This is my Best Turkey recipe that produces a savory bird that is seasoned with all the right spices and comes out moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. 

A Turkey like this is always a hit during the holidays! 

Serve this main course along with my Best Bread Stuffing and you will be in business. 

This recipe makes for a family favorite recipe every year. And also serves well alongside my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes,  Stuffing and Homemade Cranberry Sauce and dinner will be divine! 

Also, I have included an easy homemade gravy recipes as well that utilizes the drippings from the bird.

You do not want to skip on this either! 

HOW LONG TO DEFROST TURKEY

If your like me and buy your Turkey frozen, you will want to keep in mind the size of your Turkey when looking for defrosting times.

• Allow approximately 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey.

Here in Canada we have our Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays pretty far apart.

So we tend to have Turkey twice per year. Personally I’ve made just a few Turkey dinners for a crowd myself.

One being for my family one year and another for a boyfriend’s family. Y

Yes, this was before I was a blogger and I was nervous as hell to do it.

But being that I have watched family and friends prepare it often, I got some tips prior and it came out just as good as this recipe here.

So you can rest assured that this recipe is a Winner! 

Once you learn the basics to preparing and cooking a turkey you too will become well versed in the right techniques to cooking a whole turkey.

Turkey Roasting Pan

You will want to use a pan large enough to roast.

You can either use a throw away type metal pan that can be found at any dollar store or purchase a good quality one that will last you through the years. 

What herbs and spices go with Turkey

The most popular used spices for a Turkey is; thyme, rosemary and sage.

Some people use nutmeg, personally I do not like. 

Best Store-Bought Poultry Seasoning

When I want to make a turkey that’s sure to impress, I will use my favorite store bough poultry seasoning ” McCormick Poultry Seasoning”. You can also make yours from scratch at home instead. By replacing the 2 tbsp of poultry seasoning with 1 tbsp of kosher salt, 1 tbsp of pepper, 1 tbsp thyme, 1 tbsp rosemary, 1 tsp sage.

Best Turkey Seasoning 

This is what I use for my  Best Turkey Recipe!

• 2 tbsp of poultry seasoning, I like”McCormick Poultry Seasoning”.
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pour the gravy all over the sliced breast for an incredible meal and even save as leftovers to make some other meals.

HOW COOK TURKEY IN THE OVEN

1. You will want a Turkey Roasting pan
2. Meat thermometer
3. Basting tool 
4. Tinfoil

HOW COOK TURKEY IN OVEN

1. Start by thawing your turkey in advance to preparing it, best to do this in the fridge 48 hours prior. Once thawed place on the shelf one hour prior to preparing.
2. Rinse your Turkey under cold water for a few minutes and then remove the neck and other things in the cavity and cook on the side of the turkey. 
3. Mix your seasonings well and rub the bird all over.
4. Season inside the bird with all over and baste with melted butter. 
5. Place bird “BREAST SIDE” down “produces a better cooked turkey) and bake at 400 for one hour.
6. One the hour is up, turn down the oven to 350 baste the bird in it’s own juice and cook for one more hour.
7. Before you remove the Turkey, probe it with a thermometer it should reach a temperature of 165-170 degrees. Be careful not to touch the bone, rather insert it right into the breast for an accurate reading.
8. If it has reached the desired temperature, remove from the oven and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before carving otherwise you will have a dry Turkey.

WHERE TO COOK TURKEY IN OVEN

Middle rack is always the best practice!

My top tips to cooking the best Turkeys are as follows:

• Allow the bird to fully defrost and then sit on the counter at least one hour prior to baking, this ensure that the skin doesn’t break and that the bird cooks properly thought out.
• Butter the turkey all over with solid butter as well as liquid.
• Use a food thermometer and remove the Turkey once it reaches it’s ideal temperature.
• Place 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan to prevent burning and aid in creating the gravy. Nothing more you don’t want to boil the turkey.
• Baste the turkey every hour to ensure it stays moist.
• Cover the legs, breast and wings of the turkey with tinfoil and place the birds legs towards the back of the oven where it’s the hottest and where the bird needs most the cooking. “The breasts always cook the fastest.
• Do not stuff the bird with stuffing, rather make the dressing on the side.

Now what is turkey without the stuffing?

It’s really not a complete holiday meal now is it, so that part is definitely something you do not want to forget!

You can stuff the turkey with the stuffing prior to cooking if desired.

However keep in mind that they turkey will then take another hour to cook fully. Or you can cook the stuffing on it’s own for one hour also. One of my favorite stuffing recipes is :

Otherwise you can do the same thing and just stuff the bird, keeping in mind you may need to cook it longer.

TURKEY GRAVY WITH THE DRIPPINGS

Oh and do not forget the gravy, I’ll show you below how to make the best homemade gravy from the same bird you are cooking here.

Utilizing every part of this amazing bird is key to a great Turkey dinner. 

I hope you give it a go, and have an enjoyable dinner with those who mean the most to you. 

Tips: I always save the bones to make a turkey soup the next day, it’s simple. Also I like to make my own Gravy from the drippings see my recipe below for a simple Homemade Turkey Gravy

Wondering what to do with all those turkey leftovers? Try my “Turkey Pot Pies” I will even show you how to make the most delicious “HOMEMADE PUFF PASTRY” if you choose.

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it!  Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox

Best Turkey

Yield: 16

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours

Fantastic Holiday Meal!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 -12 pound Turkey
• 1 halved Onion
• 1 cup Water
• 3 whole garlic cloves, halved
• 4 tbsp room temp butter
• 1 Lemon Juice
• 4 tbsp Melted Butter
• SPICES
• 2 tbsp of poultry seasoning, I like"McCormick Poultry Seasoning".
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Start by thawing your turkey in advance to preparing it, best to do this in the fridge 48 hours prior. Once thawed place on the shelf one hour prior to preparing.
2. Rinse your Turkey under cold water for a few minutes and then remove the neck and other things in the cavity and cook on the side if desired. Or use to make a Gravy.
3. Chop one onion in half and 1/2 a lemon along with two garlic, halved and set aside.
4. Season inside the bird with salt and pepper, and then stuff with half a lemon, two onion halves, garlic pieces into the cavity of the bird. 
5. Pour the juice of the other half of the lemon all over the bird and then cover with room temp butter and the brush with melted butter.
6. Mix your seasonings well and rub the bird all over.
7. Place bird "BREAST SIDE" down and bake at 400 for one hour.
8. One the hour is up, turn down the oven to 350 baste the bird in it's own juice and cook for one more hour.
9. Before you remove the Turkey, probe it with a thermometer it should reach a temperature of 165-170 degrees. Be careful not to touch the bone, rather insert it right into the breast for an accurate reading.
10. If it has reached the desired temperature, remove from the oven and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before carving otherwise you will have a dry Turkey.

TO MAKE GRAVY FROM THE DRIPPINGS: HOMEMADE TURKEY GRAVY

1. Simply take 1 cup of the pans juices, leave behind the particles by serving through a strainer. Then place the leftover gravy in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in 3/4 cup of flour and stir constantly.
2. Then add in 1 1/cup cups of Chicken broth, season with salt and pepper and stir till it reaches a smooth texture. Add more flour to thicken up if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 16
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 702Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 387mgSodium: 834mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 98g

These calculations are based off Nutritionix

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