This Thanksgiving, we’ve got some helpful instructions on how to roast a turkey so you can impress your guests. Check out the recipe and pointers below that will take the guesswork out of cooking the most delicious bird ever.
Turkey tips
- For more tender meat, choose a smaller bird. If you have several guests, cook two smaller birds – you’ll have plenty of meat and they’ll cook faster than one large turkey. Or add a turkey breast.
- How big a turkey should you buy? Plan for about a pound of turkey per person. Feeding 10? Get a 10-pound turkey.
- You don’t need to baste a turkey while it cooks. Basting doesn’t penetrate the skin and the oven loses heat while you’re basting.
Shop turkey and all the fixings for your picture-perfect dinner. And discover the best prices on fresh ingredients, wine pairings and more.
- SERVES:
- 16
- PREP TIME:
- 10 minutes
- COOK TIME:
- See Chart Below
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey – see chart below for cook times based on size, and whether or not your turkey is stuffed.
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp. each: dried thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir together butter and herbs in a small bowl. Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a heavy-duty large roasting pan. Rub it inside and out with the butter mixture.
- Roast according to chart below or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165°F, tenting loosely with foil if it browns too quickly. Let turkey rest outside the oven for up to 30 minutes, covered with foil, before carving.
| Weight of Bird | Roasting Time (Unstuffed) | Roasting Time (Stuffed) |
|
|
||
| 10 to 18 pounds | 3 to 3-1/2 hours | 3-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours |
| 18 to 22 pounds | 3-1/2 to 4 hours | 4-1/2 to 5 hours |
| 22 to 24 pounds | 4 to 4-1/2 hours | 5 to 5-1/2 hours |
| 24 to 29 pounds | 4-1/2 to 5 hours | 5-1/2 to 6-1/4 hours |
