Worried about cooking a whole turkey? You donāt need to be – itās just like cooking a very large chicken!
My easy roast turkey recipe with orange herb butter will give you a perfectly juicy, moist bird that you will be proud to serve to your family. Follow my tips and step-by-step guide for cooking a perfect roast turkey and you won’t go wrong. Let’s do this!
The thought of cooking a large turkey can be quite daunting. But I promise you, itās easy. In this post I show you step-by-step how to roast a whole turkey for Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving.
This recipe for perfect roast turkey is simple stress free – no brining, no stuffing and no hassle. If this sounds appealing to you, then read on!
For more festive food inspiration and side dishes to serve with your turkey, check out my Christmas dinner mains archive.
If you have an air fryer, you might be interested in this air fryer turkey crown recipe. More of a slow cooker fan? Try my slow cooker turkey crown recipe.
complete guide to roasting a turkey
Here are some tips and handy advice on how to roast a whole turkey in the oven. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find a handy printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
make sure the turkey is fully defrosted
If your turkey is frozen, you must give yourself plenty of time to defrost it. It can take much longer than you think – a very large turkey can take up to 4 whole days to fully defrost in the fridge!
how to prepare a turkey for defrosting
Set the turkey on a large baking tray to catch any liquid as the turkey defrosts. You don’t need to remove the turkey from its packaging before defrosting.
how long does it take to defrost a turkey?
Youāl find more information about turkey defrosting times according to its size and a handy calculator on The British Turkey information service website.
I typically buy a 5kg turkey (there may be only three of us eating it, but I must have leftovers!) The general rule of thumb is to allow at least 24 hours for every 2kg of turkey. I always defrost a turkey (or indeed any meat) in the refrigerator – never at room temperature (it’s far too dangerous).
how to prepare a turkey for roasting
Remove the giblets before cooking the turkey
Your turkey might come with a bag of giblets. Youāll need to remove these from the inside of the turkey before you cook it.
Giblets are the turkey neck, liver, heart and kidneys. Depending on where you bought your turkey from, you may get all of the above or the turkey neck only.
Place the turkey in a large roasting tin. Some people lay the bird on a trivet of vegetables, but I personally do not do this. If you are making your own gravy from scratch with the vegetables later then that’s fair enough, but I always make Jamie Oliver’s epic get ahead gravy a few days before Christmas.
allow the turkey to come to room temperature
Remove the turkey from the fridge (about an hour, but no longer) before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. It will cook much quicker if the interior of the bird isn’t fridge cold.
use butter to keep the bird moist
I make a citrus herb butter to rub all over the turkey and under the skin. This zesty herbed butter adds amazing flavour and helps keep the turkey nice and moist. I have to admit I donāt skimp on the butter. I use 200g – almost a whole pack! I wouldn’t recommend this for everyday cooking, but it’s a special occasion after all!
If your family isnāt keen on fresh herbs or you donāt want the extra expense, thereās nothing wrong with a simple seasoning of freshly ground sea salt and black pepper instead. But I do urge you to try the orange/lemon zest.
Finely chop up your fresh herbs – I use a mixture of sage, rosemary and thyme – and zest your citrus fruits. Crush up your garlic cloves (if using) and mix everything with soft butter. Season the flavoured butter with a little salt and black pepper.
Carefully separate the turkey skin from the breast, taking care not to rip the skin. The best way to do this is to do one side at a time.
Take your index finger and loosen the skin from the meat. Once you have an opening, gently push your finger along, creating a “gap” to push the butter underneath. Now take a generous amount of your flavoured butter and insert it in the gap between the skin and meat. Now repeat on the other side.
Take the remaining butter and rub it all over the outside of the turkey, including the legs and wings. Season the bird all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
add some liquid to the roasting tin
Add some water, stock or wine to the bottom of the tray – this helps create a little steam and stops the meat from drying out.
COOKING TEMPERATURE for roast turkey
180C (160Fan) is the best temperature for cooking a turkey. I used to whack the heat right up to 220C for the first 30 minutes to crisp up the skin, but these days I cover the turkey in buttered foil, then remove it for the final hour to get the skin crispy and golden. I find this works a treat.
If the skin just isnāt browning/crisping enough to your liking during the final half hour of cooking time, you could always turn the temperature up to 200C.
How lOng shOuld you roast a turkey for?
Cooking time depends on your own oven, the size of the turkey and what kind of turkey you have – for instance, a free range turkey will cook faster than a āstandardā turkey.
Brining the turkey (see my post on how to brine a turkey crown) can also make it cook a little faster.
Always refer to the packet instructions, but if there arenāt any the latest advice from the British Turkey information service is as follows:
- For a bird over 4kg – 20 minutes per kilo PLUS an extra 90 minutes.
- For a bird under 4kg – 20 minutes per kilo PLUS an extra 70 minutes.
How To tell If roast turkey Is CooKed
Using a meat thermometer is without the most reliable way to tell if a turkey is cooked. They are 100% worth the (small) investment. Insert the probe in the thickest part of the bird (usually the thigh or thickest part of the breast).
It should read either:
- 70C for 2 minutes
- 75C for 30 seconds
A fully cooked turkey should be steaming hot with golden and crispy skin. The juices should run clear with no traces of pink or blood.
Rest the tuRkey
itās absolutely essential to rest the turkey after removing it from the oven (obviously after ensuring it is fully cooked!) This allows the juices to flow back into the turkey, which will give you tender, succulent, juicy meat.
Cover the cooked turkey with foil and allow it to rest (not near an open window) for a minimum of 30 minutes and no longer than one hour. This extra time will give you oven space for your roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and stuffing.
For more recipes browse my Christmas side dishes collection!
is basting necessary for turkey?
This is a controversial one! Personally, I do baste a turkey during the cooking process. I know some people think this is extra faff, but I really believe it makes all the difference. Basting is simply spooning the turkey juices all over the turkey.
You can purchase an inexpensive turkey baster at many discount stores and supermarkets, or simply use a large spoon to collect all those precious basting juices.
how often should i baste the turkey?
I tend to baste every 40 minutes or so. You need to be mindful not to open the oven door too often and for too long – you don’t want all the heat escaping as this will affect the cooking time. This may sound obvious, but I remove the turkey from the oven, shut the door, baste then pop it back in ASAP so the oven loses as little heat as possible.
Should i stuff a turkey before roasting?
Personally, I choose to cook my stuffing separately. Itās much less risky that way. A stuffed turkey can take much longer to cook, running the risk of food poisoning. It’s also much harder to achieve crispy skin if the turkey has been stuffed.
This rolled turkey breast with apricot and cranberry stuffing is an exception to the rule and a perfect option for a smaller family.
How long can you keep TUrkey leftovers?
Any leftover turkey can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. Hereās a few simple but delicious recipes to use them up:
Can turkey leftovers be fRozen?
Yes! if you donāt want to be eating turkey over the next few days after Christmas (personally I LOVE a leftover turkey sandwich) you can freeze the meat for up to two months.
SToRing lefTovers
Whether youāre storing leftover turkey in the fridge or freezer, make sure the turkey is completely cold and is stored away in the fridge/freezer within a couple of hours. Not doing this is risky – you certainly donāt want a bout of food poisoning to ruin the festivities!
I divide the leftover turkey into roughly 350g portions for freezing – this makes life much easier when planning meals.
Are you cooking Christmas dinner for the first time this year or just need a helping hand? Take a look at my step by step Christmas Day meal and time planner. It comes with a free printable download too!
did you make this recipe?
I hope you loved it! let me know what you thought by leaving a comment and rate the recipe by clicking on the stars in the recipe card.
Easy Roast Turkey Recipe with Orange Herb Butter
There's no need to stress over cooking a turkey at Christmas time. My easy roast turkey recipe with citrus butter is very simple and stress-free to make.
Ingredients
- 5kg whole turkey
- 200g soft butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped sage leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried(
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- finely grated zest of one large orange
- finely grated zest of one large lemon
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper)
- 200ml wine, water or chicken stock
- 225g pack of streaky bacon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F. If you haven't removed the turkey from the fridge yet, please do it now to allow the bird to come to room temperature.
- To make the citrus herb butter, place the soft butter in a medium bowl and add the crushed garlic if using, orange and lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs and a pinch of salt/grinding of black pepper. Mix together until well combined.
- Remove the giblets from the turkey cavity (if you haven't already). Place the turkey in a roasting tin breast side up. Pat the turkey dry with tea towels. Season the inside of the turkey then stuff with the zested lemon and oranges (cut them in halves or quarters).
- Using your hands loosen the skin on the turkey around the neck. Turkey skin is pretty tough, but if you have long nails be careful not to puncture it. Carefully slide your fingers under the skin and very, very gently lift it away from the meat.
- Place a good amount (about half) of the herb butter underneath the skin, pushing it slightly with your hands until the whole breast is covered with butter. Repeat on the other side. Rub the remaining butter all over the top of the turkey, including the legs and wings. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. If you're covering the turkey in bacon, place it on top, overlapping the slices. Cover the turkey loosely with a large buttered sheet of tin foil.
- Place the turkey in the oven, pour in the water, stock or wine and roast for 20 minutes per kg PLUS 90 minutes. So a 5kg turkey would take approximately 190 minutes (3 hours and 10 minutes). Baste the turkey every 40 minutes or so. Remove the tin foil for the final hour of cooking to brown the skin. If the skin isn’t browning or crisping, turn the heat up to 200C.
- To check if the turkey is fully cooked, insert a knife into the thickest part of the meat (usually the thigh or thickest part of the breast.) The juices should run clear with no trace of pink or blood at all. A meat thermometer (inserted into the thickest part of the breast near the bone) should read the internal temperature at 70C for 2 minutes or 75C for 30 seconds.
- When you're confident the turkey is fully cooked through, remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest in a draught free place while you get on with the Christmas dinner sides.
Notes
Always wash your hands, utensils and surfaces thoroughly after handling raw turkey to prevent cross-contamination.
It's vital to rest the turkey for a minimum of 30 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to flow back into the bird.
If you've chosen to stuff the turkey, make sure the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165F (74C).
Storing turkey leftovers
Storing turkey leftovers correctly is crucial to ensure they are safe to eat. Allow the turkey meat to cool down completely at room temperature before storing in the fridge. Don't leave them out on the counter top for longer than two hours.
Separate the meat from the bones as soon as possible. Place the cold leftover turkey meat in an airtight container or bag. Store in the fridge and use within three days.
Freezing:
If you don't intend to use the turkey meat within a few days, it can be frozen for up to three months.
Thawing and reheating:
Thaw turkey leftovers in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165F/74C before eating.
If the leftover turkey smells off, has a strange texture, or shows signs of rotting, it's always better to be safe than sorry and discard it. If in doubt, throw it out!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 514Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 255mgSodium: 466mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 63g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.