Easy, No-Fuss Roast Turkey
This easy recipe for roast turkey is very simple, fuss free and will give you wonderful results – golden on outside, juicy on the inside.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 1 turkey 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey
- salt, pepper
- 2 lemons
- fresh herbs – parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary
- 3 – 4 onions
- 2 heads of garlic
- 5 carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
Instructions
- Prep the turkey. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the turkey. Discard the giblets or use them in another recipe. Save the turkey neck to make stock. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season turkey liberally with salt and pepper on both sides and in the inside cavity.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the lemons and 1 onion into quarters and cut one of the garlic heads in half. Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the lemons, onion, 1 garlic head and some of the herbs. Tuck the wings behind the bird and tie the legs together.
- Coarsely chop the remaining onions, peel the other head of garlic into cloves, coarsely chop the carrots and celery. Place all of the vegetables into the bottom of the roasting pan with the rest of the fresh herbs. Pour in the broth.
- Place the turkey breast side up on a v-rack over the chopped vegetables in the roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the breast meat is 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit and the thigh meat is 170-175 degrees Fahrenheit. If the turkey is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil.
- When the turkey is cooked, make sure to let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving it. While the turkey is resting, you’ll have time to make the most delicious gravy, using the incredible turkey drippings that you’ll have at the bottom of the roasting pan.
Notes
For the best results, season the turkey and keep it in the refrigerator overnight.
I like to season the turkey the night before and keep it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This will give the salt more time to penetrate into the meat and will also dry out the skin, which will help it crisp up better. If you don’t have room for it in your refrigerator or don’t have the time, it’s not a big deal to skip this step. Make sure to let the turkey come to room temperature before you start roasting it. (Take it out of the refrigerator and sit on the counter while you preheat the oven.)
Why not add garlic, spices and herbs to the turkey skin?
When you rub the outside of the turkey with minced garlic and a variety of herbs and spices, they will quickly burn in the oven, since the turkey has to roast for quite a bit of time.
If you want to add more flavor, you can rub the herbs, spices and fresh garlic on the turkey skin during the last few minutes of roasting. Brush the turkey with oil or butter, then rub with minced garlic and any spices that you like.