A beautiful roast turkey doesn’t have to be complicated. This classic recipe uses simple aromatics, plenty of butter, and a dependable roasting method to produce tender meat, golden skin, and flavorful pan drippings for homemade gravy.
Whether you’re preparing your first Thanksgiving turkey or simply want a traditional centerpiece everyone will recognize, this recipe walks you through the entire process—from preparing the bird to making gravy while it rests.
Serve it alongside your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes for a cozy, classic holiday meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: The turkey is flavored with familiar ingredients like onion, orange, garlic, rosemary, and butter.
- Traditional flavor: This is a classic roast turkey that works beautifully with all your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes.
- Homemade gravy: The flavorful pan drippings are transformed into an easy gravy while the turkey rests.
- Helpful step-by-step instructions: The recipe breaks down preparing, roasting, resting, and serving the turkey.
- Perfect for the holidays: It makes an impressive centerpiece without requiring unusual ingredients or complicated techniques.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Whole turkey: Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and that the giblets and neck have been removed.
- Onion, oranges, garlic, and rosemary: These aromatics are placed inside the turkey cavity to add flavor as it roasts.
- Unsalted butter: Butter helps the turkey brown while adding richness to the meat and pan drippings.
- Salt and black pepper: Use these generously to season the turkey.
- All-purpose flour: Flour thickens the homemade gravy.
- Turkey or chicken stock: Stock is whisked into the pan drippings to create the gravy.
Refer to the recipe card below for the complete ingredient amounts.
Helpful Equipment
- Large roasting pan with a rack
- Kitchen twine
- Pastry brush or turkey baster
- Reliable meat thermometer
- Large cutting board
- Whisk
- Fat separator or fine-mesh strainer
How to Prepare the Turkey
Begin with a completely thawed turkey. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavity, then pat the turkey thoroughly dry with paper towels. Drying the skin helps it brown more effectively in the oven.
Quarter the onion and oranges, smash the garlic cloves, and gather the rosemary. Place the aromatics inside the turkey cavity, but avoid packing them too tightly.
Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack inside a large roasting pan. Tuck the wing tips underneath the bird so they do not burn, then loosely tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
Season the turkey with salt and black pepper before roasting.
How to Roast the Turkey
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Roast the turkey uncovered. Brush the turkey generously with melted butter [TESTED TIMING].
Continue roasting until a meat thermometer registers at least 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost portion of the thigh, and the innermost portion of the wing. Avoid touching the bone when checking the temperature.
Remove the turkey from the oven, loosely tent it with foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
What to Serve with Roast Turkey
Complete your Thanksgiving dinner with Bourbon Maple Glazed Carrots, Beer Bread Stuffing, Turnip and Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or any of these Thanksgiving side dish recipes.
Tips for the Best Roast Turkey
- Thaw the turkey completely. A frozen turkey needs approximately 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 4 to 5 pounds.
- Pat the skin dry. Removing excess moisture helps the skin brown.
- Don’t rely on cooking time alone. Turkey size and individual ovens can affect the total roasting time.
- Use a meat thermometer. Check the breast, innermost thigh, and innermost wing without touching the bone.
- Let the turkey rest. Resting for at least 20 minutes allows the juices to redistribute and gives you time to prepare the gravy.
- Save the pan drippings. They contain concentrated turkey flavor and make the foundation for the homemade gravy.
- Keep the cavity loose. The onion, orange, garlic, and rosemary should not be tightly packed inside the turkey.
How to Make Homemade Turkey Gravy
While the turkey rests, carefully remove the roasting rack from the pan. Skim or separate excess fat from the pan drippings, reserving enough fat to make the gravy.
Place the roasting pan over two burners set to medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the drippings and whisk continuously until the mixture becomes golden and forms a smooth paste.
Slowly pour in the turkey or chicken stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and continue cooking until it reaches your desired consistency.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer or fat separator if you would like an especially smooth gravy.
Serve the warm gravy with the carved turkey.
What Beer Pairs with Roast Turkey?
A balanced brown ale is a wonderful pairing for roast turkey and gravy. Its toasted malt flavors complement the browned skin and savory pan drippings without overpowering the turkey.
Look for a brown ale with gentle caramel or nutty notes and moderate bitterness. Avoid anything extremely hoppy, which can compete with the comforting flavors of the turkey and gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to thaw a turkey?
Allow approximately 24 hours of refrigerator thawing time for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and place the wrapped turkey on a tray to catch any liquid.
Do I have to brine the turkey?
No. Brining is optional, but it can add seasoning and help the turkey retain moisture. If you use a pre-brined, kosher, or salt-injected turkey, check the packaging before adding additional salt.
What temperature should roast turkey reach?
Turkey should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Check the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing without touching the bone.
Can I stuff the turkey?
This recipe fills the cavity loosely with onion, orange, garlic, and rosemary for flavor. It does not use an edible bread stuffing. If you cook bread stuffing inside a turkey, the center of the stuffing must also reach 165°F.
How long should turkey rest before carving?
Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Loosely tent it with foil to help it remain warm.
Can I make the gravy while the turkey rests?
Yes. The turkey’s resting period is the perfect time to turn the pan drippings into homemade gravy.
Perfect Roast Turkey with Homemade Gravy
Servings:
10 servingsNutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
For the Turkey
- 1 whole turkey 12–14 pounds, completely thawed with the neck and giblets removed
- 1 large yellow onion quartered
- 2 oranges quartered
- 10 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper as needed
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
For the Gravy
- Reserved turkey drippings
- 1/4 cup turkey fat or unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Turkey or chicken stock as needed to make 2 cups of total liquid
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the completely thawed turkey from the refrigerator. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity and pat the turkey thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a roasting rack inside a shallow roasting pan and lightly grease the rack.
- Place the onion, oranges, garlic, and rosemary loosely inside the turkey cavity. Do not pack the cavity tightly.
- Place the turkey breast-side up on the prepared roasting rack. Tuck the wing tips underneath the turkey and loosely tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Season the outside of the turkey with kosher salt and black pepper. If the turkey has been brined, pre-salted, or injected with a salt solution, use less additional salt.
- Loosely tent the breast with aluminum foil. Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours.
- Carefully remove the foil and generously brush the turkey with the melted butter. Return the turkey to the oven, uncovered, and continue roasting until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 additional hours. Baste occasionally with the pan juices, if desired.
- Begin checking the turkey after approximately 3 hours of total roasting time. The turkey is finished when a meat thermometer registers at least 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost portion of the thigh, and the innermost portion of the wing. Make sure the thermometer does not touch the bone.
- Carefully transfer the turkey to a large cutting board. Loosely tent it with foil and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
- While the turkey rests, pour the pan drippings into a fat separator. Measure 1/4 cup of the separated turkey fat into a medium saucepan. If you do not have enough turkey fat, add enough unsalted butter to equal 1/4 cup.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and lightly golden.
- Measure the defatted turkey drippings and add enough turkey or chicken stock to make 2 cups of total liquid. Slowly pour the liquid into the saucepan while whisking continuously.
- Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until it reaches your desired consistency. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
- Carve the rested turkey and serve it immediately with the warm homemade gravy.
Notes
12–14 pounds: 3 to 3 3/4 hours
14–18 pounds: 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18–20 pounds: 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20–24 pounds: 4 1/2 to 5 hours This recipe places aromatics—not edible bread stuffing—inside the turkey cavity. If you prepare a stuffed turkey, the center of the stuffing must also reach 165°F. If your turkey is pre-brined, kosher, pre-salted, or injected with a salt solution, reduce the additional salt accordingly. If the skin becomes darker than desired before the turkey is fully cooked, loosely cover the browned areas with aluminum foil.
14 Responses
You definitely named this right! This is the perfect Thanksgiving turkey!
Thank you so much, Jocelyn! I hope you are having a fab weekend!
Justine, what a great looking turkey!! and I love OXO. . will definitely check out all of these products!! Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving!!
Thank you so much, Alice! They are so great. I hope do too, friend! xo
Noooot real sure how you managed to make even the raw turkey shots look gorgeous, but I’ll take it. LOVE THIS!
Haha, omg I certainly struggled with those though, let me tell you! Thank you so much, Karen. You’re the best. ;)
What a gorgeous turkey! Love how it turned out Justine, it looks so delicious.
Thank you so much, Serene! You are such a sweetheart.
This is one beautiful bird!! I wish I had your skills :)
Haha, I’m not so sure about the skills, but thank you so much, Zainab!
So fun thanks for the opportunity!
You’re welcome, Nicole! Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you so much, Ashley! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!