My approach to cooking turkeys has changed after discovering how to make the tastiest, most juicy oven roast turkey ever. This turkey cooking method is so forgiving that I’m willing to wager the white meat will never dry out, so I can finally put an end to arguments with my mother about when the bird is done!
Are you looking to impress your guests this Thanksgiving with a juicy, flavorful turkey that practically melts in your mouth? Look no further! This recipe, adapted from Fabulessly Frugal, will guide you through the process of creating a Thanksgiving masterpiece that’s sure to leave everyone wanting more.
Ingredients:
- 1 turkey (approximately 1.25 pounds per person)
- 2 medium oranges
- 2 medium onions
- 1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
- Seasoning of your choice (Mrs. Dash original recommended)
- 4 cups water
Equipment:
- Roasting pan
- Oven (or electric roaster)
- Instant-read meat thermometer
Instructions:
- Prep the turkey: Thaw your turkey completely according to the package instructions. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity.
- Stuff the turkey: Cut the oranges and onions into quarters or eighths. Stuff the turkey cavity with these pieces.
- Get it juicy: Pour 4 cups of water into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Butter up: Melt the butter and pour it evenly over the entire turkey. Use your hands to rub the butter into the skin for maximum flavor and browning.
- Season to perfection: Sprinkle your chosen seasoning generously over the turkey. Mrs. Dash original is a great option for a classic Thanksgiving flavor.
- Bake it to perfection: Preheat your oven to 320°F. Place the turkey in the roasting pan and bake for 1 hour per 3 pounds of turkey. So, for a 17-pound turkey, you’d bake it for approximately 6 hours.
- Basting for extra moisture: If you’re using a traditional oven and not an electric roaster, baste the turkey with the pan drippings every hour to keep it extra moist.
- Checking for doneness: Use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure the turkey is cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
- Rest and carve: Once cooked, let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful bird.
Tips and Tricks:
- Electric roaster: If using an electric roaster, the cook time should be roughly the same. The benefit of using an electric roaster is that it frees up your oven for other dishes and eliminates the need for basting.
- Foil tent: If your roasting pan doesn’t have a lid, create a foil tent to trap moisture and prevent the turkey from drying out.
- Gravy goodness: Use the pan drippings to create a delicious gravy by whisking in flour until you reach your desired consistency.
Additional Resources:
- How to Slow Cook a Turkey Overnight for Fall-Off-the-Bone Meat and How to Make Turkey Gravy: https://steemit.com/food/@marxrab/how-to-slow-cook-a-turkey-overnight-for-fall-off-the-bone-meat-and-how-to-make-turkey-gravy
- Fabulessly Frugal Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe: https://fabulesslyfrugal.com/recipes/thanksgiving-turkey/
With this recipe and these helpful tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating a Thanksgiving turkey that’s the star of the show. So go ahead impress your guests and enjoy the delicious rewards of your culinary efforts!
The Juiciest, Most Tender Oven Roasted Turkey In the History of Roast Turkeys
This recipe is one of my favorites, right up there with my deconstructed turkey and roast turkey breast recipes.
It fell off the bones when I went to carve it. That makes it utterly fantastic for eating. Not that good when I need to take photos.
The simple secret here is Turkey sized oven roasting bags. Let’s be clear here it’s NOT brown paper bags! Brown paper bags are actually toxic! Using a tried and tested safe food grade oven bag is better overall for roasting a turkey in a bag. It makes sense, companies put glue and chemicals into paper bags that are not meant for high heat OR for food to cook in and have no regulations with their production because of it. Oven bags are meant for food and heat. Using one twice a year to make the best turkey ever is not a big deal, but if you think it is, then this isn’t the turkey recipe for you. The oven bag is key! Now let’s move on to the step-by-step directions to get this bird in the oven for your big day!
How to Cook A Turkey
As some of you may be making your first turkey ever, or perhaps you are like me and have spent your entire life trying to perfect the art of roasting a turkey, let’s go over this step-by-step. The turkey in these pictures weighs 13 pounds, but the first one I made weighed 20! If you don’t need these pictures, scroll down to the bottom where the recipe is waiting for you, you turkey expert!
- Pre-heat your oven to 300 °F. Yes, we will be slowly cooking this bird all day. For hours. (You can cook the turkey at a minimum oven temperature of 325°F, as recommended by the USDA; this will allow it to cook more quickly.) The choice is up to you. ).
- Using paper towels, pat the turkey’s top and sides dry before discarding them. Wash your hands. (I apologize; I am a kitchen safety NUT when it comes to bacteria!) Put your turkey in the oven bag completely, but make sure the opening is slanted more toward the top than straight across. This will make sense when you follow my instructions.
- Put the quartered onions, celery, apple, etc. that you have selected inside the turkey cavity. Wash your hands. (I know, I know).
- In a bowl, combine one tablespoon of sea salt flakes or coarse salt (I usually have the flakes on hand), along with one tablespoon of parsley. IF you have a larger turkey you can double this. Put that away for the moment; you just needed to prepare this because your hands are getting filthy once more!
- Using a bottle of olive oil, lightly brush the skin of the turkey’s breast and some of its thighs and legs. Determine the amount required to apply a beautiful coating to the surface. Put the bottle away and roll up your sleeves.
- Thoroughly coat the turkey skin with olive oil by rubbing it all over. You don’t have to do the bottom.
- Apply a thin layer of the salt/parsley mixture evenly over the turkey. The olive oil will help it stick. It should look like the photo above. Naturally, wash your hands afterward and proceed to the following step.
- Fill the bag to the brim with the turkey or chicken broth, being careful not to rinse out the spices.
- Seal the bag with the small tie that comes with your oven bags. Make tiny incisions on the top of the roasting bag to allow steam to escape.
- For my 13-pound turkey, place in the oven and cook for 3–4 hours; for a larger turkey, cook for up to 6 hours. If you observe that the breast is becoming overly crispy and brown, then turn the oven down to 250 °. (You can cook the turkey at a minimum oven temperature of 325°F, as recommended by the USDA; this will allow it to cook more quickly.) The choice is up to you. ).
- You can take the turkey out once the thigh meat reaches 180°F and the breast meat reaches 165°F at the very least. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then remove the bag.
- Either move it to a platter (which is doable if you have two people and a few forks to hold it together in strategic locations) or just carve it in the pan.
- What is the BEST turkey gravy you will ever taste can be made with the drippings.
The key to this recipe’s success is that the turkey skin continues to crisp up thanks to the olive oil and salt, and the steam from the broth braises the meat rather than roasting it, which is one of the best ways to cook any meat. Additionally, braising is essentially the only method for obtaining moist breast meat while simultaneously cooking the legs to the right temperature—the scourge of roasting turkey legs. ).
Juicy & Tender Best Ever Fall Off the Bone Roast Turkey for Thanksgiving!
FAQ
What temperature does turkey fall off the bone?
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