The Simplest, Easiest, Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Turkey, any size
2 cups broth or water
Melted unsalted butter (optional, for basting)
Equipment
Roasting pan (or alternative)
Roasting rack (or something to lift the turkey off the pan)
Turkey baster or spoon
Directions
Prepare the Turkey for Roasting – About an hour before roasting, take the turkey out of the fridge. Remove any packaging and the bag of giblets (check in the body cavity and in the neck cavity). Set the turkey breast-side up on the roasting rack and let it sit.
Heat the Oven to 450°F – Position an oven rack in the bottom third of your oven. If your turkey is straight out of the package, rub it with some salt and pepper before putting it in the oven.
Optional: Rub your turkey with butter or oil for a richer flavor and browner skin, rub minced herbs or ground spices into (or beneath) the skin for more flavor, place a few halved lemons or garlic cloves inside the cavity of the turkey.
Roast the Turkey – Pour two cups of broth or water into the roasting pan. Place the turkey in the oven and turn down the heat to 350°F.
Cooking Time – The rule of thumb for cooking a turkey is 13 minutes per pound. Plan on the 13-minute-per-pound rule, but start checking the temperature of your turkey about halfway through the scheduled cooking time to gauge how fast it’s cooking.
Baste the Turkey – Every 45 minutes, remove the turkey from the oven, close the oven door and baste the turkey all over. To baste, tilt the pan and use a turkey baster or spoon to scoop up the liquids and drizzle them on top of the turkey. Basting with pan juices cools the surface of the turkey and slows down cooking, which in turn keeps the breast meat cooking at close to the same rate as the legs and thighs.
Optional- In the last 45 minutes or so of cooking, baste the turkey with melted butter or oil. This helps crisp up the skin and turn it a beautiful deep golden brown.
Check the Temperature – To make sure that turkey is fully cooked through and through, check its temperature in three places: the breast, the outer thigh, and the inside thigh. The meat should be at least 165°F. If any place is under that temperature, put the turkey back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
Rest the Turkey – Grab one side of the roasting rack with an oven mitt and tilt the turkey so liquids inside the cavity run out into the pan. (These juices are used to make the gravy.) Then, lift the whole turkey (still on the rack) and transfer it to a cutting board. Tent the turkey with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Carve the Turkey – Carve the turkey the same way you would carve a chicken. Remove the wings first, then the thighs, then the breast meat. Once you have the meat off, you can separate the thighs into thighs and drumsticks and carve the breast meat into individual slices.
Source: Pinterest/TheKitchn.com
