How to Roast a Turkey

Whether you're roasting your first bird for Friendsgiving or hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the 26th time, use this handy guide to roast the perfect holiday turkey. The Delish test kitchen tested this recipe again and again (and again) to ensure that this Thanksgiving turkey is the best it can possibly be. If you're looking to ace your Thanksgiving this year (and every year after), follow our recipe and all of our top tips—roasting time, thawing, the secret to perfectly browned skin—on how to present the perfect roast bird:

How big of a turkey should I buy?
Our rule is to buy about 1 1/4 lb. turkey per person. To make things a bit easier, we have a turkey size chart you can refer to while shopping for your turkey. 

How to thaw your turkey: 
If you bought your turkey frozen, be sure to give it at least 1 day in the fridge to defrost fully before roasting. That being said, depending on its size, larger birds will likely need 2 days to defrost completely. Consult our handy turkey-thawing chart for the exact time based on the size of your bird. According to the USDA, a frozen turkey requires about 50% more time in the oven than a fully thawed turkey, so we highly recommend starting with a fully defrosted turkey. 

How to season your turkey:
After patting your turkey dry, season the inside cavity generously with salt and pepper before stuffing it full of your onion, thyme, rosemary, sage, and garlic. Also, make sure to season under the skin—legs and breasts—and don't forget to brush the outside of your bird with melted butter and season the outside with salt and pepper before putting it all on the tray to roast.  

Top tips for roasting your turkey:
— What temperature should I roast my turkey at? We like to blast the turkey with extremely hot heat (450°) for the first 30 minutes to get the skin really crispy, and then drop the temp to 350º so that the rest of the bird can cook through without burning.
— The secret to perfectly browned skin. The short answer? A dry brine, and plenty of butter. If you're looking for perfectly browned skin, a little extra effort goes a long way. Once your turkey is totally thawed, pat it completely dry and season with salt and pepper. Let sit in the refrigerator uncovered for 24 to 48 hours. This will allow the skin to release additional moisture prior to cooking, encouraging crispier skin. Then, you can stuff and brush with butter—LOTS of butter—before cooking. It's key for crispy, flavorful, golden skin. 
— Save your drippings. As your turkey bakes, it renders a ton of fat that'll be leftover in the roasting pan. Don’t—we repeat, don’t—pour that fat into the garbage. Those drippings are packed with flavor, all of which you'll want for your Thanksgiving gravy.
— Let it rest. After your turkey emerges from the oven, let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving—just like you would with steak. To keep it warm, cover the bird with some foil. To prevent turning the perfectly golden skin soggy, be sure to create a fold in the foil so that you can "tent" it over the bird so that it does not directly touch the turkey and trap in moisture.
— Carving your turkey. Need help with carving? Our turkey carving guide will have you slicing up your bird like a pro in no time.  

How long should I roast my turkey?
As with cooking anything, the cook time here depends on a number of things, including whether or not the bird is stuffed, how big it is, and if it has been thawed. A 12- to 14-lb. turkey needs anywhere from 3 to 4 hours in the oven, but an 8-pounder will likely only need 2 hours and 45 minutes.  

Cooking time will also depend on the accuracy of your oven temperature (some ovens run hotter than others). Find out exactly how long your bird will likely need in the oven with our turkey cooking time chart. Use an oven thermometer to make sure you get an accurate reading for the oven temperature, and a probe thermometer to make sure your turkey has completely cooked through. The probe thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and read at least 170°. Take the temperature of the breast as well, inserting the thermometer at an angle into the thickest part and look for a reading of at least 165° degrees.

Turkey variations:
This recipe is perfectly classic, but if you're looking to switch things up this year (or are enjoying a non-traditional Thanksgiving), we've got countless Thanksgiving turkey recipes you can branch out with. Our apple cider-brined turkey, roasted turkey leg, and bacon-wrapped turkey would all be welcome on the holiday table.  

If you've made this recipe, drop us a comment down below to let us know how it went!