Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey
It's back to basics with an easy and classic Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe. It's moist and delicious and the stuff Thanksgiving dreams are made of.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 3 hr
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 fresh or thawed turkey (10-12 lbs)
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1-2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Optional (1/2 apple sliced, 1/2 lemon quartered, 1/2 onion quartered, and 2-3 fresh sage leaves to stuff the turkey)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- 2
Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.
- 3
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and poultry seasoning.
- 4
Place the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt both the inside and outside and sprinkle with pepper.
- 5
Optional: If you are stuffing the turkey, place the apple, lemon, onion, and sage leaves in the cavity.
- 6
Use kitchen string to tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey to keep them from burning.
- 7
Brush the melted butter mixture all over the turkey.
- 8
Place the turkey in the oven uncovered and continue basting with the butter mixture about every 30 minutes.
- 9
Cook the turkey until your food thermometer registers 165 degrees F. in the innermost part of the thigh, which should take approximately 2-3 hours.
- 10
When the turkey is done, remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil and let it rest 20-30 minutes before carving.