Easy roast turkey

Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey for Thanksgiving, or anytime!

Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey for Thanksgiving, or anytime!


Life is full of things to ponder. One of the things we spend a lot of time wondering about is why we only make turkey a few times a year. Thanksgiving, Christmas, maybe New Years are often turkey days, but what about Canada Day, your birthday, or this coming Friday. Why can’t we have turkey then too – why can’t we have turkey all the time?!

True, the turkey is a big bird and unless you are feeding a crowd, your typical family of four will be left with plenty of leftovers (more on that later). You can find smaller turkeys however to help address that problem (really….this is a problem??).

Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey for Thanksgiving, or anytime!

Some people also think of turkey as dry, and as a result it is something they put up with a few times a year, not something they long for, all year long. Here’s a secret though…the problem isn’t the turkey, it’s the recipe. Worried about serving undercooked turkey, many people tend to cook the bird too long, and they don’t use the proper technique to ensure succulent and moist meat.

We have made many turkeys over the years – brined, smoked, roasted, and all have been pretty delicious. The easiest method and recipe however, is this one. This incredibly easy roast turkey recipe is fail-proof! Even if you have never cooked a turkey before you will absolutely master this one! All you need are a few ingredients, a roasting pan, and some heavy duty aluminum foil and parchment paper.

This technique for roasting turkey was shared with Helen by one of her co-workers almost 20 years ago – it has stood the test of time. You will not believe how moist, tender and perfect the turkey meat gets. Whether you prefer dark meat or white meat, you will end up with an absolutely delicious meal!


Helpful hints

How long does it take to roast a turkey?

Size really does matter, at least it does when it comes to roasting a turkey. It is easy to know how long to roast a turkey using this recipe however if you follow a few simple rules. First, you have to know how much your turkey weighs. Then, cook it for 11 minutes per pound in a preheated oven set to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your roasting pan on the bottom rack of your oven.

Here is a guide on cooking times, depending upon the weight of your turkey:

Cooking time depends on the size of your turkey.  Estimate 11 minutes per pound at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 

  • 12 lbs  = 2 hours 30 mins at 450 degrees
  • 17 lbs  = 3 hours 15 min at 450 degrees
  • 20 lbs = 3 hours 30 min at 450 degrees
  • 25 lbs = 4 hours 30 min, to 5 hours at 450 degrees
Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey for Thanksgiving, or anytime!
Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey for Thanksgiving, or anytime!

What is the secret to making a moist roast turkey?

The technique we use in this recipe is to wrap the turkey tightly in parchment paper and aluminum foil. This traps the heat and moisture while the turkey is roasting, resulting in absolutely no dryness!

We have described how the turkey gets wrapped in the recipe, and have included some photographs. You can find another way to wrap your turkey if you wish; the main point is to ensure that the turkey is tightly and completely wrapped.

What is an easy way to know if your roast turkey is cooked.

The easiest and safest way to know that your turkey (or any meat or poultry) is cooked to a safe internal temperature is to invest in a meat thermometer. They are not too expensive and can save you a lot of stress and worry when it comes to cooking. When cooking turkey, you want to reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit in the thigh. This means inserting the thermometer close to, but not touching, the thigh bone.

Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey for Thanksgiving, or anytime!

What are good side dishes for easy roast turkey?

You know we’re going to give you a choice of Greek side dishes to go with your easy roast turkey this Thanksgiving (or any time)! Our stewed green peas would be great, as would some spanakopita and our rice with vegetables. If you plan it out (or if you have two ovens) you can also serve our amazing Greek roasted lemon potatoes. Of course, don’t forget the cranberry sauce!

What to do with turkey leftover!

We LOVE leftovers! Sometimes we eat them just as they are, and other times we recycle, or upcycle our leftovers and create something new. If you find yourself with leftover turkey you can make our easy chicken noodle soup (just swap the chicken for diced turkey). If you want to get fancy and you also have some cranberry sauce left, give our turkey and cranberry kataifi parcels a try – they are amazing! Of course, you can use diced turkey to make turkey salad sandwiches, to make a stir-fry or some fried rice.

We love hearing from you!  If you have made our recipes, or if you have a question or comment, or simply want to say Hi!,  please leave a comment and star rating below! Also be sure to follow along with us, on FacebookInstagram and Pinterest.  We have lots of fun over there.

This post may contain some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey for Thanksgiving, or anytime!
Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey for Thanksgiving, or anytime!

Easy roast turkey

Learn how to make a delicious and easy roast turkey
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 480kcal
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 whole turkey See Recipe Note
  • 1 tbsp olive oil See Recipe Note
  • 1 tsp salt See Recipe Note
  • 1/2 tsp pepper See Recipe Note
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses or honey
  • 1 tsp Herbes de Provence, or italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1 tsp celery salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 450 °F
  • Prepare your turkey by patting it dry with paper towels and removing the giblets (these can be set aside to be used in another recipe, or discarded).
    1 whole turkey
  • You will be wrapping your turkey entirely with foil and to do so, prepare your sheets of aluminum foil and parchment paper in the following way:
    Cut two large pieces of foil. Lay the first one horizontally on your counter and then place a second piece of foil vertically on top of it - you will have created a "t". Repeat with two more pieces of aluminum foil. Next, cut two large pieces of parchment paper, and place them on top of the aluminum foil, in a "t" shape as well.
  • Place your turkey in the center of your aluminum foil / parchment paper. Pour the olive oil on your hands, and gently rub the turkey all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
  • Wrap your turkey entirely. Start with your vertical layers and then your horizontal layers. Your aluminum foil sheets need to be long enough that you can scrunch them together to seal them. Your entire turkey needs to be fully and tightly wrapped.
  • Place your wrapped turkey in your roasting pan and place in the lower rack of your preheated oven.
  • Cooking time will depend on the size of your turkey. Estimate 11 minutes per pound. See Recipe Note.
  • Once your turkey is cooked remove it from the oven and very carefully start opening up the aluminum packaging. Escaping steam can burn you, so consider wearing kitchen gloves or use tongs. Carefully peel away the top layers of aluminum foil / parchment paper, exposing the top of the bird, and most of the side. At this point you can use a meat thermometer to ensure that your turkey is cooked. The meat thermometer should register at 180 °F when inserted into the thigh (careful not to touch bone). If your turkey still needs time in the oven, you can return it to finish cooking without rewrapping it. Cut away the excess aluminum foil that you have unwrapped.
  • Once your turkey is cooked brush the exposed top and sides with pomegranate molasses. Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence, sage and celery salt.
    2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tsp Herbes de Provence, or italian seasoning, 1 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp celery salt
  • Return the turkey to the oven for an additional 15 minutes, or just long enough to give it some colour.
  • Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the turkey to a cutting board, removing all of the aluminum foil wrapping. The turkey will be quite tender and risks falling apart. Transfer it carefully.
  • Tent your turkey loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  • Carve your turkey, and enjoy!

Notes

Cooking time depends on the size of your turkey.  Estimate 11 minutes per pound at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • 12 lbs  = 2 hours 30 mins at 450 degrees
  • 17 lbs  = 3 hours 15 min at 450 degrees
  • 20 lbs = 3 hours 30 min at 450 degrees
  • 25 lbs = 4 hours 30 min, to 5 hours at 450 degrees
Use heavy duty, extra strength aluminum foil to wrap your turkey.
The quantity of olive oil, salt and pepper listed are suggestions.  The bigger the turkey, the more olive oil, salt and pepper you will need.
We have included photos to help you visualize how you will be wrapping your turkey.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 232mg | Sodium: 950mg | Potassium: 723mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 182IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 3mg

Thanks for sharing!

2 Comments

  1. Larry G Slover says:

    I will be trying this looks really good thanks

    1. miakouppa says:

      Amazing! Thanks Larry! Hope that you enjoy this easy way to prepare a roast turkey! Let us know what you think 🙂 xoxo Helen & Billie

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating