This is the perfect Thanksgiving Turkey; after making this recipe you’ll never use another again. Today I’m going to share with you the best Roast Turkey recipe, and I could not be more excited! This truly is the best recipe. This was passed to us by my sister in law’s mother years ago, and we have treasured it ever since. This recipe has several steps, but it is far from complicated. I am going to lay out for you everything you need to know in easy to follow steps. We’ve even included a step by step video with tips so you can feel confident making your Thanksgiving Turkey. We are starting at the beginning here. If you have made a turkey before and don’t need some of the basic instructions, feel free to jump right to recipe card and print out the instructions there. If you are overwhelmed by making a whole turkey, start with my Turkey Breast recipe or my Crockpot Turkey Breast.
What Turkey to Buy
Turkey brands are not created equal. Two tips passed down with this recipe are:
If you buy a free range turkey, you may find that even with brining it, it will still be dry. That is because they are so low in fat content.Look to make sure that your turkey wasn’t pre-brined. If the ingredient list on it includes salt and sugar that is a clue that it was. In that case, cut the salt in this recipe by 1/3.
How Much Turkey Per Person
When looking at what size turkey to buy use this rule of thumb: 1 pound of turkey per person. If you are hosting a small thanksgiving, consider making just a Turkey Breast. But of course, we always love having left over turkey and have lots of great recipes for that.
How to Thaw a Turkey
Most turkeys will be bought frozen. It typically takes three to four days in a refrigerator for a turkey to thaw. In my experience, I always think I’ve given my turkey enough time to thaw, only to pull it out the day before Thanksgiving and find it is still frozen in the middle. You can thaw your turkey quickly (in a few hours) by submerging it in cold water. I use the same bucket that I brine the turkey in to surround it with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Do not thaw your turkey on your counter.
What to Brine Your Turkey In
We bought a “turkey bucket” years ago. It was a $5 bucket from the store meant for mopping the floor, and we only use it to thaw and brine our turkey. It works perfectly because it fits the turkey snug. This means that we don’t have to make a ton of brine, and it also means that it fits perfect in our refrigerator overnight. Bottom line: Pick something big enough to hold the turkey but not so big that there is a lot of room around it.
How to Brine a Turkey
The key to the perfect turkey recipe is brining it! A brine is a mixture of water, salt, and sugar. Science and homeostasis play a big roll here. The brine mixture works to pull moisture in the turkey. In this recipe we add some other great flavors to make for the perfect turkey. Please see the recipe card for detailed ingredients and instructions. You will need to brine the turkey for 10 to 24 hours.
What Pan to Roast Turkey In
There are two choices when it comes to roasting your turkey:
A roasting pan that is fit with a wire rack.A free standing roaster to free up oven space.
Whichever you choose, make sure that the turkey is on a wire rack and not directly in the pan. The air circulating around the turkey will help it cook evenly.
Turkey Cook Time
Generally speaking, it takes 20 minutes for every pound of turkey to cook. So that means if you have a 15 pound turkey, it will take 5 hours.
Things That Can Affect Turkey Cook Time
If your turkey is stuffed, it will take longer to cook. I do not recommend cooking your stuffing inside the turkey.If your turkey cavity is packed full of the rosemary and lime rinds it will take longer. Go easy on those ingredients.In our experience, a stand alone roaster cooks the turkey faster.
Classic Thanksgiving Recipes
If you are looking for great dishes to make with this perfect turkey, here are some of my very favorites.
Homemade Stuffing: My family always requests this recipe. It is ridiculously good.Green Bean Casserole: This blows the recipe from the can out of the water.Cranberry Relish: If you’ve never had this, try it! It’s a 10 minute recipe a true winner.Cranberry Sauce: If you want the sauce instead, this recipe is the way to go.Dinner Rolls: This recipe takes an hour, and it is a treasure.Perfect Pumpkin Pie: I promise this is the best pumpkin pie recipe.Pecan Pie: I have convert pumpkin lovers with this recipe.
If you make this amazing Thanksgiving Turkey, please come back and let me know what you think! I can’t tell you how honored I am to be part of your holiday with this recipe, and I would love to hear all about it.
