Oven roasted turkey is juicy, tender, and guaranteed to be the star of your holiday table. This foolproof Thanksgiving turkey recipe is easy to prepare with fresh herbs, garlic butter, and simple step-by-step instructions for a perfect roast every time.

Sliced oven roasted turkey on a white plate garnished with fresh rosemary, bay leaves and lemon.

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Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

If oven roasted turkey is on your Thanksgiving menu, you’ve come to the right place. After cooking plenty of turkeys over the years, this no-fuss method gives consistently juicy, tender, delicious results every time.

This roast turkey recipe is always the star of the holiday table. A garlic herb butter creates crisp, golden skin and incredible flavor, and stuffing the cavity with onions, lemons, garlic, and fresh herbs makes it even more aromatic. It’s a show-stopping Thanksgiving turkey, and you can use the pan drippings to make the best homemade turkey gravy.

Ingredients for Oven Roasted Turkey

Onions, lemons and herbs on cutting board ready to stuff into the cavity of a turkey for the oven.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Turkey: You can find a 12 to 15 pound butterball or norbest brand turkey at your local grocery store.
  • Onion: This will add a bit of flavor and a hint of spice.
  • Lemon: Quarter the lemon for extra zesty flavor and add it to the cavity.
  • Butter: Make a garlic herb butter and cover the turkey meat before baking.
  • Salt and pepper: To taste!

How to Roast a Turkey

Showing how to roast a turkey in the oven in a 6 step collage.
  1. Remove the giblet bag (found in the neck cavity) and the neck (found in the main cavity).
  2. Place onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat dry. Sprinkle salt all over the turkey and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
  3. Once ready to bake, loosen the top skin with the dowel of the spoon.
  4. Rub butter mixture underneath skin and on top.
  5. Stuff with onions, garlic, lemon and herbs.
  6. Place two toothpicks to hold the top pieces of skin and then it’s ready to roast.

Free Printable Turkey Roasting Chart

For an easy visual, download this free printable turkey roasting chart. It’s so nice to have on hand every year to easily refer to. It also includes a helpful thawing chart as well.

Oven roasted turkey cooking chart.
Golden oven roasted turkey on a white platter.

Best Roast Turkey Tips

Roasting a turkey is easier than you think! Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the best roast turkey recipe this holiday season.

  • Amount per person. Plan on 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. A 15 pound turkey will feed 10 people. I don’t like to cook turkey’s over 20 pounds, so if I’m feeding more than 15 people, I’ll do 2 turkeys. Here’s a turkey calculator if you need help.
  • Thaw. Make sure to thaw your turkey several days in advance. You’ll need to thaw it for about 1 day for every 5 pounds.
  • Salt. Make sure to pat the turkey dry, sprinkle with salt and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. This will allow it to cook at a more even temperature.
  • Don’t overcook. Do not overcook your turkey (that is what will cause it to be dry). Make sure to set timers and check the temperature with a meat thermometer.
  • Let rest. Before carving the turkey, let it rest under aluminum foil for about 15 to 20 minutes so it stays juicy and moist.
  • Use the leftovers. Use carcass to make turkey stock. For leftover turkey recipes make these turkey sliders with cranberry or try leftover turkey soup!
Sliced oven roasted turkey on a white plate with herbs.

More holiday main dishes I love to make include baked ham, Cornish hens or even oven roasted whole chicken.

Thanksgiving Sides to Serve with Turkey

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turkey with lemon and herbs

Oven Roasted Turkey

4.93 from 13 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 16
Juicy and tender oven roasted turkey that will be the star of the holiday table! Easy to prepare with fresh herbs and garlic butter for the best Thanksgiving turkey recipe.
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Video

Equipment

  • Non-metallic container or roasting pan

Ingredients 

  • 12-15 pound turkey (I prefer Butterball or Norbest)
  • 1 onion (quartered)
  • 1 lemon (quartered)
  • ½ cup softened herb butter (see notes)
  • salt and pepper

Optional: Lemon slices and fresh herbs for topping

Instructions

  • Thaw turkey. Thaw turkey (plan on about 4 days in the refrigerator or 8-10 hours in cold water).
  • Prep, truss and tenderize turkey. Remove neck and giblets from body and neck cavities, discard. Place turkey breast side down in a roasting pan. Cross the legs and tie with baking twine if they aren't already tied. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Then sprinkle with a thin layer of salt. Let rest 30-60 minutes before preparing to bake.
  • Rub with butter. Pat the turkey with paper towels to dry the turkey. Salt and pepper the inside of the cavity and then fill with 1 quartered onion, 1 quartered lemon and herbs. Create a pocket using the dowel of a spoon on the top and then rub 1/4 cup herb butter under the skin. Then rub the remaining 1/4 cup butter all over the top of the turkey.
  • Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 325°F. Adjust rack if needed.
  • Roast turkey. Place turkey with the legs down in a roasting pan. Bake for 2 1/2 hours (about 13-15 minutes per pound), or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove from the oven and tent with foil. The temperature will reach 165°F while resting.
  • Rest, then slice. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Reserve any drippings to make turkey gravy. Slice the turkey and serve. Serve on platter with herbs and lemon slices if desired.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Butter: Want to take it up a notch? Rub about 1/4 cup garlic herb butter in between the meat and the skin before baking.
Turkey: If turkey is done ahead of time, cover with foil and then place towels over the foil to hold in the heat. Slice just before serving.
Carving: Check out this post for my tips on how to carve a turkey.
Turkey gravy: Use the drippings to make my favorite turkey gravy recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 345kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 52g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 174mg, Sodium: 271mg, Potassium: 560mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 135IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Variations

  • Smaller crowd: If you are feeding less than 10 people, make this turkey breast recipe.
  • Stuff. Fill the turkey with your favorite herbs like thyme, rosemary or sage. You can also add oranges or apples instead of lemons.
  • Brine. You could also use an easy turkey brine to season the meat. You’ll want it to marinate in the brine for at least 12 hours before baking.
  • In a hurry? This spatchcock turkey recipe cuts cooking time in half!
  • Smoked turkey. Save room in the oven and make this delicious smoked turkey instead.

Recipe FAQs

How long should you roast a turkey?

The great debate is always how long to cook a turkey. For a general rule of thumb, always aim for about 13 to 15 minutes per pound at 325°F. I’d recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure it is cooked all the way through. It will be ready when the internal temperature reaches 160°F (it will continue to rise to 165°F while it rests).

Do you roast a turkey covered or uncovered?

A little of both! Cover the turkey for the duration of the roasting time. Towards the end of the cooking time, uncover the turkey and let the meat become crispy and hard while keeping the inside tender and juicy.

How long to roast an unstuffed turkey?

4-8 pound breast: 1.5 – 3.25 hours
8-12 pounds: 2.75 – 3 hours
12-14 pounds: 3 – 3.75 hours
14-18 pounds: 3.75 – 4.25 hours
18-24 pounds: 4.25 – 4.5 hours
24-30 pounds: 4.5 – 5 hours

How long should you roast a stuffed turkey?

4-8 pound breast: 2.5 – 3.5 hours
8-12 pounds: 3 – 3.5 hours
12-14 pounds: 3.5 – 4 hours
14-18 pounds: 4 – 4.25 hours
18-24 pounds: 4.25 – 4.75 hours
24-30 pounds: 4.75 – 5.25 hours