How To Roast Turkey: a Tasty, Easy, Juicy Recipe
Make a perfect roasted turkey that was tasty, easy, and juicy for Thanksgiving. This turkey is seasoned with a rosemary and garlic dry brine. The breast, thigh, and drumsticks all cooked evenly with a two-stage roasting method. Note that you will need to change the oven temperature after the first 30 minutes from 425°F to 325°F.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons rosemary fresh (or 1 tablespoon rosemary, dry)
- 1 tablespoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 10-12 pound turkey
- salt approximately 1/4 cup for cleaning the turkey
- 1/4 cup butter unsalted
Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, black pepper, salt, sugar, and olive oil and set aside.
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Note the weight of the turkey and then remove all the packaging, the plastic pop-up thermometer, and the hock lock (plastic device that holds the legs together).
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Remove the giblets from inside the turkey. Use kitchen scissors to remove the tail. Set aside for making turkey stock later.
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Use damp paper towels to rub salt in areas with excess membranes or small feathers (check under the wings and around the legs). Use additional damp paper towels to wipe off any excess salt or carefully rinse as needed.
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Use your fingers to loosen the skin from the breast area and rub approximately 1/4 of the rosemary mixture on the breast. Rub the rest of the mixture all over the turkey and inside the cavity as well. Tuck the wing tips behind the turkey. Transfer to a large, sturdy, leakproof container and wrap with plastic wrap securely or use a brining bag. Refrigerate for 1-2 days, until ready to roast.
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Approximately 5-6 hours before eating, take the turkey out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for an hour. Prepare the roasting pan, check that the wing tips are still tucked, wrap the drumsticks and wings with parchment paper and foil. Check that the oven rack is at the lowest position and that there is enough clearance to fit the turkey. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
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When the oven is ready, place the roasting pan into the oven at the lowest position and roast at 425°F for 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes, change the oven temperature to 325°F. Do not open the oven door for the first hour of roasting.
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After one hour of roasting, baste the turkey with butter. Either melt the butter and use a silicone brush or poke half a stick of butter with a fork and rub the turkey with the butter. Baste every 30 minutes with the remaining butter and/or use a turkey baster to baste with the drippings from the roasting pan.
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Approximately one hour before the turkey is ready, unwrap the drumstick and use the foil to cover the turkey breast. Baste the drumstick.
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During the last 30 minutes of roasting (based on 15 minutes x weight of turkey), use a digital thermometer to check the turkey temperature through the thickest part of the breast but without the probe touching the bone.
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If the temperature is around 140°F, maybe check again in 20-30 minutes. If it's around 150°F maybe check again in 5-10 minutes. If it's around 160°F, it's close to being ready when the temperature reaches 165°F within minutes.
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To double check, move the probe to check the deepest, thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. It's fine to tent if the temperature at the thigh is 175°F.*
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Take the turkey out of the oven and cover the turkey with a large piece of foil over it. Allow the turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving and serving while still warm.
Recipe Notes
*I pulled my turkey out of the oven when the thigh temperature was 172°F and tented it with foil shiny side down for 30 minutes to rest and continue cooking (the pop-up thermometer popped while the turkey was resting). The thigh bone was slightly pink but the thigh meat was juicy and perfectly cooked.