Roast Turkey
Ingredients
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- 12 pounds turkey, whole
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 4 ounces unsalted butter – softened
- 2 medium onion
- 2 medium carrot
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 head garlic
- 1 lemon
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8 leaves fresh sage
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
1. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator until fully defrosted, allowing about 24 hours per 4–5 pounds.
2. Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and pat dry with paper towels; loosen the skin over the breasts and legs with your fingers.
3. Season all over with the kosher salt, including a light sprinkle inside the cavity; set on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 24–48 hours.
4. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting; preheat the oven to 325°F and position a rack in the lower third.
5. Strip the leaves from 4 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprigs, and 4 sage leaves; finely chop and mash with the unsalted butter and black pepper until smooth.
6. Gently loosen the skin and rub two-thirds of the butter mixture under the skin over the breasts and legs; spread the remainder over the skin.
7. Roughly chop the onion, carrot, and celery; toss with the olive oil and scatter in a large roasting pan, then pour in the low-sodium chicken stock.
8. Halve the lemon and the garlic head; place them in the cavity with the remaining herb sprigs, then tuck the wing tips underneath and tie the legs loosely with kitchen twine.
9. Set the bird breast-side up on the vegetables and transfer the pan to the oven.
10. Roast at 325°F until the thickest part of the thigh registers 160–165°F and the breast 155–160°F, 3–3 3/4 hours for a 12–14 pound bird; baste with pan juices after 1 hour and every 45 minutes, tenting loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
11. Transfer to a carving board and rest, lightly tented with foil, for 30–45 minutes so the juices redistribute.
12. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, discarding solids; skim fat, warm the juices, carve, and serve with the warm pan juices.
Roast Turkey is a centerpiece roast with crisp, bronzed skin and succulent meat, perfumed by herbs and gentle aromatics. The breast should slice moist and tender, while the legs and thighs offer deeper, richer flavors. A well-roasted bird brings together savory pan juices and the subtle sweetness of onions, carrots, and celery for a classic, comforting profile.
The turkey is native to the Americas and became intertwined with North American harvest celebrations by the 18th and 19th centuries. As ovens improved and domestic birds became widely available, whole roasted turkey emerged as the emblematic main course of American Thanksgiving. Over time, regional traditions influenced seasoning and technique, but the essential idea—slow-roasting a whole bird until evenly cooked—has remained a seasonal ritual with deep cultural resonance.