The Best Oven Roasted Turkey Recipe

This is the best oven roasted turkey recipe - it's baked to perfection creating tender, juicy turkey breast and crispy, herb butter skin.

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 3

Additional Time: 10

Total Time: 3 25

Author: Heather Painchaud

Servings: 1

Defrost the frozen turkey - this can take up to one week in the fridge. To speed up the process you can place the bird in the kitchen sink, full of water. Be sure to cover the turkey completely. A good rule of thumb for thaw time in cold water is about 30 minutes per pound, with the water refreshed every 30 minutes.
Remove the turkey neck and bag of giblets from the turkey cavity. This can be cooked and added to stuffing or simply thrown out.
The best way to cook a moist turkey is by using a wet brine recipe. We allow our turkey to brine for at least 8 hours, it makes for juicy turkeys every time!
Drain and pat the turkey dry with paper towel.
Coat the entire turkey with a mixture of fresh herbs and butter. We like to use a simple herb butter rub, it gives the turkey breast the most delicious, crispy skin.
Place the roasting rack into the roaster and then the bird, breast side up.
Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the bird. We like to cook our turkey at 325 degrees F, which is generally 15 minutes per pound for an unstuffed bird. Cook time for a 12 pound turkey would be about 3 hours.
Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees before removing it from the oven.
Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before lifting it from the roasting pan to a cutting board to carve.