How to Cook a Turkey

A roasted turkey on a platter with sage leaves and apples.

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Learn my favorite method for how to cook a turkey, including a super easy (and effective) dry bringing technique. This flavorful bird will be the highlight of any holiday table!

Prep Time20

Cook Time4

Total Time4 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 639kcal

Author: Michelle Miller

Ingredients

1 16 pound turkey
3 tablespoons kosher salt coarse, or 1 tablespoon per 4 pounds
1/4 cup sage fresh, finely chopped
1/4 cup rosemary fresh, finely chopped
2 tablespoons thyme fresh, de-stemmed
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion quartered
1 apple quartered

Instructions

Remove organs from thawed turkey, and place it in a roasting pan. Rub the turkey down, including in the cavity and under the skin that covers the breast, with the coarse salt.
Wrap the turkey in a large plastic bag (I use a turkey roasting bag for this), and tie the bag shut. Refrigerate the turkey overnight until ready to bake.
Take the turkey out of the plastic and put it back in the roasting pan about 30 minutes- 1 hour prior to baking.
Preheat the Sharp European Convection Oven to 325º F.
Rub the turkey with the fresh chopped herbs, and push the seasonings, along with the butter, up under the skin that covers the breast. Add the chopped onion and apple into the cavity.
Cover the turkey with a foil tent or roasting pan cover, and place in the oven. A 16 pound turkey takes 4 hours to bake on 325º F. See notes below for turkeys of different sizes.
Use the internal temperature probe in the Sharp European Convection Oven to set the oven to bake until the turkey reaches 165º F.
Baste the turkey every 30 minutes once the juices have started to come out, which should be about half way into baking.
After the turkey has reached 165º F, remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest about 15 minutes prior to slicing.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition facts are for the whole turkey and include the skin and the fat surrounding the meat.

At 325º, plan to bake the turkey for 15 minutes per pound. Using a temperature probe is the best way to accurately gauge when the turkey is done. See chart above for estimated bake times for different sized birds.

Nutrition