Here’s an easy recipe and tips for how to roast a turkey! This is the best roast turkey recipe ever and everyone raves about how moist and delicious it is!
How To Roast A Turkey
Turkey isn’t expensive at all so stock up now. I got two turkeys today for .39/lb. I had the butcher cut them in half just like last year and the year before! If you know how to roast a turkey, you can stock up during the holidays, serve turkey in place of chicken and save a bundle on your food bill! Tawra
Thawing
Sometimes turkeys do not cook properly because they don’t get thawed. You need to allow 1 day of thawing time for every 4 lbs. of turkey plus you can keep a thawed turkey in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. Thaw your turkey with the breast side down so the juices will run into the breast.
Roast Turkey Recipe
1 turkey, 20-22 lbs.
1 stick margarine or butter
Defrost frozen turkey for several days in the refrigerator according to the directions on the package. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Remove the insides of the turkey and save for giblet gravy or for fried livers and gizzards.
Lay turkey, breast side down, in the pan and place the stick of butter on the inside. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 250° for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 200° and roast for 10-15 hours. Cooking time can be longer to fit your schedule. Test with a meat thermometer to make sure the temperature in the thigh is 180°.
If I have a 20-22 lb. turkey, I put it in the oven one hour before I go to bed (that way I can turn it down to 200° and sometimes I go down to 180° before I go to bed.) It will be done by noon the next day. Because it is at such a low temperature, if you aren’t going to eat until 1-2 PM, it will stay just fine in the oven until then.
If I have a 10 lb. turkey, I put it in the oven early on Thanksgiving morning (about 6 or 7 AM in order to eat at noon. You don’t need to worry too much about it getting done. An hour or two before the meal, check it and see how it is doing. If it isn’t cooking quickly enough, you can always raise the temperature to 350°. With a 10 -12 lb turkey you only need to use half of a stick (about 4 Tbsp.) of butter. You can place it in a large crockpot on low, too.
This is the best turkey you will ever eat. The meat will just fall off the bones so you will have to serve it already carved. It will be very juicy and moist.
-Jill
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Roxie says
November 17, 2009 at 11:32 amThanksgiving dinner is very frugal. I always get a FREE turkey because it comes with the ham I buy. We always have ‘David’s potatoes’, green bean casserole, a plate of stuffed celery, carrot sticks, pickles, broccoli florets,and devil eggs. We have home made rolls, cranberry sauce, and gravy. I always make 2 pumpkin pies and 2 pecan pies.
With this meal there are many many left overs to be made into something else for the next couple of weeks.
Nadine Holman says
November 17, 2009 at 11:42 amI found out a few years ago that if you add about 1/2 tsp of baking powder to your potatoes while mashing they come out much fluffier. I have absolutely no idea why this works, but it does.
grandma says
November 17, 2009 at 12:16 pmA tip I learned years ago from a turkey farmer.
a full grown turkey has 12 lbs of bones.
so when judging how big a turkey you want the best idea is to not buy them under 12 lbs or you get more bones than meat. (unless you like soup.)
I usually buy them around 12-15 lbs since we are not big turkey eaters. this feeds 7 with left overs.
Sharon says
November 17, 2009 at 12:29 pmI like the idea of cutting the turkey in half…but…how would I cook it then? I have to admit that I am just not much a cook, but I would like to have the traditional feast even if it just my husband and me. LOL
grandma says
November 17, 2009 at 4:17 pmwhat is the butter with the turkey for?
my mother used to take the wrapper from the butter and lay that on the top of the turkey but I never use butter.
I roast the turkey breast side down and it comes out moist and tender.
jill says
November 17, 2009 at 4:33 pmFirst Sharon you would lay it in the pan or roasting pan with the breast side down as much as possible then lay a chunk of butter (1/4 cup or half a stick for 1/2 a large turkey)on top of the cut side, cover in foil and bake. If the turkey won’t lay straight enough for the butter to melt on it I just wad up some balls of foil to wedge around the bottom of it if one side tilts too much.
It sounds complicated but it isn’t. Slap it in the pan breast side down, use a wad of foil at bottom if it is tilting, cover with foil and bake as in recipe above.
Grandma, the butter is to add a much richer and really good flavor plus add a little more moisture to it. That is why Butterball turkeys have been so popular for years. As their name says they would some how infuse the turkey with butter for a richer and better taste. They were also more expensive in price but you can get equally as good if not better flavor with a cheaper turkey by just adding the butter into the cavity.
Jill
grandma says
November 18, 2009 at 6:47 amI have never cared for the taste of butter so I guess that is why I never add it to turkey or chicken. Grew up with margarine and when I was pregnant could not walk down the hall of the apt. building without being sick if someone was cooking with butter. First sign I was pregnant.
A friend used to buy insulin needles at the drug store melt butter then use the needles to put butter right into the meat. Everyone said that it was the best turkey they ever had. I guess those infusers might be the same idea.
learn something new every day or it is a lost day.
thanks for the info. Knew it just forgot I did.
Bruce P says
November 27, 2014 at 6:17 amI always use butter. A Big test that every one should do with food. put a little butter next to a little bit of margarine on a plate out side, check back every 30 min and see what your local bugs thing. They will eat the butter but not the margarine, no food value. They won’t eat it I won’t eat it. It may sound crazy but mother nature knows best. Point is know what your eating, do your homework on all your foods. A good starting place look for NON-GMO FOODS.
God Bless All B.P.
P.S. Turkey came out great. Thanks.
Jill says
November 27, 2014 at 6:38 amI know what you are saying Bruce but I’m afraid I wouldn’t pass the mother nature test to well and eat the things she says we can. I was watching the birds pull a big fat worm from the ground and I am sure it was full of nutrients but there is no way I am going to eat one unless I am really desperate. : )
Tawra says
November 27, 2014 at 9:56 amAll I am going to say is dogs eat their own feces and vomit so you won’t catch me ever doing that test! If you don’t want to use margarine don’t use it.
jill says
November 18, 2009 at 1:20 pmGrandma, I said I use butter but I use margarine half of the time. This is one time you can use either or. It just adds such an nice richness to the turkey and gravy. I can’t quite describe it but most people who try it this way get hooked and can go back to making it any other way.
Jill
Amanda says
December 31, 2009 at 8:10 amI have the book Not Just Beans. This recipe in it says to cook the turkey for “20-22 hours or more hours”. This recipe on the web says “roast for 10-15 hours.” Which one is correct? I am making a turkey for dinner Sunday afternoon. I will be going to church and coming home to eat with company. Thank you. My family and I LOVE your book by the way. I brag on it to most everyone I talk to. Thank you for being such a lifesaver in our finances and tastebuds!
Amanda
jill says
January 1, 2010 at 12:38 pmAmanda it depends on the size turkey you are roasting. The one in Not Just Beans was for a very large 20-25 lb turkey the one on the web site is for a little smaller turkey.
If you are doing a 15-20 lb turkey for after church I would put it in the oven at 9 pm at 250 degrees for 1 hour then when you go to bed (say 10 pm) turn it down to about 150 to 175 degrees and it will be fine when you get home. If you don’t go to bed until 11 then put it in at 250 at 10 pm for an hour then turn down.
Baking at this low of a temperature it really is almost impossible to burn or over cook at all. That is why I like cooking most of my meats at this temp because if church runs over and I am late getting home by even a couple of hours I don’t have to worry about it.
It pretty much like crock pot cooking but you just do it in the oven.
Hope this helps.
Jill
PS don’t forget to put in a large chunk of butter or marg. in the breast cavity, turn it upside down and be sure to cover well or you will have turkey jerky if you don’t cover it.
grandma says
November 11, 2010 at 11:35 amWhen basting was the only way to have a moist turkey I had a laugh one year.
My grandmother was all for basting it.
I was quite young so couldn’t really help but I was sitting in the corner of the kitchen reading. Everyone else had left but in about 15 minutes this bird was basted 15 times.
First my grandmother came in and basted it. then each of my 4 aunts and did the exact same thing. Every hour the same thing happened.
Not sure if it was moister and tastier but it sure gave me a memory.
My other grandmother put it in the oven and forgot about it until about 1 hour before dinner she would take the lid off to let it brown.
Hers was just as good as my grandmothers with a lot less work.
My MIL used to cook her turkey in a big brown grocery bag. She said lots of people did until some agency told them it was unhealthy. She stopped but said her turkey was never tough or dry with that method.
I think it is what ever you grew up with that makes it good. I start with the basics and add or subtract them as I see what we like.
Lisa says
November 13, 2010 at 6:18 amJill- I’m so glad you posted this! I was beginning to believe that I was the only person alive who regularly roasts her turkey overnight! The other day I had described it in a comment on another blog. Another commenter had replied that what I was doing was not safe! So I’m especially glad that you mentioned checking the temperature in the thigh with a meat thermometer. The only things I do different from you is that I usually spray the bird with canola and add a bit of sage. I roast mine in an old blue roaster pan, lid on.
Angie M. says
November 17, 2010 at 1:07 pmI am so happy you posted the instructions for roasting a turkey. I have never roasted my own before since we always eat at my Grandma’s or Mother-In-Law’s for Thanksgiving. They do the turkey, everyone else brings sides.
This year we are going to my Grandma’s but my hubby wants a turkey of our own for leftovers. I was feeling some panic as it seemed overwhelming. Now, I feel confident that I can handle this in a calm manner and be successful!
Tawra and Jill, I can’t say enough how much I appreciate you. Sometimes I feel so inept that at the age of 36 I don’t know how to do things…like roast a turkey. Lol! There are so many ‘basic’ things I missed out on learning from my Mom. She was a wonderful homemaker until she got sick (Epstein Barr Virus/CFS/FM) when I was 10. She could barely function, let alone take care of the house, cooking or teach her daughters basic cooking and housekeeping.
When I got married at the age of 20, I could cook spaghetti, Hamburger Helper, pancakes, french toast, fried potatoes and bake cakes/brownies from mixes. I’ve came a long way with just figuring it out by myself but every now and then I still run into basic things I should know how to do, but don’t. Your website is such a blessing!
Now, if you could just have articles teaching the basics of mending! Lol! That’s what I’m currently trying to figure out. 🙂
Gale Clemmons says
December 7, 2010 at 11:51 amI have been doing this upside down, with the butter in the breast cavity forever….I also add for great flavor a couple of celery stalks/leaves and all(or the throwaway scraps of celery from dressing prep)and an onion cut in quarters in the breast cavity…all that flavor seeps into the otherwise dry breast meat…I have been known to sneak a few garlic cloves in there….lol
Bonnie says
November 10, 2011 at 1:42 pmI have never done the turkey upside down like this but would like to try it. Being that my family INSISTS that the turkey is made WITH my famous stuffing, can I stuff it and leave it in overnight?
Jill says
November 10, 2011 at 3:27 pmBonnie I don’t usually stuff my turkey when I cook it this way but cook the stuffing separate the next day.
Jill says
November 10, 2011 at 3:28 pmPlus the turkey is so tender and juicy you can’t hardly get it out of the pan because it falls off the bone and it would be hard to deal with the stuffing in it.
Beth says
November 10, 2011 at 6:55 pmHere’s how I make gravy turn out better when the juices after cooking are pale, which can happen when you use one of the self-basting turkeys. I’ve noticed that even the basic bargain turkeys are more likely to have some basting solution and I think it messes up the gravy process. After the turkey is done, I pour the turkey juices into a large skillet and cook it on high and let it boil off. I watch it carefully and turn the heat down as the water evaporates and the pan drippings get more concentrated, then I proceed to make gravy according to typical recipes. It can take awhile but it’s worth it to get rich deep turkey gravy flavor. This also works great for roast chicken and other meats.
Grandma says
November 11, 2011 at 8:56 amI usually put the extra wrapped in foil and about 2 hours before I take the bird out I toss the foil pack in with the turkey. Put a few steam holes and they pick up the flavour of the bird better.
Bonnie says
November 10, 2011 at 10:56 pmIn the past I’ve put the stuffing in the bird and what I couldn’t get in I would put in a seperate dish to bake. Everyone would rather have the stuffing in the bird as it was so moist and tasty from the juices soaking in. The other would be dryer…guess I’ll just leave it out this time and try your method…can’t wait.
Jill says
November 11, 2011 at 7:10 amBonnie try covering your stuffing with foil and see if that doesn’t help keep it moist plus make it just a tad moister by adding a little milk or broth to it before you bake it.
Linda says
November 11, 2011 at 2:17 pmThanks for the instructions. I think Thanksgiving is the easiest holiday to cook. Turkey is super easy and so are all the fixings. Also, I never spend that much for the meal. I usually cook for about 20-25 people. This year, since all the kids are 14-21, I may also cook a ham. Last year, I cooked a 24 lb turkey and we had just enough.
halleycomet says
November 11, 2011 at 8:08 pmTo prevent drying on most covered items cooked in a dish FIRST cover the dish with SARAN WRAP or similar. Then cover with foil. This holds the steam in. You can run the tops under the broiler if you want the top crisper but don’t want to risk the whole thing getting dried out.
For a super simple gravy—with a great taste and texture—no lumps!–
When turkey is cooked –and I scatter some of the pre-seasoned stuffing cubes on the pan to make more flavorful gravy—remove to a warm place. Tilt the pan CAREFULLY and skim off a lot of the fat—this is easy with a small ladle. Add a bunch of water—now this is a “judgement call” I add at LEAST a quart for a 20 or so pound turkey. Later on you can adjust this. Also you can add some WINE red or white. Start to heat and scrape up all the lovely “bits”. Add a bunch of PEPPER—more than you would think!–and if you like it a sprinkle of garlic powder.
Now you will need some GOOD TAMARI OR SOY SAUCE—not that Kikkoman –um– stuff. Add a good glug—I get mine at a Food Co-Op and it is dark and rich and NOT salty and raw like the supermarket bottles.
After adding the tamari/soy—taste for flavors. Bring to boil.
Meanwhile mix TWO HEAPING TABLESPOONS of CORN STARCH and 1/4 CUP COLD WATER.
Turn OFF the gravy (You can transfer the whole thing to a sauce pan BTW) and gradually whisk in the CORN STARCH MIX. When all is mixed in return to heat on MED or HI and bring just to boil, turn down and simmer.
This can also be made with any stock or broth or the broth you make from the turkey wing tips, parts etc.
One tip I have used to make gravy in quantity–
Use several turkey parts like wings, legs etc. Place some cut up carrots and celery and a cut up onion in the bottom of either a roaster or a crock pot. Season. Dab with butter. Cook until done. When cooked either cool and save until you want to make gravy (or as a base for soup!) or proceed.
Add these parts to a large stock pot for soup.
For GRAVY use the drippings as above.
When I make turkey the bird is OK but the BEST thing is TURKEY SOUP.
Dump all of your left over turkey parts and stuffing–YES!!!!—bones etc. into a stock pot. Add some carrots, an onion, celery or leaves. Cover with COLD WATER and bring to boil. Skim if wanted. Lower and simmer for—well, until you think it is done! Place a large colander INSIDE a large bowl and using a slotted ladle or a Chinese ladle strainer lift out all the bits. Pour the broth that is in bowl into the pot. Taste for seasoning. If you like the results ADD ANY LEFT OVER GRAVY TO THE BROTH. This adds something AMAZING—deeper flavor, some thickness, just—something. (Can be used for chicken too or even mixed parts) Add a few CHICKEN BOUILLION CUBES for Grand Ma’s Secret Flavor.
To serve you can add veggies, left over turkey or chicken cut up, noodles, dumplings—or if you are MY family do not DARE serve with out—Matzoh Balls.
A. Maz. Ing. What chicken soup wants to be when it grows up.
trish buttleman says
November 21, 2011 at 4:04 pmI am anxious to try the overnight turkey, but I also don’t want anyone to get sick. I have read online that it isn’t a safe temperature 180- 200. I just want to verify putting a 22 lb turkey in at 11 @ 200 and not eating until 1pm. Is this going to be a good time? Thank you so much.
Trish
Tawra says
November 21, 2011 at 8:02 pmWhen I called the county extension they said if the internal temp. is 165 then it’s fine.
trish buttleman says
November 21, 2011 at 9:19 pmWhen would you put the turkey in the oven if you were going to eat at 1 pm?
Trish
Jill says
November 22, 2011 at 6:58 amIf you are doing a 22 lb. turkey I would put it in the oven at 250 degrees for 1 hour before you go to bed (between 9 – 11o’clock). Turn it down to 200 then before you go to bed. In the morning you can check it. If it looks like it is getting almost done (falling of the bone etc) then turn it down to 175 degrees or less until you are ready for it.
If it doesn’t look like it is cooking fast enough just turn it up to 225 or 250. Don’t panic you have 5 or so more hours to cook it if this is the case.
So many worry about the low temp but it really isn’t a problem. If you think about it when beef jerky is made the temperature is only set at 145 – 155 degrees and most people don’t worry about eating it. Speaking of beef jerky the only real important thing about slow cooking your turkey is to make sure it is covered and sealed around the edges well other wise it could dry out.
Rebecca says
November 26, 2012 at 4:27 pmHere is the way we did our turkey this year and it was WONDERFUL:
1. We defrosted our 20lb. turkey from Saturday to Wednesday.
2. We filled our (clean) cooler with 2 cups of salt, 1 cup of brown sugar and the rest cold water and ice. Submerged the turkey in there, covering it.
3. Let it soak overnight. Rinsed it the next morning.
4. Put it in a throw away aluminum pan, added an inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Cut up an apple, half of an onion and a half dozen cloves of garlic, stuffed the bird with that.
5. Rubbed a stick of butter all over the bird, salted lightly and peppered.
6. Set the oven for 500 degrees, let the bird cook about 2.5 hours. Kept watch and when it started browning up, tented it with aluminum foil to keep the outside from getting too brown.
7. It was falling off the bone good and everyone raved. It even made wonderful sandwiches (we just finished the last of it today), not dry or anything!
JAMES R says
November 15, 2013 at 1:31 amWith it being just he 2 of us, my wife & I just do not do the entire thanksgiving day thing…neither one of us has any family, nor a vehicle to go anywhere…tho even if we did have a motor car, I have no idea where we would go.
So we ust sit at home & enjoy each other’s company like we usually do every other day…
Mary Jane says
November 14, 2014 at 7:00 pmHere in Canada, we are always told to allow 20 minutes for every 1 lb. of turkey weight, to cook it at 325 to 350 degrees. If you start out with a thawed turkey, a pre-heated oven and no dressing in the bird, this works out about right. So a 20 lb. bird would take about 6 & 1/2 hours. Since ovens vary in temperature, I allow about 1/2 hour per pound, starting at 325 degrees, with a stuffed bird and don’t bother pre-heating the oven. A 20 lb. bird would take (in theory) 10 hours. Around about the 7 hour mark, I would “peek” in on the bird. I can either turn the temp. up or down a bit to adjust for the predicted dinner hour. It is not uncommon for me to have the turkey on a low in a slow oven for the last hour, while I cook up potatoes, etc. Hope this helps with estimating cooking times.
Mary Jane says
November 20, 2014 at 7:08 amMy husband and I love turkey, so even though we are empty nesters, we will still cook up a good sized turkey for just the two of us. Once the bird is thoroughly cooked, we separate the breast meat from the carcass and freeze it in large ziploc bags. (One bag for each breast). This will be hauled out for another day for a whole separate meal. If the breast meat is mostly frozen in one large piece, it is very nice to slice for sandwiches on another day. We also de-bone all the other meat from the carcass, and freeze it in appropriate size portions for the freezer, to use for other meals. Of course, we leave a small casserole sized dish of turkey meat in the refrigerator for turkey sandwiches over the day or two following roasting day. We do the same thing with large roasting chickens that we get from the local Mennonite farmers.
Joyce says
November 13, 2015 at 7:19 pmI just watched your video on making turkey gravy. The drippings that you use: does it thicken like
jello after getting cold. That’s what happens to mine and to my gravy when it cools. So I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong.
Thanks for all of your recipes and videos.
Jill says
November 13, 2015 at 7:31 pmYes Joyce is does thicken like jello when it gets cold. All you have to do is just warm it up and will liquefy again.If you need add a tiny tiny bit of water to it but you shouldn’t have too. Also Tawra didn’t show this in the video but I sometimes add the thickening and then let it cook (on low) for about 10 mins.If it still isn’t thick enough then I add more cornstarch or flour which ever you use and then cook about 5 mins. more. I do my gravy first that way it can cook the 10 mins while I am mashing the potatoes or getting other things ready because it can set on a back burner keeping warm while I do the rest of the things.
Betty Lynn Radcliffe says
November 20, 2015 at 11:44 pmHi everyone! I love all of your suggestions, so here comes mine. I cook the turkey in a cooking bag for turkeys (or for me LOL) and cook it at 350 for however how long it needs (read the cooking bag box) and my turkeys always come out moist and tasty. I’ve used these bags for years. That way I don’t have to put the turkey in the oven for so many hours. Saves on electricity and me because if I had to cook that turkey all those hours I would worry myself to death thinking about if it is cooking or if it’s ready or whatever. That’s the way I cook my turkey!!!
Happy Turkey Day Everyone!!!!! Betty Lynn Radcliffe 🙂
stella says
November 25, 2015 at 10:53 pmThanks so much for the free tg e-book! The turkey was wonderful and we only spent $15 max on our whole meal
Jill says
November 26, 2015 at 6:17 amYou are welcome Stella. So glad your turkey turned out. I hold my breath every year for everyone’s turkey to turn out with no disasters like Tawra dropping her’s last year and one year (my first serving Thanksgiving) I stuck mine on the fridge for a minute and forgot it until the meal was almost over. I was busy up serving and things and didn’t notice and all my guests were too polite to say anything. We should have told everyone that if something does happen to your turkey don’t panic. It will be the Thanksgiving everyone laughs about and fondly remembers later.
Kathy says
November 27, 2015 at 3:40 amWe tried to purchase a turkey at a chain grocery store and the meat department said they could not cut it in half for us.
Jill says
November 27, 2015 at 9:34 amI does depend on the store although the places I have been to here in Ks have been pretty good about doing it and I think Tawra has had good luck with that in Co. I have noticed the past couple of years they are starting to have smaller turkeys at the same cheap price so that helps too.
Sue says
November 18, 2018 at 3:37 pmWe usually. Do. A 12 lb. Turkey. How long should. You. Roatit doing. Your. Recipe
Jill says
November 19, 2018 at 8:46 amAbout 4-5 hrs. if you are going to eat at 1 in the afternoon then put it in about 7 in the morning. The thing is if dinner gets delayed or anything with this method you can cook it for an extra couple of hours because the temp is so low you can’t really burn it. An hour before the meal check it and if it looks like it isn’t cooking fast enough then you can turn it up to 350 and it will do fine.