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Roasted chicken garnished with rosemary on a white plate, with cooked vegetables and a red apple in the background.

No-Fuss Roasted Turkey Recipe

Author: Jessica Haggard
There’s nothing quite like the sight of a beautifully roasted turkey at the center of your holiday spread. This simple, easy-to-follow recipe makes oven-roasted turkey with crispy golden brown skin, tender, juicy meat, and the most amazing flavors of butter, garlic, fresh herbs, and a hint of lemon. If you’ve never made one before, you’re in luck because this is the easiest, most foolproof recipe there is!
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Brining Time 12 hours
Total Time 16 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 14 servings
Calories 122 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 whole turkey about 18 pounds, neck and giblets removed
  • 1 ½ cups sea salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 4 quarts cold water
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted, divided
  • 2 large onions chopped, divided
  • 4 medium carrots coarsely chopped, divided
  • 4 stalks celery chopped, divided
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary divided
  • 1 whole lemon quartered
  • 1 head garlic halved horizontally
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large stockpot, combine the sea salt, brown sugar, and cold water. Stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
  • Submerge the turkey in the brine solution. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat the oven 350 °F.
  • Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it thoroughly under cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the brine mixture. Brush the turkey inside and out with half of the melted butter. Season the cavity of the turkey with freshly ground black pepper.
  • Stuff the cavity with 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, 1 sprig of rosemary, the lemon quarters, and the halved garlic head.
  • Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Scatter the remaining onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary in the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the bay leaf. Pour the white wine over the vegetables in the pan.
  • Roast the turkey in the preheated oven, uncovered, for about 3 ½ to 4 hours.
  • About two-thirds of the way through the roasting time, carefully turn the turkey breast-side up and brush with the remaining melted butter. The turkey is done when the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 °F °F.
  • Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a moist and flavorful turkey.
  • Carve the turkey and serve it on a platter, accompanied by the roasted vegetables from the pan.

Notes

  • Allot one day of thawing in the fridge for every 5 pounds of turkey. Also consider the brining time and the rest of the prep, so it’s ideal to buy your turkey a week before you need to serve it.
  • Don’t wash the turkey. Washing poultry can spread bacteria around your kitchen, increasing the risk of contamination on surfaces. Don’t worry about bacteria - they will get killed in the oven while roasting.
  • Cook stuffing separately for the best texture and flavor. When stuffing is cooked inside, it can take longer for both the bird and stuffing to reach a safe temperature, potentially drying out the turkey or risking undercooked stuffing.
  • If you notice the skin getting too dark before the turkey is done, tent it with foil to prevent burning while allowing it to continue roasting.
  • Once your turkey is out of the oven, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This not only makes it easier to carve, but it allows the juices to redistribute, so you can enjoy a juicier, more flavorful turkey.
Serve: Serve with a side of gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, salads, and casseroles. They’re also delicious with biscuits, dinner rolls, and cornbread or corn pudding. Complete your meal with delicious seasonal drinks!
Store: Slice the meat from the bone, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, transfer to a  reusable freezer-proof bag, and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, transfer the meat to a baking pan, add a small amount of turkey or chicken broth, cover the pan with foil, then warm gently in the oven at 300 F until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 12165mgPotassium: 156mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 3169IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 0.4mg
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