Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe for Beginners

5 from 4 votes

November 20, 2024

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The Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe for Beginners is right here! Roasting a Thanksgiving turkey doesn’t have to be intimidating—especially if it’s your first time! This straightforward, no-fuss recipe will help you get a tender, juicy turkey with crispy skin, perfect for impressing your guests (or just yourself!) without all the stress. This guide covers each step, from prepping the turkey to using a meat thermometer to check for doneness, so you can confidently serve the best Thanksgiving turkey—even if this is your very first roast.

Why You’ll Love This Roasted Butterball Turkey Recipe

Thanksgiving is here and you want to roast a Butterball Turkey (or turkey of your choice). Great! Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without turkey. Being the one responsible for roasting *THE* turkey for Thanksgiving is like the ultimate job. A lot of pressure rides on you. You either give everyone food poisoning or you dry that sucker out. Well, believe it or not, there is a happy medium! You can get a juicy, thoroughly cooked bird with minimal effort that everyone will surely love. I promise it’s so much easier than you think. ANYONE can make a great turkey.

This recipe is all about simplicity and flavor, giving you moist, perfectly seasoned turkey meat without any unnecessary fuss. No complicated brines, marinades, or fancy tools are required. It’s an easy turkey recipe that anyone can follow, and the result is a perfectly roasted turkey that pairs wonderfully with all your favorite sides.

Ingredients Needed to Roast a Turkey

We are keeping this recipe really basic…but I do that on purpose to show you that you don’t need a lot to get a seriously delicious turkey! Of course you can add ingredients to fill the cavity of the bird, but again it’s not a deal breaker. Here’s what you’ll need to roast a turkey:

Whole turkey – Butterball Turkey (or any kind you choose) around 14 pounds, though this method works with any size
Salted butter – softened or melted, for that golden, crispy skin
Kosher salt – to taste, and black pepper if desired

Variations

Fresh herbs: Add sage leaves, rosemary, or thyme for a more aromatic turkey.
Olive oil: Swap butter for olive oil if you prefer.
Compound butter: Mix softened butter with fresh herbs for added flavor.
For an extra oomph of flavor (and moisture): feel free to fill your turkey cavity with any of the following: onion, garlic, celery, apples, lemon slices, orange wedges, fresh sage and thyme.

How to Prep a Turkey

Once your turkey is all defrosted, it is ready to prep and go in the oven to roast. What do I mean by ‘prep the turkey’? This simply means taking a few small steps to ensure a crispy, golden roasted turkey. Here’s what to do:

remove the giblets and neck from the cavity
blot the entire exterior of the turkey with paper towels to dry it completely
brush the entire turkey with softened or melted butter and sprinkle generously with salt (the exterior and interior)
tie the legs together with kitchen twine (unflavored dental floss works in a pinch)
tuck the wings back behind the bottom of the turkey (so it sort of looks like the turkey is sunbathing)

How to Keep Your Turkey Juicy

Many people will tell you that you need a fresh turkey and that frozen birds are the problem. I don’t believe any of it. A fresh bird is plenty juicy. So is a frozen one! If you happen to have a frozen turkey, read the label. Odds are you’ll see that it says “contains up to 8% of a solution of water, salt, spices and natural flavor for tenderness and juiciness“. This basically means that if you defrost your bird in the fridge for a few days, it will be sitting in this solution…therefore brining itself before you roast it. The work has already been done.

All you have to do now is roast it until it hits the proper temperatures without going past too far, and you’re there! Roasted turkey heaven. Once you get that turkey out of the oven, tent it with foil to let it rest 15-20 minutes and then slice and serve.

A Small Note About Brines

Some people don’t like the ingredients or the “natural flavors” in the solution that come in a frozen turkey and choose to brine a fresh bird. Some people will brine their frozen bird to impart more flavors they like. To each their own! If you’re looking for a great brine recipe, I have done both a dry brine turkey and a wet brine turkey and they are both amazing. If you’re a beginner or don’t want to have to deal with brines or just simply don’t know where to begin, just know that skipping a brine or a special rub is A-ok, and you’ll still have a great turkey.

How to Make Oven Roasted Turkey

For full recipe details, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are my step by step directions for making a delicious oven roasted turkey:

1. Thaw + Prep the Turkey

Thaw your frozen turkey in cold water or in the refrigerator, allowing enough time for its weight. Remove any bag of giblets and dry the skin of the turkey with paper towels

A hand using a paper towel to pat dry a raw chicken on a white plate.

2. Preheat Oven + Season the Turkey

Preheat oven to 450° F. Once your turkey is dry, rub it with softened or melted butter. Sprinkle interior and exterior of turkey generously with salt (and black pepper, if desired). Fold the wings back and under the bird (like it’s sunbathing) and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Set on roasting rack in roasting pan.

A raw whole chicken is placed on a white plate. A hand holds a green brush, applying melted butter to the chicken. A small bowl of salt is visible nearby.

Hands applying seasoning to a raw chicken on a white plate with a small bowl of salt nearby.

3. Roast Turkey in the Oven

Place your turkey (breast side up) on a roasting rack in the bottom of the roasting pan. Lower the oven temperature to 350° F once the turkey goes in. A roasting rack is ideal for even cooking, but if you don’t have one, try placing thickly sliced onions or vegetables on the bottom of the pan to lift the turkey off the surface.

A roasted turkey on a white platter garnished with fresh rosemary, sage, and orange slices, with garlic bulbs nearby.

Pro Tip: A 14-pound turkey will take about 3 hours; check the thickest part of the breast- you want it at 165° F and a thigh at 175° F internal temperature.

4. Slice + Serve

Take the turkey out of the oven, tent it with aluminum foil, and let the turkey rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve on a cutting board. I recommend making this Amazing Turkey Gravy as a great accompaniment.

Roasted turkey on a platter garnished with rosemary, sage, and orange slices, surrounded by sliced turkey, oranges, garlic, and a small bowl of salt.

A hand slices a roasted turkey on a platter, garnished with orange slices and herbs.

Storage Directions For Roasted Turkey

Allow turkey to cool to room temperature. Store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To Make Ahead: You can roast the turkey a day ahead and refrigerate. Reheat covered with aluminum foil at a lower temperature for best results.

To Freeze: Cooked turkey meat can be frozen. Place leftover turkey (removed from the carcass) in an airtight container or casserole dish and freeze for up to 3 months.

Traditional Thanksgiving Sides

If you are going for a traditional Thanksgiving table, all of these recipes are perfect! Click here to browse my full archive of Thanksgiving Recipes. Here are some of the classics you won’t want to miss:

Cornbread Sausage Dressing
Easy Cornbread Stuffing Recipe for Thanksgiving
Perfect Scalloped Potatoes or Funeral Potatoes…both are extremely popular on my site around the holidays
Mashed Potatoes or Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
No-Knead Crescent Rolls – includes make ahead directions
Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Pie or Sweet Potato Pie
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler
The BEST Cheesecake Ever (no water bath)

Roasted Turkey Recipe FAQ

How Large Should My Turkey Be if I Have a Large Group to Feed?

Typically, most experts will tell you that you need 1 pound of turkey per person. If you have a lot of side dishes that are being served with the roasted turkey, I’d bring that down to 3/4 pound per person. It’s always better to have too much than too little. Plus leftovers are the bomb diggers.

Should I get a frozen turkey or a fresh turkey? Which is best?

Whatever you prefer! None is supreme over the other. At the end of the day, it’s all turkey. The vast majority of turkeys roasted for Thanksgiving are previously frozen. They can be bought in advance, are typically the least expensive out of the group and come in a variety of sizes (I’ve seen turkey’s range from 11 to 25 pounds at the grocery store!).

How do I defrost a turkey?

Refrigerator thawing will take 24 hours per every 4 pounds of turkey. After the turkey is thawed, it can stay in the fridge for another 4 days.
Forget to defrost your turkey? Use the cold water method: stick your frozen turkey in a clean kitchen sink (still in its packaging) and cover with cold water, breast side down. This thawing method will take 30 minutes per pound.

Do I Have to Baste my Turkey?

Basting is certainly a nice, traditional, Thankgivingy thing to do, but isn’t necessary. You’ll still end up with a lovely deep golden brown turkey just by rubbing with butter.

My Turkey Isn’t Browning/My Turkey Is Getting Too Brown!

Where you place your turkey in the oven matters. Your turkey will brown quicker if it’s on a higher rack. If it’s on a lower rack, it will brown slower. If you notice your turkey has browned really nicely but still isn’t cooked, simply cover with foil, lower it down in the oven and keep roasting until it reaches the proper internal temperature. That meat thermometer is key for roasting a juicy bird.

How long do I cook my turkey per pound?

So there are all sorts of oven temperatures and roasting instructions floating out in the ether online when it comes to turkey roasting. Here’s how I do it and it seems pretty fail proof: Preheat your oven to 450° F. Once your turkey is prepped and ready to go, stick that pretty bird inside your preheated oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350° F. Roast your turkey until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165° F and the thigh is 175° F, about 12-13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. Start checking for doneness thirty minutes before it is estimated to be done with an instant read meat thermometer.
For a stuffed turkey, you can estimate 15 minutes per pound.

How do I know when my turkey is done?

When the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165° F and the thickest part of the thigh is 175° F.

What To Do With Leftover Turkey

Turkey a la King
Leftover Turkey Casserole (with Broccoli!)
Southern Turkey Salad
Turkey Baked Taquitos
Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole
Homemade Turkey Bone Broth (save that carcass!)

This beginner-friendly Thanksgiving turkey recipe keeps things simple, guiding you through every step for a flavorful, juicy turkey with crispy skin. With just a handful of ingredients and clear instructions, you’ll get a beautifully roasted turkey without the hassle. It’s everything you need for a memorable holiday meal that everyone will love, so you can focus on enjoying the day without stressing over the main dish. The printable recipe card is below. Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

A roasted turkey on a platter garnished with fresh herbs and orange slices, surrounded by additional herbs, garlic, and orange halves on a marble surface.

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5 from 4 votes