There’s nothing more special than sitting down with your loved ones to enjoy a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner. The only problem? There’s so much work to be done! Instead of spending all day slaving over the stove, get an easy yet super tasty recipe for Oven-Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey from Chef Peter Bugoni of Bugoni Sausages in Missoula, Montana.
It’s no surprise that turkey is one of our most beloved holiday dishes. And for good reason! Every year, families all over turn their ovens on, hoping for juicy, golden turkey perfection. But it turns out there are several ways you can go wrong when roasting your Thanksgiving bird — so be sure to follow these simple steps to ensure you have an amazing meal on November 24th!
While shopping for your Thanksgiving turkey, make sure you pick one that’s labeled fresh. And don’t forget to check it for any spots of discoloration or leakage, which can indicate age and spoilage. Don’t worry if you plan on serving someone who follows a vegetarian diet at your dinner table—there are plenty of great non-meat options on turkey day! And just because you didn’t grow up with it doesn’t mean you should exclude stuffing from your Thanksgiving spread–here’s how to serve it . Is there any part of preparing a Thanksgiving feast that isn’t intimidating? We think not.
Eating turkey is much better for you than eating red meat. Turkey is very low in fat and calories, has plenty of good lean protein, and provides many vitamins and minerals. The skin is also an excellent source of vitamin B6, riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper and selenium—all key nutrients that help your body function optimally. The breast meat also contains traces of omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce inflammation).
Here are some great uses for leftover Thanksgiving Turkey:
PrintThanksgiving Turkey
Get this all-star, easy-to-follow Oven-Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey recipe from Chef Peter Bugoni. Super tasty and juicy. The BEST Thanksgiving Turkey recipe that packs all of the flavor and juiciness you expect from the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, with none of the stress!
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 390
- Total Time: 435
- Yield: 18 1x
Ingredients
Flavorings
- 2 carrots diced
- 4 celery stalks diced plus all the leafy tops chopped
- Hand full of Parsley stems and all chopped rough
- 2 med. size onions peeled and chopped rough
- 3 large garlic cloves crushed and rough chopped
- 4 Bay leaves broken
- 3 Teaspoons Bugoni’s Poultry Seasoning
- 2 Teaspoons Bugoni’s Dragons Breath Seasoned Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Bugoni’s Spanish Main Seasoned Salt
- 20 turns of the pepper mill
- 1 cup of white wine
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Basting
- 8 strips bacon
- Bacon fat
- 1Stick butter
Covering
- Cheese cloth
- Heavy aluminum foil
Instructions
- Mix all the Flavoring ingredients together in a bowl. Place a little less than half of these ingredients inside the turkey, including 1/3 of the liquid. The rest place around the turkey by spooning the ingredients and about half the remaining liquids over the turkey letting them tumble into the roasting pan. Leave whatever remains on the turkey. Place one strip of bacon over each leg and the remaining 6 pieces evenly over the breast.
- Cover entire turkey with cheesecloth, making sure the cheesecloth trails in the liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour the remaining liquid over the cheesecloth soaking it as much as possible. If you have bacon fat use about 3 tablespoons worth, at room temperature, working it into the cheesecloth that covers the breasts and top of legs. If you do not have bacon fat then use 2/3 stick of butter. Make sure the butter is soft, room temperature, and work that also into the cheesecloth same as the bacon fat.
- Make a tent of the aluminum foil. Securing it to the roasting pan on each side, making sure the tent is 1 inch above the turkey breast. Make sure each end of the roasting pan is open. This will allow the turkey to self-baste, but not steam, during the initial cooking phase.
- Place in a 275-degree oven for 18 minutes per pound. Regular oven and in a convection oven 15 minutes per pound.
- During the initial cooking process above, remove turkey from the oven twice, lift the aluminum foil from one side and baste the turkey till the cheesecloth is very wet. Re-attach foil and return to oven.
- At the end of the cooking time, baste the turkey again. Re-attach the aluminum foil and place in a 375-degree oven (both types) for 45 minutes. Basting the turkey about every 15 minutes.
Directions below for both type of ovens
- At the end of the 45 minutes remove the aluminum foil, baste the cheesecloth just to wet it and remove it, scrapping whatever is sticking to it into the pan and whatever remains on the turkey, vegetables and bacon. Turn the oven to 425-degrees and allow the breast skin to brown, basting as much as possible. When the breast skin is golden brown and the liquid inside the turkey cavity is clear, it is done.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and scrape all the ingredients from the cavity into the roasting pan, including the liquid. Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and place into another pan. Place the turkey in the oven at warm, no higher than 195-degrees.
- Remove the bacon strips and place the roasting pan over a high burner, add a few sprigs parsley and reduce by ¼. Drain all the liquid and remove the fat. Return the liquid to the roasting pan and reduce by 1/3. Taste for correct salt and pepper. At this point you should thicken the sauce. Using arrowroot diluted in white wine. Do not make the sauce too thick. It should flow easily.
- Drain the sauce into a pot to keep warm while you carve the turkey and finish the other accompaniments. The vegetables that remain can be saved to use in your turkey broth you can make, the next day, with the scraps and bones. Or you can freeze everything together for another time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12