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–+ servings
Turkey sliced and on a platter.
5 from 6 votes

Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

This is truly the juiciest Thanksgiving turkey that you will ever taste. It is brined over night, seasoned, and roasted ot perfection. Served with homemade gravy, you just can't beat it.
Prep 13 hours
Cook 4 hours
Total 17 hours
Fat 30
Carbs 2
Protein 99
Yield 12

Ingredients

Brine

  • 2 gallons water separated
  • 1.5 cups kosher salt
  • 1 large orange sliced
  • 1 lemon sliced

Basting Liquid

  • 3 cups broth any kind works, we used homemade turkey broth
  • ½ large white onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Turkey

  • 12-15 lb. whole turkey innards removed, fully thawed (ours was 14 lbs.)
  • 3 tablespoons turkey seasoning we used our homemade turkey seasoning, but any turkey or poultry seasoning works.
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into two pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large white onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • Prepare the turkey brine: Fill a 20-30 quart pot with 2 gallons of water.
  • Remove 2 cups of water from the pot and add it to a saucepan with the kosher salt. Heat the two ingredients over medium heat and whisk until the salt has dissolved. Do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the salted water back into the pot and whisk together.
  • Next, add the oranges and the lemons to the salt water.
  • Finally, add the turkey to the pot. Make sure the turkey is completely submerged in the water.
    Turkey in a brine.
  • Place the pot in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight.
  • Prepare the turkey for roasting: Preheat the oven to 325ºF and remove the turkey from the brine and let any excess liquid drain from the cavity of the turkey. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
  • Add all of the ingredients for the basting liquid into the bottom of a large basting pan and mix the ingredients together. Place the metal rack for the turkey in the basting pan and place the turkey breast side-up in the pan.
    Bastin liquid in a pan.
  • Season the outside of the turkey with the turkey seasoning and massage the seasoning into the turkey with your hands making sure to cover as much of the outside as you can. Then, place the two pads of butter under the skin of each turkey breast.
    Turkey with a dry rub.
  • Drizzle the olive oil over the turkey and massage the oil into the skin.
  • Lastly, stuff the onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, and rosemary into the cavity of the turkey.
  • Roast the turkey: Place the turkey into the oven and roast it for 3-3.5 hours (about 13 minutes per pound) or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF in the thickest part of the turkey. Make sure to baste the turkey every hour, on the hour. If the skin begins to brown too much in the last hour, place tin foil over the top of the turkey.
  • Remove the turkey from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Then, let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.
    Roasted turkey in a pan.
  • Serve the turkey with gravy and other sides.
    Sliced turkey on a platter.

Tips & Notes

  • You do not have to brine the turkey before baking but we highly recommend it. If you’d like to dry-brine your turkey instead, check out this post.
  • The size of the turkey will depend on how long it takes the turkey to roast. The rule of thumb is 13 minutes per pound of turkey.
  • We highly recommend using our homemade turkey dry rub, but if you don’t have time to mix up this seasoning you can use a generic poultry seasoning.
  • We used this turkey roasting pan. Be sure you use a pan that can elevate the turkey out of the turkey drippings.
  • Serve this turkey with our homemade turkey gravy.

Watch it

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 99g | Fat: 30g | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g