Name: Juicy Crispy Roast Turkey Guaranteed
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 240 min
Ingredients: 1 15-20 pound Fresh turkey or frozen turkey; 6 tbsp Soft unsalted butter or salted butter; 2 tbsp Olive oil; 1 package Fresh sage; 1 package Fresh thyme; 1 container Chicken stock or chicken broth; A little bit of wine (optional ); 1 tsp Kosher salt; 1 tsp Black pepper

Are you ready to discover the ultimate recipe for a juicy crispy roast turkey guaranteed? Trust me when I say this mouthwatering turkey will never disappoint.

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Many times when cooking a turkey the first thing many say is the white meat and breast meat is dry. Not with this juicy turkey recipe, the breast of the turkey is tender and juicy and oh-so-good!

I enjoy making this moist turkey throughout the year, savoring the leftovers in the best way.

The possibilities are endless, from pot pies to turkey sandwiches, refreshing turkey salads, and homemade soups.

Over my 20 years of hosting Thanksgiving, I have never served a dry turkey including the breast meat. And guess what I taught myself the trick to making the juiciest turkey with extra crispy skin.

By following this recipe, your turkey will be the star of the show and will be the perfect juicy turkey for Thanksgiving.

Moist And Juicy Guarantee: Butter Under The Skin

Trick To Juicy Breast Meat: Butter Under The Skin?

Another trick is mixing olive oil and soft butter and covering the entire outside of the turkey. Rub it in every nook and cranny which ensures moisture and flavor and a juicy turkey. This also ensures extra crispy turkey skin and we all know we love that brown skin on the turkey.

Here’s a little secret a generous amount of butter between the skin and the turkey breast is the key to getting GUARANTEED juicy meat and the perfect turkey! The fat underneath the turkey breast skin both tenderizes and adds tons of flavor to the whole turkey.

Selection And Prep For Turkey

Step 1: Fresh Or Frozen Turkey And Prep

First things first, we use a fresh 15-20 lb turkey.

This recipe will also work well for a frozen turkey. If this is your first time, remember to let the turkey thaw in the refrigerator. A good rule of thumb is to thaw at least 24 hours for every pound of turkey for of frozen turkey. So, a 15 lb size turkey will take four or five days to soften completely.

Also, remember to never wash a turkey, it’s not necessary and unsafe. This is the recommendation from the FDA as well as Butterball.

When preparing the roasted turkey, take a moment to check and empty the turkey cavity, which may contain a bag of giblets, and the neck, sometimes found at the rear end of the turkey.

You may opt to cook these and make fresh turkey gravy.

Unwrap the turkey over the kitchen sink, placing the turkey in a large roasting pan with the turkey breast facing up.

Use paper towels to pat the whole turkey dry with paper towels and then dispose of the paper towels in the garbage. Make sure to sanitize the sink and wash your hands well.

How Long To Roast A Whole Turkey?

Step 2: Roasting Time, Proper Temperature For The Perfect Turkey

The time to roast a turkey can vary based on its size and the initial temperature of the turkey before entering the oven.

Take the whole turkey out of the refrigerator for one hour to come to room temperature.

This ensures the best results for a juicy turkey and golden brown skin.

For our 16 pound turkey, we recommend roasting at 350 degrees f for approximately three and a half hours.

We roast our whole turkey at 350 degrees f for three and a half hours.

To ensure extra crispy skin and a juicy turkey, raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees f for the last half hour of roasting.

While some may choose to roast their whole turkey at a high temperature, I found that the higher temperature didn’t produce the results I was looking for.

To ensure your turkey is thoroughly cooked, use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature. The thickest part of the thigh should reach 180 degrees, indicating that your turkey is perfectly cooked and ready to be enjoyed.

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Alternative Fresh Herbs: Turkey?

There are several other fresh herbs you can use as well. While I love the flavor of sage with my turkey, if it’s not your favorite, feel free to opt for others.

Thyme,
Rosemary
chives
marjoram
or basil
bay leaves
lemon zest, dried thyme, and garlic cloves

These are all excellent alternatives that will complement your turkey beautifully. The choice of herbs is yours, and each one will add great flavor to this juicy turkey recipe.

Key To Extra Flavor: Herb Butter Juicy Turkey Breast

Step 3: Preparing The Butter Mixture In A Small Bowl

To make the herb butter, take 2 tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter or salted butter and one sprig of roughly chopped fresh sage. You can usually find fresh sage in small plastic containers in the produce aisle.

Place the soft butter and the sage in a small bowl, and mix them until well combined. Once blended, wrap the herb butter with plastic wrap or an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for later use. This herb butter will be the secret to achieving a juicy turkey and a moist turkey breast.

Tip: Consider preparing the herb butter a day ahead. I recommend using Kerrygold soft butter with olive oil. The soft texture of the butter is ideal to work with because it contains olive oil. The combination also helps infuse more flavor into the turkey breast while keeping the breast meat juicy, moist, and full of flavor.

chopped-sage-for-butter-mixture — chopped-sage

making-sage-butter-for-under-breast-skin — chopped-sage

Juicy Turkey: Prep Turkey The Night Before

Step 4: Best Results: Prep The Whole Bird

Doing this step has given me the best results for a moist and golden brown turkey every time.

Next step, sprinkle the whole bird liberally with kosher salt and black pepper. Also, make sure to salt and pepper inside the cavity. Put the turkey back in the refrigerator overnight. This will remove the moisture from the skin and ensure a juicy roast turkey with great skin. This is the best way to save time when hosting the big day.

This crucial step has consistently given the best results for a moist and golden brown turkey.

adding-salt-pepper-to-skin — adding-kosher-salt-pepper-to-skin

salt-peppered-turkey-night-before — adding-kosher-salt-pepper-to-skin

Turkey Roasting Process: Getting The Turkey Ready

Step 5: Roasting Rack: Bottom Of The Roasting Pan

Start by preheating your oven temperature to 350 degrees f.

Begin preparing the turkey by filling the cavity of the turkey with fresh herbs like sage, thyme, and a sprig of rosemary. I opt for fresh thyme.

The best way to guarantee a juicy turkey with crispier skin is to allow the whole turkey to warm and come to room temperature for one hour.

Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of melted butter in a small bowl.

Tip: No need to worry about the extra olive oil and the olive oil in the butter, it won’t be excessive. It plays a key role in the breast meat staying moist and crispy skin!

Carefully create a small opening between the turkey breast meat and the skin using a knife. Slide the sage butter mixture under the skin, as mentioned earlier, to infuse the breast meat with flavor and achieve a juicy turkey.

Now, using a pastry brush or your hands, coat the entire outside of the turkey with the oil and butter mixture. As I mentioned above, ensure that you cover the entire outside of the turkey.

During the last 30 minutes of roasting, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees f for that perfect finishing touch.

Then, sprinkle the outside of the turkey with sage turkey rub seasonings.

adding-sage-butter-under-breast-skin-juicy-turkey

flattening-sage-butter — pushing-butter-mixture-up-breast

fresh-herbs-thyme-butter-olive-oil-mixture

spreading-butter-oil-mixture-on-entire-turkey-for-moisture-crispy-skin — fresh-herbs-thyme-butter-olive-oil-mixture

generously-covered-with-turkey-seasoning

Guaranteed Juicy Turkey: Chicken Stock In Roasting Pan

Step 6: Chicken Broth At The Bottom of The Pan

We add chicken stock or chicken broth to the bottom of the roasting pan with a little bit of sweet white wine (Reisling). This adds even more moisture to the whole turkey.

Also, our roasting pan should never get dry or it can ruin the pan so keep this in mind during the cooking time with your own roasting pan.

reisling-wine-for-more-moisture-flavor — adding-chicken-stock-to-roasting-pan

A Secret: Pan Juices Enhancing Gravy

Step 7: Pan Drippings And Gravy

Now I’m going to share a secret, I don’t make my turkey gravy. Honestly, this is where I take an easy shortcut and it gives me the time to enjoy this perfect turkey dinner with loved ones.

I purchase a Williams Sonoma turkey gravy base. It tastes amazing and milk is all that’s needed as well as a tablespoon of turkey drippings for extra flavor. Simmer and it makes this turkey gravy the perfect addition to your roasted turkey.

As I’m simmering the turkey gravy, I get out the cutting board and get my side dishes hot and ready to serve.

During this, also make sure the turkey rests for a minimum of 15 minutes.

Tip: Here’s a neat tip, instead of paper towels under the cutting board I add butcher paper under the cutting board. It keeps cleaning up easier after slicing the turkey. It catches any excess juices and helps keep the counter cleaner.

The very last thing I do is take out the casserole dish filled with cranberry sauce and we have the best turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner with our family!

cutting-board-butcher-paper-easy-cleanup — turkey-base-

These are easy-to-make dessert recipes that work well with a filling turkey dinner. These are mini pastries and are so EASY to make! And here’s one that’s a one-dish recipe.

I hope you find this recipe card for a juicy crispy roast turkey guaranteed easy recipe helpful and give it a try, You will be so happy you did, and remember turkey is perfect for all times of the year too!

adding-sage-butter-under-breast-skin-juicy-turkey

Juicy Crispy Roast Turkey Guaranteed

Are you ready to discover the ultimate recipe for a juicy crispy roast turkey guaranteed?

Trust me when I say this mouthwatering turkey will never disappoint.

So, how would you like to learn a guaranteed easy juicy crispy roast turkey recipe? Now that’s a mouthful.

When cooking a turkey many times, some say the breast meat is dry. Not with this recipe the breast meat of the turkey is tender and juicy and oh-so-good!

But why limit such a mouthwatering experience to just one occasion?

I enjoy making this moist turkey throughout the year, savoring the leftovers in the best way.

The possibilities are endless, from scrumptious pot pies to mouthwatering turkey sandwiches, refreshing turkey salads, and comforting homemade soups.

Over my 20 years of hosting Thanksgiving, I have never served a dry turkey including the breast meat. And guess what I taught myself the trick to making the juiciest turkey with extra crispy skin.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 3 30

15 minutes 15

Total Time 4

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 900 kcal

Equipment

1 Roasting Pan with rack
1 Small bowl
1 spoon
1 sharp knife
1 medium pot
1 cutting board
1 butcher string

Ingredients

1 15-20 pound Fresh turkey or frozen turkey
6 tbsp Soft unsalted butter or salted butter
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 package Fresh sage
1 package Fresh thyme
1 container Chicken stock or chicken broth Begin with half an inch in the bottom of the pan. Make sure the roasting pan has chicken broth the entire time the turkey is roasting
A little bit of wine optional
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

Roasting Time and Temperature For The Perfect Turkey
The time to roast a turkey can vary based on its size and the initial temperature of the turkey before entering the oven.
Take the whole turkey out of the refrigerator for one hour to come to room temperature.
This ensures the best results for a juicy turkey and golden brown skin.
For our 16 pound turkey, we recommend roasting at 350 degrees f for approximately three and a half hours.
Preparing The Butter Mixture In A Small Bowl
To make the herb butter, take 2 tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter or salted butter and one sprig of roughly chopped fresh sage.
You can usually find fresh sage in small plastic containers in the produce aisle.
Place the soft butter and the sage in a small bowl, and mix them together until well combined.
Once blended, wrap the herb butter with plastic wrap or an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for later use.
This flavorful herb butter will be the secret to achieving a juicy turkey and a moist turkey breast.
Prep The Whole Bird
Doing this step has given me the best results for a moist and golden brown turkey every time.
Next step, sprinkle the whole bird liberally with kosher salt and black pepper.
Also, make sure to salt and pepper inside the cavity.
Put the turkey back in the refrigerator overnight.
This will remove the moisture from the skin and ensure a juicy roast turkey with great skin.
This is the best way to save time when hosting the big day.
This crucial step has consistently given the best results for a moist and golden brown turkey.
Once seasoned, place the turkey back into the refrigerator overnight.
This process helps to draw out excess moisture from the skin, resulting in a juicy roast turkey with crispier skin.
Prepping the turkey the night before is a game-changer that guarantees this will be a juicy turkey and the star of the show for your Thanksgiving dinner or any occasion.
Roasting Rack: Bottom Of The Roasting Pan
Start by preheating your oven temperature to 350 degrees f.
Begin preparing the turkey by filling the cavity of the turkey with fresh herbs like sage, thyme, and a sprig of rosemary.
I opt for fresh thyme most years.
The best way to guarantee a juicy turkey with crispier skin is to allow the whole turkey to warm and come to room temperature for one hour.
Meanwhile, combine two tablespoons of olive oil with two tablespoons of melted butter in a small bowl.
Carefully create a small opening between the turkey breast meat and the skin with a knife.
Slide the sage butter mixture under the skin to infuse the breast meat with flavor and achieve a juicy turkey.
Now, use a pastry brush or your hands to coat the entire outside of the turkey with the oil and butter mixture.
As I mentioned above, ensure that you cover the outside of the entire turkey.
During the last 30 minutes of roasting, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees f for that perfect finishing touch.
Don’t forget to generously apply the mixture to the top of the turkey breast. It helps retain moisture throughout the roasting process.
Following these steps will lead to a turkey that’s not only moist and tender.
It will have crispy skin.
Then, sprinkle the outside of the turkey with sage turkey seasonings.

Notes