The turkey is the star of any Thanksgiving feast, and while there are plenty of trendy methods out there — from deep-frying to spatchcocking — sometimes the classic roast truly steals the show. This recipe walks you through every step, from brining to stuffing to perfectly roasting your bird to golden perfection. With these tried-and-true tips, you’ll get juicy, flavorful meat, crispy skin, and a centerpiece that will have everyone coming back for seconds. Whether it’s your first time hosting or you’re a seasoned pro, this Good Eats Roast Turkey will make your holiday table shine.
Serve this scrumptious Roast Turkey with Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
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Roast Turkey
- Prep Time: :15
- Cook Time: 2:30
- Total Time: 2:45
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 gallon vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
- 1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
- 1 red apple, sliced
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup water
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 6 leaves sage
- Canola oil
Instructions
- 2 to 3 days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
- Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
- Early on the day or the night before you’d like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
- Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey’s cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
- Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Storage and Reheating
The best method is to store leftover turkey within two hours in airtight containers or bags, dividing it into smaller portions for quicker cooling. For reheating, use the oven at 350F to avoid drying it out, adding a splash of broth or turkey juices to keep it moist, and covering it with foil.