Perfect Roast Turkey with Homemade Gravy
This classic roast turkey is prepared with onion, orange, garlic, rosemary, and butter, then served with an easy homemade gravy made from the flavorful pan drippings.
Servings: 10 servings
Equipment
- large shallow roasting pan
- roasting rack
- kitchen twine
- pastry brush or turkey baster
- meat thermometer
- fat separator
- medium saucepan
- whisk
- large cutting board
- aluminum foil
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
Roasting times are approximate and will vary depending on the turkey’s exact weight, its temperature when it enters the oven, the roasting pan, and the accuracy of your oven. Always use a meat thermometer to determine doneness rather than relying exclusively on cooking time.
For an unstuffed turkey roasted at 325°F, USDA approximate cooking times are:
8–12 pounds: 2 3/4 to 3 hours
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.
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.