Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

Learn how to roast a juicy turkey with this step-by-step video tutorial. Please read required prep in notes section before you begin.

 #Thanksgiving #Turkey #Recipe

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: Varies by season and size of turkey
Servings: 8 -12

Ingredients

• Roast Turkey Recipe Ingredients:
• 12 lb turkey Anything from 11-15 lbs will work, but bake time will vary – see below
• Salt & Pepper for the inside and outside of the bird
• 1 large onion quartered (no peeling)
• 4 garlic cloves halved (no peeling)
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1 lemon quartered
• For the Flavored Butter:
• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp olive oil not extra virgin, plus more to drizzle the top
• 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1 large lemon, plus 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 3 large garlic cloves pressed
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
• 1/2 Tbsp salt I used sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• What you’ll need:
• Kitchen String
• Heavy duty foil
• A heavy roasting pan that accommodates your bird but isn’t over-sized
• A temperature probe to ensure a fully-cooked turkey

Instructions

• Seasoning, Stuffing and Tying up a Turkey:
• Season inside turkey cavity generously with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
• In a mixing bowl, combine: 2 sticks softened butter, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, 3 pressed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Mash/stir with fork until combined (lemon juice doesn’t easily blend into butter, but keep mixing a few minutes and it will happen).
• Separate skin from the turkey breast by carefully pushing your fingers under skin from the front and the back of the turkey. Do not tear the skin.
• Stuff 2/3 of the butter mix under skin then massage over the top of the skin to spread the butter around.
• Quickly pat dry the outside of turkey and rub with remaining 1/3 butter mixture. Drizzle turkey with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper for a crisp, salty skin.
• Stuff turkey with quartered lemon, 1/2 bunch parsley, quartered onion, and 4 halved garlic cloves, Tie turkey base and legs together with kitchen string; crossing the legs to better close up the turkey cavity.
• How to Roast a Turkey:
• Prep: Pre-heat the oven to 430˚F with rack in the lower part of your oven.
• Fold a square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of triangle with olive oil and place it (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast to shape it into a shield. Remove foil and set aside (you'll put it back on in step 3).
• Place oven-safe meat thermometer into turkey beneath the drumstick and deep into the dark meat. Start roasting at 430˚F for 20 min.
• Remove from oven; quickly baste with liquid from bottom of pan using a baster or large spoon. Re-apply prepared foil triangle to turkey breast area.
• Reduce oven to 350˚F and bake for another 2 hours 30 min for a 12 lb bird. (Once you have reduced the oven to 350˚F, you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey). The turkey thigh should register at 170˚F on the temperature probe and the breast at 160˚F to make sure it's fully cooked through then remove from the oven (keep in mind the turkey temp continues to rise slightly after it's out of the oven).
• Transfer to serving platter and cover fully but loosely with foil. Let turkey rest at least 1 hour for it to tenderize. Keep the drippings for a most amazing gravy!

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