Discover Your Creative Kitchen AI Companion
Let our assistant inspire your next meal!
Simply provide a recipe idea or the ingredients you have, and ScrummyChef will instantly come up with a new recipe just for you.

Perfect Roast Turkey

4.9
Save
Rate
Tap to rate
PREP TIME
20 min
COOKING TIME
185 min
TOTAL TIME
215 min
SERVINGS
24 servings
Dinner
Perfect Roast Turkey
Ingredients
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets reserved
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 bunch fresh sage, chopped
Instructions
1
Preheat your oven to the desired temperature of 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2
Take a large, shallow roasting pan and add the sliced onion, chopped celery, and grated carrot. Arrange them in a layer at the bottom of the pan.
3
Place the turkey breast-side up on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan. Use paper towels to gently pat both the outside and inside of the turkey dry.
4
In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Use about one-third of this mixture to season the inside of the turkey, making sure not to overdo it. Next, fold the wing tips under the bird to keep them in place.
5
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until the edges turn golden brown. This should take around 2 minutes. Add a few sprigs of rosemary and sage to the saucepan, stirring constantly until they release their fragrance. This should take about 1 minute.
6
Insert a few sprigs of rosemary and sage inside the turkey's cavity, setting them aside for later. Reserve the melted butter from this step.
7
Tie the turkey's legs together with some kitchen twine to keep them secure during cooking.
8
Brush the melted butter over the turkey, making sure it's evenly coated. Use the remaining salt mixture to season the turkey.
9
Place the turkey in the preheated oven, uncovered, and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). This should take around 3 hours. To check the turkey's doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone.
10
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest in a warm area for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.