The Best Turkey Recipe

The best turkey recipe doesn't have to be complicated.

In my opinion, the perfect turkey recipe calls for Slow Roasting. You will need to start your cooking your bird the night before you want to eat it. It may take a lot more time but the results will be a moist and juicy turkey that you will be proud of.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 turkey, whatever size you want that has been thawed
1 large onion, sliced
4 stalks of celery, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup of butter, softened
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
4 cups (or 2 cans) of chicken broth

Here’s what you need to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove your turkey from the package and make sure that you remove the “goodie bags” from the cavity. (The neck bone should be in the large cavity and the bag of organs in the neck cavity)

Turn the turkey over and fold the wing tips up under the bird so that the tips don't burn.

Dry the outside of the bird with paper towels.

Put about 4 tablespoons of the softened butter between the skin and breast meat of the turkey.

Rub the remaining butter on the outside of the turkey.

Sprinkle with Lawry's Seasoning Salt. Set aside.

Cut the onion and celery into large chunks and place in the bottom of a roasting pan.

Place the turkey on top of the vegetables.

Place it in the center of the oven of the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour. Turn the oven down to 225 degrees F. and continue baking. After about an hour, start basting the turkey with the juices every 20 minutes or so (this will ensure a nice crisp and browned crust) until the turkey reaches 172 degrees F. in the thickest part of the thigh and 162 degrees F on the thickest part of the breast.

**If you choose to stuff the turkey, it will take a considerable amount of time longer and make sure that your stuffing reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F.

Allow the turkey to rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving.

Cooking Times

Unstuffed Turkey:

Approximate cooking times are 6-7 hrs for a smaller turkey (12 to 16 pounds), 8-9 for a larger turkey.

I don't recommend that you stuff your turkey because the middle of the stuffing inside of the turkey needs to reach 165 degrees F to be safe and by the time it reaches that temperature, your turkey will be overcooked and start to dry out.

When all is said and done, your guest will be raving about your dinner and how it's the best turkey recipe they've ever tasted!

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