• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Grits and Pinecones
  • Cinco de Mayo Recipes
  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • 4th of July
  • Big Green Egg, Grilling & Smoking
  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Grits and Pinecones » Holidays and Special Occasions » Christmas » Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey

    Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey

    November 9, 2017 by Sharon Rigsby, Updated October 15, 2020 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey

    May I introduce you to Thanksgiving’s superstar, the Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey!  I’ve gone “old school” this year and back to the basics to bring you a simple and classic roast turkey recipe. It’s the stuff of Thanksgiving dreams and probably resembles the moist and delicious turkey you remember from your childhood.

    Thanksgiving Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe

    A quick search on the internet for turkey recipes results in literally thousands of different recipes. And, as you might imagine, they include oven-cooked turkey, deep-fried turkey, spatchcocked turkey, brined turkey, smoked turkey, and they are covered with all sorts of different rubs and glazes. But this recipe for Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey is as easy and as basic as you can get and whether this will be your first attempt at cooking a turkey or you are a seasoned pro, I think you will love the pure simplicity of this recipe.

    For a stress-free Thanksgiving and especially if this is your first turkey, check out my Cooking Turkey 101 Q&A below:

    • How long does it take to cook a turkey? Well, of course, it depends on the size of the bird and your oven temperature, but generally, it takes approximately 15 minutes per pound at 350 degrees to cook a turkey that is fully thawed.  For example, my turkey was 11 pounds, and it ended up taking about 2 hours and 30 minutes to cook. If you have a convection oven, generally it takes about 9 minutes per pound, but you will want to refer to your oven’s instructions.
    • Does my turkey need to rest? Yes! For maximum flavor and juiciness, your turkey should rest covered loosely with foil for at least 20-30 minutes before you carve it. If you have a large turkey, it should rest a while longer. While resting, the internal temperature of the meat will also rise by 5-10 degrees.
    • Do I need a meat thermometer to tell if my turkey is done? Yes, a thousand times yes! A good meat thermometer will pay for itself and guarantee that your turkey or any other meat that you might be preparing is cooked perfectly. I use a DOT digital thermometer which I dearly love. It has a probe that is inserted into the meat and when the temperature I set is reached, it beeps to let me know it’s done. No guesswork involved. I bought mine at Brown’s Kitchen Supply in Tallahassee, but I’m sure they are also available wherever kitchen supplies are sold. I have tried numerous other kinds of manual and digital thermometers, and the DOT is by far my favorite.
    • How do I know when my turkey is done? The best way to know when your turkey is done is by its internal temperature. The USDA says a turkey is safe when “cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F as measured with a food thermometer.” Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and keep in mind that the temperature will increase slightly when the turkey rests. PS: Don’t ever rely on the pop-up thermometers that come with some turkeys.
    • How long does it take to thaw a frozen turkey? This is one area that seems to trip some folks up and, I confess, I’ve been there too, trying to thaw a still-frozen turkey on Thanksgiving morning. The answer is, it depends on how large your turkey is. In general, for a turkey that is 12-16 pounds, it will take 3-4 days to safely thaw in the refrigerator. So, this year, be sure to plan ahead and either purchase a fresh turkey or if you do buy a frozen turkey, don’t wait to buy it at the last minute
    • How big a turkey should I buy? The rule of thumb is about 1-1/2 pounds of turkey for each adult you will be serving. If you want leftovers, you might want to increase that a bit. If you are feeding eight adults, a 12-14 pound turkey should be about right.
    • To brine or not to brine? It’s completely up to you! Brining enthusiasts claim that the turkey absorbs extra moisture during the brining process, which in turn helps it stay more moist and juicy. But wet brining is a messy business and I prefer to dry brine mine, which is simply covering the surface of the turkey with salt and in some cases salt combined with a little baking powder, and then letting it sit in the refrigerator uncovered for 24 hours before cooking. I dry brined my smoked turkey last year but decided to skip this step this year, and both turkeys were moist and delicious.

    If you like this Thanksgiving turkey recipe, you might also like these classic side dish recipes:

    Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

    Easy Spicy Southern Corn Casserole

    Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing

    Southern Sweet Onion Casserole

    Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole

    Cranberry Sauce with Oranges and Apple

    Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon

    How to make Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

    Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.

    Raw turkey for Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey

    Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and poultry seasoning.

    Place the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt both the inside and outside and sprinkle with pepper.

    Optional: If you are stuffing the turkey, place the apple, lemon, onion, and sage leaves in the cavity.

    Use kitchen string to tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey to keep them from burning.

    Brush the melted butter mixture all over the turkey.

    Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey which has been salted and buttered

    Place the turkey in the oven uncovered and continue basting with the butter mixture about every 30 minutes.

    Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey ready to roast

    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.

    Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey right out of the oven

    When the turkey is done, remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil and let it rest 20-30 minutes before carving.

    Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey ready to carve

    If you liked the recipe above, please consider rating it and leaving a comment below. Also, follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. And finally, to be the first to receive new notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box. Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

    *This recipe shared with Julia’s Simply Southern for Meal Plan Monday’s Thanksgiving Recipes Post!

    Thanksgiving Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe
    Print Pin
    4.34 from 6 votes

    Simple and Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe

    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.
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 3 hours
    Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 209kcal
    Author Sharon Rigsby

    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

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.
    • Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and poultry seasoning.
    • Place the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt both the inside and outside and sprinkle with pepper.
    • Optional: If you are stuffing the turkey, place the apple, lemon, onion, and sage leaves in the cavity.
    • Use kitchen string to tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey to keep them from burning.
    • Brush the melted butter mixture all over the turkey.
    • Place the turkey in the oven uncovered and continue basting with the butter mixture about every 30 minutes.
    • 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.
    • When the turkey is done, remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil and let it rest 20-30 minutes before carving.

    Notes

    Nutrition

    Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.01g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 234mg | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment below and/or give this recipe a rating. On Instagram? Take a picture and tag @gritsandpinecones or #gritsandpinecones!
    Don't miss any recipes!Subscribe to Grits and Pinecones.

    « Easy Crock-Pot Pork Chops with Apples Recipe
    Easy Southern Homemade Turkey Gravy »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carol

      November 06, 2018 at 8:27 am

      Looks great Beautiful turkey. What is the brand of the food thermometer used in this post? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Gritsandpinecones

        November 06, 2018 at 9:32 pm

        Hi Carol,
        I use a DOT meat thermometer which I love! You put it in the meat, set the temperature you want and it beeps when it is done.
        All my best,
        Sharon

        Reply
        • Carol

          November 07, 2018 at 6:11 am

          Thanks for the info. I ordered one today.

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Sharon Rigsby, blogger at GritsandPinecones.com

    Hello, I'm Sharon Rigsby, blogger, recipe developer, videographer, and photographer for Grits and Pinecones®. I have well over 50 years of experience in the kitchen, and there is nothing I like better than developing and reimagining recipes for my family, friends, and you!

    More about me →

    Most popular recipes:

    • Classic Southern Potato Salad
    • Best Southern Crispy Fried Oysters
    • Blackened Grouper
    • Quick and Easy Hoe Cakes (Fried Cornbread)

    See all of my recipes →

    4th of July recipes:

    • Red White and Blue No-Bake Icebox Cake
    • 38 Easy 4th of July Recipes and Menu Ideas 2022
    • Easy Southern Tomato Pie
    • Easy Old-Fashioned Southern Peach Cobbler

    See more 4th of July recipes →

    Featured in Parade, The Today Show, Better Homes & Gardens, Greatist, and more.

    Footer

    More Recipe Categories

    • Appetizer Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Bread Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Cocktail Recipes
    • Condiments, Jams, Jellies, Sauces, and Salad Dressings
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Game Day and Tailgating Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes

    More…

    • Lunch Recipes
    • Main Dish Recipes
    • Pork Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Snack Recipes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Southern Recipes
    • Southern Peas (Cowpeas) Recipes

    Grits and Pinecones

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Legal Disclaimer

    Copyright © 2022 Grits and Pinecones® · Privacy Policy · Legal Disclaimer

    • 186Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Yummly
    • Email
    1540 shares