This classic Roast Turkey Recipe is cooked to the perfect temperature inside and out, with extra crispy brown skin and juicy and flavorful turkey meat! Start it upside down and finish it breast side up for the absolutely perfect result!
Remove the neck and giblets and pat the turkey completely dry.
Let the turkey sit out for an hour or until it gets close to room temperature. This ensures it will cook evenly.
Stuff the turkey with 1 Tbsp. butter, lemon, thyme, rosemary, and garlic.Optional: Truss the legs by tying kitchen twine around them.
Move oven rack 1 level below the center. Preheat oven to 425° F.
Massage the entire turkey with the stick of butter and olive oil, getting into every nook and cranny. Rub with the seasoning mix.
Roast Breast Side Down
Place *half* of the chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. Place the turkey breast side down on a roasting rack and tuck the wings underneath the bird.
Roast for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180°. Roast for 25 more minutes.
Remove from the oven and decrease heat to 350° degrees.
Roast Breast Side Up
Carefully flip the turkey so that it’s breast-side-up (Use Ove-Gloves or oven mitts). Add the remaining chicken broth to the roasting pan. Baste the turkey with the broth.
*At this point, the thighs are around 110° and the breast is around 85° (just what we want)!
Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and return it to the oven.
Roast until the thermometer reads 160°. Remove from the oven. It will reach 165° while it rests. Pro Tip: As the turkey nears completion, check on the color and increase heat to 500° if additional browning is desired.
Let it sit for a full 20-30 minutes to allow the meat to fully absorb the juices before you slice into it.
While the turkey rests, prepare turkey gravy with the drippings in the pan.
*If you brined your turkey I recommend using sodium free chicken broth so that your drippings aren’t too salty for making gravy.
I don’t recommend cooking a turkey any larger than 15 lbs. It’s much better to cook 2 smaller turkeys. (Better flavor, texture, and double the drumsticks!)