• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tasty Ever After
  • Search for Recipes
  • Most Popular Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Most Popular Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
×

Home » Entrees

Easy Roasted Turkey

11/15/2017 Updated: 12/19/2019 By Karrie 8 Comments

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Yummly
  • Reddit
Skip to Recipe
Roasted turkey on a cutting board for Pinterest PIN

Simple recipe on how to make an Easy Roasted Turkey with perfectly crispy skin and moist meat without a lot of fuss.  Place this beautiful turkey on the dinner table to impress family and friends this holiday season.  

Easy Roasted Turkey Recipe

Learn how to make a simple oven roasted turkey

I'm a bit of a roasted turkey snob because of my Mom.  Her turkey is the best you'll ever have and the way to do it couldn't be easier:  simply baste it with melted butter and white wine every 30 minutes. 

That's it!  The result is a perfectly roasted turkey every single time with the moistest meat and crispiest skin around.

How long to roast a turkey? 

About 3 to 3 ½ hours, or until a thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165°F/73C.  There are also all sorts of opinions about how to roast a turkey and whether or not to baste.

I can already hear the hootin' and hollerin' about how basting is totally unnecessary because the only way to a truly moist turkey is through brining. 

I love to brine poultry and do it a lot during the year, just not on Thanksgiving.

You see, the Thanksgiving tradition in my family is to baste and basting is what makes me happy, so I do it. 

Maybe it's the hot liquid flowing over the slowly crisping skin.  Maybe it's the wonderful roasted turkey smell that fills the kitchen every time you open the oven door. 

I don't really know why it comes out completely perfect, time and time again, but it does.  And it feels like home.

Best way to season a turkey

Honesty, butter, wine, and just plain ol' salt and pepper are enough to add flavor to an already flavorful bird. 

Although, I'll admit I sometimes sneak some fresh sage sprigs into the cavity of the turkey or a little rubbed sage in the wine/butter mixture. 

Love the flavor the earthy sage adds to the mild tasting meat, but please don't tell my Mom.

Easy Roasted Turkey Recipe

If stuffing a turkey, chicken, and duck all at one time is more your thing, check out this Turducken recipe with homemade cornbread sausage stuffing. 

This showstopper definitely takes more time to make, but it's so worth it!  Don't forget the cranberry sauce too!

Whether it's for a holiday dinner or any other time of the year, hope you try this Easy Roasted Turkey recipe.   Please let me know below how you like it!

Whole roasted Turkey on a cutting board

Easy Roasted Turkey

Simple instructions on how to make an Easy Roasted Turkey with perfectly crispy skin and moist meat without a lot of fuss.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 319kcal
Author: Karrie | Tasty Ever After

Ingredients

  • 1 12-15 pound all-natural whole turkey , cleaned and dried
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter , melted
  • 1 cup of good quality white wine
  • kosher sea salt and fresh ground black pepper , to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325F/162C degrees.
  • Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Combine the white wine and melted butter, pour over the turkey, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
  • Place the turkey in the preheated oven and let roast undisturbed for the first 1 ½ hours, then baste with the butter/wine pan juices every 30 minutes until turkey is fully cooked, about 3 to 3 ½ hours in total cooking time.
    *Can add a little more wine to the pan if needed for basting juices and loosely tent the turkey with foil if it starts turning too brown.
  • Turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the inner thigh registers 165°F/73C and the juices run clear. Remove the turkey from the oven and place on a cutting board. Allow to rest for 25-30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute. In the meantime, make a tasty homemade gravy with the pan juices!
Nutrition Facts
Easy Roasted Turkey
Amount Per Serving
Calories 319 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 154mg51%
Sodium 242mg10%
Potassium 495mg14%
Protein 46g92%
Vitamin A 120IU2%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @tastyeverafter or tag #tastyeverafter
Easy Roasted Turkey Recipe

More Entrées

  • Irish Lamb Stew
  • Braised Beef Brisket
  • Shredded Beef Tacos {only 2 ingredients!}
  • Best Vegetarian Chili Frito Pie Recipe

 ©  Tasty Ever After  All images and content are copyright protected, so please do not copy or claim my work as your own.  Please do not use any images or republish this recipe without prior permission.  If you want to reference this recipe, link directly back to this post.  Thank you.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The-FoodTrotter

    November 27, 2017 at 1:51 pm

    5 stars
    Wow this turkey looks so moist, tasty and roasted to perfection! I had a "Thanksgiving" turkey in France, I've to say I'd prefer yours! ^^

    Reply
  2. Ben|Havocinthekitchen

    November 23, 2017 at 1:20 pm

    The combo turkey, white wine, and butter sounds good because let's be honest, Karrie, butter and wine make everything better, right?:) Delicious recipe!

    Reply
  3. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness

    November 19, 2017 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    The crispy skin is my favourite part! The great thing about that is that everyone I know HATES it so I get all of it
    .Your turkey looks absolutely perfect!

    Reply
  4. Katie Crenshaw

    November 17, 2017 at 8:47 am

    5 stars
    That is one pretty turkey Karrie!! I love any excuse to cook with wine.... that means a glass for me with whatever is left! Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  5. Thao @ In Good Flavor

    November 16, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    Oh my gosh, Karrie! You weren't kidding when you said this was easy. I can't believe there are only 2 ingredients involved in the making of this turkey, but when you have wine and butter...well that's all you really need! That skin looks incredible!! Mom knew what she was doing!

    Reply
  6. Dawn - Girl Heart Food

    November 16, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    5 stars
    And now I want turkey! I love my mom's turkey too and her Christmas day dinner is the best! I totally know that yummy turkey-cookin' smell you're talking about....can't beat it! I actually love dressing too just as much as turkey....with lots of gravy poured over all. And those leftovers? Oh yeah! Cooking a turkey this weekend I think XOXO

    Reply
  7. Heather Wells

    November 16, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    5 stars
    I've made this turkey and it is easy and delicious. I'm also telling her unless you mail me some biscotti. The mint girl scout cookie kind please. Thanks.

    Reply
  8. heather (delicious not gorgeous)

    November 15, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    i have to admit that i've never roasted turkey (or chicken or most proteins for that matter). meat is intimidating to cook! but this sounds so easy that i might just have to nudge out the usual turkey makers for thanksgiving and try my hand (:

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Picture of food blogger Tasty Ever After

Thank you for visiting Tasty Ever After and I'm Karrie! I hope you enjoy spending some time here finding easy scratch made recipes for the home cook.

More about me →

Popular

  • Banana Cream Pie Recipe {from scratch}
  • The BEST Graham Cracker Crust
  • How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
  • Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe

Let's Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Newsletter

  • Sign Up for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact me here!

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com

Copyright © 2023 Tasty Ever After