 3, 2019 at 6:31 pm

          I only cover the breast so it does not cook as fast. And the liquid is added.
          Reply
      3. Emily says

        November 22, 2019 at 10:35 am

        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

          December 3, 2019 at 6:31 pm

          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
      4. Gaby says

        November 25, 2019 at 11:44 pm

        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

          December 3, 2019 at 6:28 pm

          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
      5. Laura says

        November 26, 2019 at 12:41 pm

        What is the music you used—- folksy with dulcimer? Beautiful! And great recipe, too,!
        ★★★★☆
        Reply
        • Rachael says

          December 3, 2019 at 6:26 pm

          Hahaha thank you. I got it from the YouTube Audio Library.
          Reply
      6. Kim says

        November 28, 2019 at 9:11 am

        We did not bribe. Do we need to baste or just tent and leave alone?
        Reply
        • Rachael says

          December 3, 2019 at 6:24 pm

          I would definitely baste if you did not brine.
          Reply
      7. Gema says

        November 28, 2019 at 12:29 pm

        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
        • Rachael says

          December 3, 2019 at 6:23 pm

          That is awesome. I am so glad you used it and loved it! Happy Holidays.
          Reply
      8. Melissa says

        November 21, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        I am planning to use a roaster with this recipe, do I follow the same instructions by using my roaster?
        Reply
        • Rachael says

          November 23, 2020 at 8:32 am

          Yes, you can!
          Reply
      9. Aileen Bluhm says

        May 20, 2021 at 10:24 pm

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

          June 14, 2021 at 2:47 pm

          The recipe is linked. You make it.
          Reply
      10. Ll says

        November 19, 2021 at 2:30 pm

        I don’t like the legs and wings to burn to a creosote. How about covering them w foil also along w the breast.
        Reply
        • Rachael says

          November 22, 2021 at 12:03 pm

          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
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