Simple Roast Turkey Recipe

The secret? The whole turkey is rubbed with butter, and basted with stock. The reward is golden-brown, juicy and moist turkey

If you’re the one who is cooking Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas turkey this year, why not give it a try?

It’s a great go-to whole turkey recipe that you can enjoy just as is, or as a foundation for your own creative ideas.

Add fresh chopped herbs like sage, rosemary or thyme to the softened butter for extra flavor.

Or keep the turkey ultra-simple and go all-out on the turkey stuffing and gravy this year instead.

For this simple roast turkey recipe you will need:

1 18 to 20 pound turkey, fresh or thawed

1/2 cup (1 stick), softened butter

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 cups (or more) chicken stock

How to roast a turkey:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.

Remove the turkey neck and giblets from turkey cavity.(Refrigerate if making giblet gravy or discard.)

Rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan.

If cooking stuffing inside the turkey, loosely fill the body cavity.

Rub the softened butter over the entire turkey—breasts, thighs, wings and underneath the skin.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.

Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Baste the whole turkey with the juices from the bottom of the pan every 30 minutes.

Throughout the basting process keep an eye on the drippings at the bottom of the pan; add stock (about 1 to 2 cups) at a time to moisten them so that they don’t evaporate. (Reserve the juices in the pan to make rich and tasty homemade gravy)

Remove aluminum foil from the turkey after 2 1/2 hours.

Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees F, about 4 hours. (If the bird is stuffed, the stuffing should be at 165 degrees F).

Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

This recipe for turkey serves 12 to 14, with leftover turkey

Like this roast turkey recipe? Return to Turkey Recipes page