Turkey can seem a bit overwhelming to many but trust me it is so easy to make and there truly is little fuss to preparing and cooking a turkey! This is an easy to follow recipe that will deliver a mouthwatering delicious turkey for even a beginner cook 🙂

Set your turkey out for 2 1/2 hours to bring to room temp
After it comes to room temp pre-heat oven to 325*

Ingredients:

• 1     12-14 lb Turkey
• 1     Small Sweet onion (Finely Chopped)
• 2     Cloves of Garlic Chopped
• 1/2  Cup of butter sliced thinly
• 1     Cup of butter melted
• 2    TBS Garlic Salt (1/2 mixed into melted butter other half set aside)
• 3    TBS Ground Black Pepper

 

Directions:

1. You will be cooking the turkey roast for 3 to 3 3/4 hours our until the meat thermometer reads 180* in the thigh or 165* in the turkey breast or (stuffing if you stuffed your turkey)
2. Remove the turkey from the wrapping and empty the front and back cavities in a sink (the front cavity should have a paper like bag which includes the heart, neck and liver of the turkey, some people like these cooked in lightly salted water)
3. Wash the turkey in warm water making sure to rinse both the front and back cavities and draining well. Pat the top and bottom of the turkey with paper towel or a cloth.
4. Put your washed and dried turkey into a 13X16″ roasting pan with a rack
5. Starting at the front cavity gently pool the skin from the meat (go very slowly) loosen the skin from the meat all the way down to the turkey legs and the back cavity.
6. Take your thinly sliced butter and some of your crushed garlic and starting at the back end of the turkey place a slice of butter and about 1/10th teaspoon of the chopped garlic and put between the turkey skin and the meat. Continue doing this so the meat is covered evenly between the skin.
7. Take your melted butter and 2 TBS of garlic salt mix thoroughly
8. Pour the melted butter an garlic salt over the skin of the turkey being sure to cover all of it including the legs and wings! Cover with your fresh black pepper after the butter and garlic salt mixture, be sure to put it into the cavities of the turkey as well!! Even if it’s stuffed
9. Put your chopped sweet onion into the the front and back cavities of the turkey (if your stuffing your turkey only put the onion into the back cavity decreasing the onion to 1/4 Cup)
10. Put your meat thermometer into the fattest part of the turkey breast, pushing down halfway through
11. Tent aluminum foil over your prepared turkey being sure not to touch to the skin the best that you can.
12. Put into your pre-heated oven on the lower rack.
13. Let cook for the first hour before basting the initial time, then baste every 45 minutes after (You will have more and more juices as the turkey cooks, it’s normal to only have a little bit at the beginning hour and a half of cooking)
14. Remove the tented foil for the last 45 min to 1 hour of cooking.  This will allow for the skin to brown.
15. When your turkey reaches the desired temperature (165* in the middle of the breast) remove from the oven and set on top of the stove to rest for 30 minutes.
16. After your turkey has rested remove the stuffing from the cavity if you used it and place in an oven safe bowl.  Put the stuffing into the oven keeping the temperature at 325* cover with foil to keep from drying out.
17. Put your turkey on desired platter and allow to continue to rest while making your pan gravy.
18. After your gravy is done, remove your stuffing (if you made it) from the oven and slice your turkey.
19. Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pan Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce and Your Choice of Veggies and fresh rolls or bread 🙂 

 

Footnotes:  Temps for unstuffed turkeys in different sizes:

• 8-12 lbs 2 and 3/4 to 3 hours
• 12-14 lbs 3 to 3 and 1/4 hours
• 14-18 lbs 3 and 3/4 to 4 and 1/4 hours
• 18-20 lbs 4 and 1/4 to 4 and 1/2 hours
• 20-24 lbs 4 and 1/2 to 5 hours

 

*** if you stuffed your turkey add an extra 15-45 minutes of roasting time or until the meat thermometer reads 165* inserted into the stuffing halfway!

 

*Set your turkey out for 2 1/2 hours to bring to room temp
*After it comes to room temp pre-heat oven to 325*
*You will be cooking the turkey roast for 3 to 3 3/4 hours our until the meat thermometer reads 180* in the thigh or 165* in the turkey breast or (stuffing if you stuffed your turkey)