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The Best Roast Turkey Recipe for Juicy Meat and Crispy Skin

A whole, perfectly roasted turkey with golden-brown, herb-seasoned skin resting on a white platter.
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You can achieve a perfectly golden, juicy roast turkey with crispy skin using simple techniques. This guide removes the doubt from holiday cooking, giving you a reliable centerpiece for your feast.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 whole turkey (12–14 lbs), thawed
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 large lemon, halved
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Remove the turkey from its packaging. Take out the neck and giblets from the cavity. Pat the entire turkey, inside and out, completely dry with paper towels. This step is key for crispy skin.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, chopped rosemary, thyme, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until you have an even herb butter.
  3. Gently separate the skin from the breast meat using your fingers, being careful not to tear the skin. Rub about two-thirds of the herb butter directly onto the breast meat under the skin. Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the turkey skin.
  4. Place the lemon halves and onion quarters inside the turkey cavity. Truss the legs together with kitchen twine.
  5. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the turkey on a roasting rack set inside a roasting pan.
  6. Roast the turkey at 425°F for 30 minutes to start crisping the skin.
  7. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
  8. Continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching bone) reads 165°F (74°C). For a 14 lb turkey, this usually takes about 2.5 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey with pan juices every 45 minutes.
  9. Once the turkey reaches 165°F, remove it from the oven. Tent it loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute, guaranteeing moist meat.

Notes

  • For extra crispy skin, you can place the turkey in the refrigerator uncovered overnight after applying the herb butter. The dry air helps the skin crisp up during roasting.
  • If the breast skin begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the breast area with aluminum foil during the lower temperature roasting phase.
  • Do not stuff the turkey; cooking stuffing inside the bird makes it difficult to reach safe internal temperatures evenly. Cook stuffing separately for best results.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenican.com/best-roast-turkey-recipe-juicy-crispy/