Easy Thanksgiving Turkey
Updated Sep 30, 2026
Thanksgiving turkey roasted with butter, rosemary, and sage until the skin is crispy and the meat is juicy. A simple, forgiving whole turkey recipe.
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Thanksgiving turkey used to feel like the thing I needed to worry about most, and after making enough of them, I’ve kind of gone the other direction. I keep my Thanksgiving turkey really simple: butter, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper under and over the skin, then into the oven. There are already enough things happening in my kitchen that day. I do not need the turkey coming with its own three-day project.
I’ve dry brined turkeys before and tried more complicated versions, but I keep coming back to this oven roasted turkey. It’s easy. The skin gets really browned, the meat stays juicy, and I can spend my time worrying about mashed potatoes, stuffing, and whether I remembered to put the dinner rolls in. If this is your first whole turkey, simple is not a bad place to start.
Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing.
I’ve cooked enough turkeys by the clock to stop trusting it. One year mine needed longer than I expected, and another it was ready earlier, even though the birds were pretty similar in size. The thermometer has been much more consistent for me. I start checking the thickest part of the thigh before I think it should be done and pull the turkey once it reaches about 165 to 170°F.
I’ve done the butter two ways too. When I rubbed it only over the skin, the turkey browned nicely, but the breast meat underneath was drier. Getting some of the butter directly under the skin gave me a much better result, so that’s how I do it now.
I’ve also carved a turkey right out of the oven before, and way too much of the juice ended up on the cutting board. The meat was noticeably drier than the ones I let sit first. Now I give it about 15 to 20 minutes before carving, even when everyone is already hovering around the kitchen.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Thanksgiving Turkey Ingredients
- Turkey: This Thanksgiving turkey recipe uses a fully thawed, 15-pound whole bird. Remove the neck and giblets and truss it before stuffing and seasoning it. If the label says the turkey is brined, salted, or injected with a solution, reduce the added salt.
- Vegetables: I put onion, celery, and carrot inside the cavity. Quarter the onion and roughly chop the celery and carrot. You can also use bell peppers or your favorite squash.
- Butter and herbs: Cook fresh rosemary and sage in melted unsalted butter before they go in the turkey. Let the butter cool enough to handle before rubbing it all over the turkey and beneath the skin. You can also use olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee. And you can substitute rosemary and sage with thyme, marjoram, or oregano.
- Seasonings: Just salt and pepper.
How to Make Thanksgiving Turkey
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to cook a whole roasted Thanksgiving Turkey. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Thanksgiving Turkey recipe below
1. Remove the neck and giblets
Check inside the main cavity and the neck cavity for any bags or loose pieces. Remove the neck and giblets from inside the turkey. Put them in the fridge or freezer to make turkey gravy or stock later.
2. Pat the turkey dry
With the bird breast side up in the roasting pan, use paper towels to dry the skin and inside the cavity. Blot around the legs and wings, too, where moisture can collect.
3. Add the vegetables
Place the vegetables inside the cavity. Leave a little space between the pieces rather than pressing them in tightly.
4. Tuck wings and tie legs
Fold the wing tips beneath the bird to keep them from sticking out and burning. Use kitchen twine to loosely secure the legs together.
5. Season and brush with butter
Sprinkle the salt and pepper inside and outside the turkey. After briefly cooking the rosemary and sage in the melted butter, transfer the herbs to the cavity and brush the butter over the breast, legs, and sides.
6. Rub the butter under the skin
Gently loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers, taking care not to tear it. Spread some of the cooled herb butter underneath, then rub the remaining butter over the outside before roasting.
7. Let the turkey rest
Roast the turkey in the preheated oven uncovered. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165ºF–170ºF. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest 15–20 minutes before carving.
8. Carve and serve
Use a sharp knife to separate the breasts, legs, and wings, then slice the breast meat across the grain. My guide for how to carve a turkey walks you through each cut.
Full Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 15 pound whole turkey neck and giblets removed
- 1 onion quartered
- 3 celery stalk coarsely chopped
- 1 carrot coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 Fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Remove the thawed turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting and allow it to come to room temperature. Remove the neck and giblets from inside the cavity of the turkey and set aside.
- Place the turkey, breast side up, in the roasting pan. Pat the outside and inside of the turkey dry with paper towels. Then stuff the onion, celery, and carrot inside the turkey cavity.
- Fold wing tips under the bird. Tie the legs together with twine or dental floss.
- Season the inside and outside of the turkey generously with the salt and pepper.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Then add the herbs and cook 1–2 minutes. Remove the herbs with tongs and place inside the turkey.
- Use a brush to rub the melted butter all over the turkey, making sure to get the sides. Use your hands to rub some butter underneath the skin as well.
- Roast the turkey in the preheated oven uncovered for 15 minutes per pound, or about 3 hours and 45 minutes for a 15-pound turkey. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165ºF–170ºF. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest 15–20 minutes before carving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Lemon and garlic. Add the zest of 1 lemon and 4 finely minced garlic cloves to the 4 tablespoons of herb butter. Place the lemon halves inside the cavity with the vegetables, leaving everything loosely arranged.
- Maple syrup. Brush the turkey with maple syrup in the last 30 minutes of roasting for a sweet and savory glaze.
- Have fun with leftovers. Try my turkey salad sandwich, turkey panini, or turkey rice soup. You can also use the carcass to make homemade stock.
Recipe Tips
- Know your turkey thawing schedule. It’s important to fully thaw your turkey before cooking it. The rule of thumb is 1 day of thawing for every 5 pounds. So if you have a 15-pound turkey, remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge 3 days before you plan to cook it. I recommend adding an extra day to be safe. Also, don’t forget to remove the thawed turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting.
- Dry the skin thoroughly. Patting it dry helps the butter coat the surface and gives the skin a better chance to brown. Skip rinsing the raw turkey.
- Use vegetables as a roasting rack. If you don’t have a roasting pan, you can place extra onions, whole celery stalks, and whole carrots underneath the turkey in a regular pan or casserole dish to prevent it from burning at the bottom.
- Watch the breast as it browns. If the skin is getting too dark before the meat is cooked, loosely cover the breast with foil and continue roasting.
- Use a thermometer. This is your most powerful tool for a cooked turkey. It needs to be at least 165ºF, but it’s better if you can get it to 170ºF or 175ºF.
Serving Ideas
- Gravy: Every Thanksgiving turkey needs gravy on the side! Try my classic turkey gravy, beef gravy, or mushroom gravy.
- Stuffing: Another Thanksgiving classic, I always serve stuffing with turkey. I love classic Thanksgiving stuffing, but you can also try vegetarian butternut squash stuffing or mushroom stuffing.
- Vegetable sides: I’d serve the turkey with green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and balsamic Brussel sprouts.
Troubleshooting
It may have cooked longer than it needed to while the thighs finished. When learning how to cook a whole turkey, check both areas instead of relying on a single reading. Rest the bird before slicing, and serve dry slices with warm gravy.
There’s no need to cover the turkey in the oven. With this cooking method, it will slowly roast without burning, creating a crisp skin texture instead of a soft one.
Nope, it creates extra work and could possibly contaminate your sink. Patting it dry with paper towels is enough. The high temperature in the oven will cook off any bacteria that may be on the turkey.
There’s no need to baste the turkey with this recipe. It will be juicy and tender enough from the herbed butter mixture you rub all over it. Plus, basting requires you to open the oven regularly, which can mess with the oven temperature and cooking time.
I recommend around 1.5 pounds of whole roasted turkey per person, as the weight takes into account the bones. It’s nice to have extra for leftovers!
Comments
I was able to make this off your website for my Thanksgiving dinner it came out really good!!
So happy this recipe made it to your holiday table, glad you enjoyed it!
So good moist and delicious 😊
Excellent suggestions!!
Happy you found this recipe helpful!
No need to brine the turkey at all ?
In this case, to keep things super easy and low stress I do not brine the turkey. I do have a dry-brined turkey breast recipe if you are looking to try out a brine!
Thank you!
You’re so welcome!
Delicious turkey! Can I save the onions, carrots and celery from inside the bird to put in soup or is it best to pitch them?
You can eat them after they get cooked with the turkey!
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