The Perfect Roast Turkey: Let’s Talk Turkey!

Don’t panic if you have everyone coming over this Thanksgiving. With these easy instructions and a meat thermometer, you can easily serve the perfect roast turkey.

This Thanksgiving, I am not hosting the big meal. Now that my parents have moved to San Diego, my mom enjoys having us all over at her house for Thanksgiving. For the past 20 years, my parents lived in Houston and there were no kids or grandkids around for Thanksgiving.

Although I am not roasting turkey this year, I am bringing over side dishes. You can’t keep me totally out of the kitchen! Well, confession time. I did roast a turkey this week. I couldn’t help myself.

I LOVE the Thanksgiving meal! Stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans and turkey – I made it all. Even a pumpkin pie. And honestly, it didn’t take days and days to prepare the perfect roast turkey.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories was when my kids were little (4, 2 and 6 weeks old). We were invited to a friend’s house that year and we got the call Thanksgiving morning. Everyone was sick with the stomach flu!

Plans got cancelled and my we ran off to the grocery store so I could whip up a Thanksgiving meal for ourselves on the fly.

Lucky for us, they had thawed turkeys. There are two keys to the perfect roast turkey, and they happen before you even stick it in the oven: the quality of your bird and the thawing process.

How to Thaw a Frozen Turkey

Frozen turkeys need a few days to thaw in the fridge, approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey. You can thaw your frozen turkey more quickly, by placing it in a cold water bath and changing the water every 30 minutes until it’s thawed.

Um, that’s great when you are pressed for time, but that’s a lot of water. And you don’t want salmonella poisoning with all the water flying about. So, take the time to thaw your turkey safely in the fridge. (For more information on safe turkey thawing, check out the USDA website)

Once your turkey is thawed, the rest is easy.

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Equipment Needed to Roast a Turkey

The equipment list is basic, too. You need a roasting pan WITH rack. Don’t have a rack? Then add a layer of carrots, onions and celery stalks to the bottom of a pan and place your turkey over it.

You will also need a turkey baster, that long tube with a rubber ball on the end that sucks up the liquid so you can squeeze it all over your turkey. If you do not have one, no fear. A long handled big spoon can scoop up the juice for you to pour over the turkey.

To Brine or Not to Brine?

For flavor, you can brine your bird, but it is not necessary. Many turkeys come already brined. Brining takes extra time, so if you are able to work ahead you will need to let the turkey soak in the brine for 24 hours.

I don’t brine my turkey. This roast turkey recipe is super simple and I always get a moist, delicious turkey without the brining.

You start by seasoning the entire turkey with salt and pepper. Then, you rub the ENTIRE down with FAT. It can be butter, extra virgin olive oil, or even coconut oil. Don’t worry, you won’t be eating all that fat, but it will add flavor and moisture to your roast turkey.

Stuff the Turkey or on the Side?

This one question can cause a real argument for some families! Some people feel that the only way to serve stuffing is inside a turkey. If it is on the side, it is called dressing. Just remember that if you do stuff the turkey with a bread stuffing, to be sure that your turkey is cooked all the way to prevent salmonella poisoning.

I cook my stuffing separately and do not stuff my turkey. So, what you CAN do with the cavity of your turkey is add MORE flavor. I stuff my turkey with onions, lemons, oranges and fresh herbs like rosemary and sage.

How to Long Do I Roast a Whole Turkey

Place your turkey breast side up onto the rack of the roasting pan and roast at 325°F until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches 170°F. How long is that?

The general rule of thumb for roasting an unstuffed turkey is 13-minutes per pound, but a thermometer is the best method of testing the turkey’s doneness and to insure a moist turkey. So estimate the time using the 13-minute rule of thumb, but use a meat thermometer to determine when the turkey is really done.

This is super important: don’t skimp on the meat thermometer. It’s not expensive to buy and you can roast with it worry free.

That Thanksgiving I told you about, where I had to whip up a turkey dinner in one day? It was one of the best Thanksgivings we ever had – just the five of us.

And I was able to make the turkey, my Moist Stuffing with Swiss Chard, Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce, Creamed Spinach with Swiss Chard and Beet Greens, Twice Baked Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Pecan Pie with Whiskey Butter Sauce (minus the whiskey sauce for the kiddos).

Was I tired? YES! Was it delicious? YES! Was it worth it? YES!

Nowadays, I go a little fancier, like my roast turkey with pomegranate gravy. But I still look back at my simpler thanksgiving at home with my babies.

Faster Ways to Cook a Turkey

Of course there are other ways, faster ways, to cook a whole turkey. One way is to butterfly, or spatchcock, your turkey. By removing the backbone and flattening your turkey the roasting time is cut in half.

For more detailed instructions and recipe for spatchcocked (butterflied) turkey click here.

You can also deep fry a whole turkey. But this method does require some special equipment and extra caution. This must be done outside, for one thing, and you will need a large turkey fryer, like this one. We borrowed one from a friend for our experiment.

My husband placed the fryer over a large metal tray he had (long story) as precaution. We knew the oil would bubble up and we wanted to protect our little patch of grass in case it boiled over the pot and spilled down.

The key to safely deep fry a turkey is make sure your turkey is completely thawed and has no water or moisture on it or in it. As you know, oil and water do not play nicely. So pat the inside cavity and outside of your bird thoroughly with paper towels. Then rub it down with your favorite seasonings – a dry rub.

When deep frying your turkey, you will need to cook it in the oil for about 3 to 4 minutes per pound. Again, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey to insure doneness.

Then drain the turkey of excess oil, a large baking sheet will do nicely, and pat it down with paper towels. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before you start to carve it and serve. My family and I really enjoyed a deep fried turkey, which yields a super crunchy skin and a super moist turkey. 

I don’t have a recipe yet for deep fried turkey, but Butterball has great detailed instructions here.

And if you don’t need to roast a whole turkey and want a downsized thanksgiving meal, you can roast a turkey breast, which is the perfect size when you are serving a Thanksgiving meal for two.

If you need even MORE information on the perfect roast turkey, check out this article from the Kitchn and this one from the New York Times.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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