Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays, for three big reasons:
1. It involves my favorite meal of the year (…Top 5 at least).
2. It heralds the start of nonstop Christmas music on the radio. Because I’m a weirdo who never gets tired of Perry Como and Nat King Cole singing about chestnuts on open fires/the only person on earth who still listens to the radio.
3. Pie. Thanksgiving is by far, the biggest of the pie holidays.
The big day is in just a week and a half, and it’s time to start thinking about cooking your bird. I’ve always been a bit puzzled by people making such a huge deal out of their Thanksgiving turkeys. I mean…turkey help hotlines? Brine recipes? Electric meat saws?
It’s all a little too much.
Why We Make THIS Recipe Every Year
For as long as I can remember, this has been the Thanksgiving turkey recipe prepared in our house every Thanksgiving without fail. My grandfather, a chef by trade, would use this method to roast chickens at the restaurant he worked in, and for turkey every holiday season. He passed the recipe down to my parents, and they let my sister and me in on the secret of how to cook a turkey perfectly.
This Thanksgiving turkey recipe requires no large plastic tubs, surgical gloves, brining spices, or deep fat fryers. You don’t even need many ingredients.
There’s no complex preparation in advance, beyond whipping up a quick marinade in the food processor (the recipe works just as well with a regular knife and cutting board too), and it’s always awesome. The main flavor agents are garlic and salt, but you really don’t get a strong garlicky flavor after it’s cooking. It’s super mellow, really juicy and hands down, the best roast turkey we have had.
Ok, I’ve talked quite enough. Just as a heads up, we have a few Thanksgiving sides in the pipeline for the coming days, so look out for those and check out our collection of Holiday season and Thanksgiving recipes. Onward!
Grandpa’s Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey: Recipe Instructions
4-5 days before roasting (depending on the size of your turkey), start thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. Budget about 1 day of thawing time for every 5 pounds, so a 15 pound turkey would take around 3 days.
(If your turkey isn’t completely thawed the night before roasting, you can finish the thawing process in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. Be sure to return it to the refrigerator right after marinating.)
On the day before you plan to roast it, make the marinade by combining the garlic, salt, black pepper, olive oil, and butter in the food processor. Pulse until you have a very fine paste.
Put your carrots, celery, and onions on the bottom of your roasting pan. This will be the roasting “rack” that your turkey will sit on.
Remove the turkey from the package. Remove the neck and the giblets from the turkey cavity and give the bird a good rinse with cold water. Pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels, and lay it breast side up in the pan.
Ok, so before I go any further, you may have noticed that we didn’t say anything about removing the turkey tail. This KILLS me as I veg out on the couch watching Food Network Thanksgiving specials. The turkey tail is always mysteriously missing. Is this a regular thing? People wantonly chopping off the turkey tail for aesthetic reasons? It’s malarkey!
My nose-to-tail philosophy and general Asian street cred compel me to say: do. not. throw. away. the. tail.
Just trust me on this.
Ok, so spread half of your marinade all over the top side of the turkey, making sure you cover every surface and crevice, including the cavity. Flip the bird over so it’s laying breast side down, and spread the other half of the marinade over this side of the turkey. Cover the roasting pan tightly with plastic and allow to marinate overnight. You can also spread some marinade over the neck and the giblets and add them to the roasting pan as well.
On the morning of the big day, take the turkey out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter (so you’re not putting a cold turkey directly into the oven, which can prevent it from cooking evenly). About 3 hours before you’re ready to eat, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and arrange the oven rack so it’s in the lower third of the oven. Take the plastic off your roasting pan and lift up the turkey to empty any liquid that might have accumulated in the cavity as it sat out on the counter. Make sure the wings are tucked in, and roast at 425 degrees for 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through.
Remove the turkey from the oven and lower the temperature to 325 degrees. Using clean kitchen towels or a sturdy wooden spoon, flip the turkey breast-side up. Roast the turkey at the lower temperature for another hour (for a 12 pound turkey) to an hour and a half (for a 14 pound turkey), until the thigh registers 165 degrees and the juices run clear (i.e. not pink). Rotate the pan halfway through the second roasting process as well.
Remove your Thanksgiving turkey from the oven, transfer to a carving board or serving plate, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
Now, we know everyone has their own method for gravy, but here’s ours: tip all the drippings from the roasting pan into a gravy separator. You want about 10 tablespoons of fat and 6 cups of the juices. If you don’t have enough of either, you can add butter (if you need more fat) and chicken stock (if you don’t have enough juice).
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the turkey fat and/or butter. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a roux, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the roux turns a dark brown color, about 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in the turkey juices and/or broth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer until thickened (when it coats the back of a spoon, it’s perfect). If it’s too thick, add more broth or water. And that’s it!
This is the Thanksgiving turkey recipe that we always make, and it turns out perfectly every time. Plus, that turkey tail? Kaitlin and my dad fight over it every year. Every. Year. And then they just end up cutting it in half, and all is well with the world.
Happy almost Thanksgiving everyone!
Behind-the-scenes note: we made this Thanksgiving turkey in September to prepare for this very post. #doublethanksgiving #foodbloggerperks #AWESOME.
Oh, and one last point about your turkey. Keep the turkey carcass for the next day to make our Leftover Turkey Congee or a satisfying Leftover Turkey Ramen!
Grandpa's Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Ingredients
- 12-14 pound young turkey
- 7 cloves garlic
- 2 - 2 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter (melted)
- 4 carrots (cut into 2-inch lengths)
- 3 stalks celery (cut into 2-inch lengths)
- 2 onions (cut into wedges)
Instructions
- 4-5 days before roasting (depending on the size of your turkey), start thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. Budget about 1 day of thawing time for every 5 pounds. On the day before you plan to roast it, make the marinade by combining the garlic, salt, black pepper, olive oil, and butter in the food processor. Pulse until you have a very fine paste.
- Put your carrots, celery, and onions on the bottom of your roasting pan. This will be the roasting "rack" that your turkey will sit on.
- Remove the turkey from the package. Remove the neck and the giblets from the turkey cavity and give the bird a good rinse with cold water. Pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels, and lay it breast side up in the pan.
- Spread half of your marinade all over the top side of the turkey, making sure you cover every surface and crevice, including the cavity. Flip the bird over so it's laying breast side down, and spread the other half of the marinade over this side of the turkey. Cover the roasting pan tightly with plastic and allow to marinate overnight. You can also spread some marinade over the neck and the giblets and add them to the roasting pan as well.
- On the morning of the big day, take the turkey out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter (so you're not putting a cold turkey directly into the oven, which can prevent it from cooking evenly). About 3 hours before you're ready to eat, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and arrange the oven rack so it's in the lower third of the oven. Take the plastic off your roasting pan and lift up the turkey to empty any liquid that might have accumulated in the cavity as it sat out on the counter. Make sure the wings are tucked in, and roast at 425 degrees for 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and lower the temperature to 325 degrees. Using clean kitchen towels or a sturdy wooden spoon, flip the turkey breast-side up. Roast the turkey at the lower temperature for another hour (for a 12 pound turkey) to an hour and a half (for a 14 pound turkey), until the thigh registers 165 degrees and the juices run clear (i.e. not pink). Rotate the pan halfway through the second roasting process as well.
- Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a carving board or serving plate, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
- Now, we know everyone has their own method for gravy, but here's ours: tip all the drippings from the roasting pan into a gravy separator. You want about 10 tablespoons of fat and 6 cups of the juices. If you don't have enough of either, you can add butter (if you need more fat) and chicken stock (if you don't have enough juice). In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the turkey fat and/or butter. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a roux, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the roux turns a dark brown color, about 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in the turkey juices and/or broth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer until thickened (when it coats the back of a spoon, it's perfect). If it's too thick, add more broth or water. That's it!
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be trying it this Thanksgiving. However, for as long as I remember, I’ve always sewn up the cavity to close it before cooking, presumably to keep it the inside from drying out. I see your recipe doesn’t call for that. Any reason why?
Hi Al, no reason other than it’s simply an extra step and not needed in our experience. Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!
Is it necessary to baste the turkey?
I love your website by the way. I always go to it for dinner ideas and have told all my friends about it!
Hi Su, while not absolutely necessary, it is good to baste the turkey towards the end of the roasting process when the skin is browned. We’re so happy to hear that you enjoy our site and are spreading the word!
If you made this in September How do you store it until Thanksgiving?
Hey Gene, we actually made it in September––and ate it––and then just made another turkey for Thanksgiving. No turkey is safe in our house!
I am addicted to turkey stuffing cooked inside the bird. I would love to try this recipe and put the stuffing inside the bird, even though that is not how you do it. I presume that cooking temperatures and times would be the same with a “stuffed” bird? I can’t wait to try it. I love your blogs and especially enjoy the wonderful sense of humor that each of your family members have.
Hi Kathie, I think cooking temperatures for a stuffed bird must be a bit lower––around 325 or 350 degrees F. The cooking time should also be increased by at least 20 percent. That said, use a meat thermometer to be sure. Happy cooking!
For near 30 years I have made duck(s) for Thanksgiving. And so I again bought one for this Thanksgiving. As I walked through our local supermarket, I passed fresh, not yet frozen, small young turkeys. I remembered “GRANDPA’S PERFECT THANKSGIVING TURKEY” recipe on “The Woks of Life”. My hand refused to let go of my 14 lb. find.. I brought it home. Yesterday I began the marinating adventure. Today I roasted it as directed. Dinner was fantastic. The turkey meat was tasty, juicy, and fell right off the bones. The skin was golden and crispy. The gravy was perfect. Thank you for posting “GRANDPA’S PERFECT THANKSGIVING TURKEY”. Now onward towards Christmas.
Blessings, and Happy Holidays,
eHw
Hi Ellen, excellent to hear about your success and thanks for sharing it with us and our readers!
How would you adjust the baking times for a larger bird, say 20-22 lbs?
Alternately, if using two smaller 12-14 lb birds, would there be any adjustments cooking both in the same roasting pan?
Thank you, I love your blog and all your recipes! And agree that the turkey carcass makes the best congee ever!
Just sharing my notes from following this process with a 21 lb turkey. Doubled the marinade and “rack” ingredients. Turkey sat out for 3 hours before putting in oven at 425 degrees for 1-1/2 hr, rotated pan midway. Lowered temp to 325 degrees, flipped bird and baked for 1-1/2 hr, intending to rotate, put a probe in and let the thermometer alert me when the temp reached 165. To my surprise, the leg registered over 180 & the breast was 173, so no further baking & no mid way rotation. The turkey cooled on the counter for about 2 hours, since it was done sooner than expected & guests were delayed, but the color was beautiful, meat was flavorful and while the white meat was not dried out in the least, it was not the moist, succulent white meat I was hoping for. Can’t wait to try this again, tinkering with the times now that I have a baseline timeframe for a larger bird. Thanks for the great recipe and jook the next day was delicious!
Hi Sharon, Thanks so much for sharing! High roasting temps that we recommend definitely cook the turkey faster. Cooking times vary depending upon whether the turkey reaches room temperature or is cold when you place it in the oven, and also how fast your oven heats back up when you put 1 or 2 turkeys in the oven. It sounds like you have a great oven! The best advice I can offer to readers is to use the cooking times as guidelines and have foil ready for tenting in case the turkey browns too quickly and lastly, the meat thermometer has the final say, so make sure you have one! I would suggest that 165-170 degrees F is the temp to take out the turkey for resting, because after another 20 minutes, it will continue cooking when resting! To be sure, it is good to test the meat temp in a couple of places. Happy cooking and thanks so much again for sharing your experiences!
Hey Sharon, Thanks for sharing your experience with us! I’m sitting here at home answering a few comments––and I just so happened to have cooked our own Thanksgiving turkey(s) earlier today, one of which was about 19-20 pounds. I think that in general, I cook the turkey breast-side down at 425 degrees for 1 hour only––regardless of the size. I think that cooking it at that high temperature any longer can dry out the bird a little too quickly. Then, after I flipped it breast side up, I cooked it for another 2 hours, tenting the breast about halfway through with foil. It was a little touch and go with the carving when some of the juices that came off it were slightly pink, but that sucker was cooked through and juicy!
Our other turkey was a 14 pounder. I cooked that one breast-side down for 1 hour at 425 as well, and then after flipping it, I cooked it for another hour and 20 mins or so.
Hope that helps. :)
Hi- Can u tell me how many people this recipe feeds? Approx?
Hi Chanster, The rule of thumb we use is about 1.5 lbs of turkey per person, which gives you some leftovers––but we like leftovers to make sandwiches, soup and lunches so we usually go for 2 lbs per person!
Thanks for sharing..How could someone modify the cooking times for chicken?? A turkey is too big for me.
Hi Jessica, try this recipe: https://thewoksoflife.com/baked-whole-chicken-vegetables
Just wanted to say: We tried this recipe for this past Thanksgiving and it turned out pretty alright. We ended up with a much larger turkey than this recipe called for, since my MIL had already bought it (20 lbs!) and we found out that ALL of the meat thermometers at my in-laws’ house were broken when we tried to test the temperature of the turkey, so the timing of the whole thing was very stop-and-go. The final blow was when my FIL accidentally turned up the temperature to 400 degrees F for the last half an hour because he thought that’s what we wanted him to do (???) The turkey was definitely still moist and edible, but I felt that, had we done a better calculation and controlled the cooking temp/time better, we could have made it into something phenomenal.
THAT said, we bought one of those air-chilled, never-frozen chickens last week and, remembering the aside on this recipe that said that it’s how Grandpa used to roast the chickens during non-Thanksgiving times, I decided to modify the recipe slightly and try it with chicken. In the end, I may have not cut back on the garlic and salt enough, but the chicken that came out of the oven (even after I overcooked it slightly because I guess I just don’t understand how to use a meat thermometer properly), was just flat-out amazing. My husband said that it’s the best chicken he’s had on this continent (by which he means it’s almost as good as the chicken we’ve had in China–I take it as a very high compliment!)
I guess the lesson here is that this recipe is amazeballs at bringing out the best quality of the bird that’s being roasted, as long as you know how to use a meat thermometer properly. The prep is so simple and the results are so good that I’m going to be hard-pressed to try any other preparation technique for roasting poultry ever again. Thank you so much for sharing!
Wow thank you so much Cynthia! I know that dealing with meat thermometers can be a challenge, especially when there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen! But i’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe in any case––it’s a big family tradition around here and we’re so glad we could share it.
That was The Juiciest Turkey we have ever had! Thank you so much for the recipe! Happy Thanksgiving!
YAY! So glad you liked it Lu. We also followed this recipe this Thanksgiving, as we do every year. It turns out great every time!