Recipes and Cooking Simple Roast Turkey 4.4 (26) Brining adds a saltiness to the turkey in this recipe, Add color to your serving tray by roasting halved lemons, oranges, and celery with the turkey. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on June 14, 2011 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: James Baigrie Prep Time: 30 mins Roast Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Stand Time: 20 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins Servings: 8 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 10-12 pound turkey, brined for 24 to 36 hours * 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon Freshly squeezed juice of one orange 1 large yellow onion, quartered 2 stalks celery with leaves, cut in large pieces 3 bay leaves 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled 2 cup chicken broth Directions Preheat the oven to 325 F. Rinse the brined turkey under cold water; pat it dry, inside and out, with paper towels. In bowl, mix softened butter, 1/4 tsp. salt, the pepper, and thyme. Stir in citrus juices (not all juices will be incorporated). Rub turkey with seasoned butter, inside and out. Fill cavity with onion, celery, bay leaves, and garlic. Skewer turkey neck skin to back. Tuck drumstick ends under band of skin across tail, if available. If there is no band of skin, tie drumsticks securely to tail. Twist wing tips under back. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into center of an inside thigh muscle, taking care not to touch bone. Pour chicken broth in roasting pan. Roast turkey 45 minutes undisturbed. Spoon pan juices over turkey. Roast 1 hour more spooning juices over turkey every 20 minutes. Cut string; spoon juices over turkey. Roast 1 to 1-1/2 hours more, spooning over juices every 20 minutes or until thickest part of thigh reaches an internal temperature of 165 F and thigh juices run clear. Remove from oven; transfer turkey to serving platter. Tent loosely with aluminum foil, shiny side down. Let rest 20 to 30 minutes. Remove vegetables from inside cavity; discard. While turkey rests, pour drippings from roasting pan into heatproof glass measuring cup or fat separator; skim fat. Reserve separated fat for Thanksgiving Gravy. Return drippings to pan; heat through, scraping up browned bits. Measure for use in Thanksgiving Gravy. Makes 8 servings, (plus leftovers). *To brine turkey: For 10- to 12-pound turkey, thoroughly dissolve 1-1/2 cups kosher salt in 1-1/2 gallons water. (Use this formula to make enough brine to fully submerge turkey, increasing salt/water combination in proportion to size of bird.) Refrigerate the brining turkey, breast side down, and soak for 24-36 hours. Use a weighted dinner plate to needed to keep turkey submerged. Alternatively, turn bird a few times during brining. Tips Scott prefers a simply presented roast turkey. To add color to your serving platter, brush halved oranges and lemons, celery, and unpeeled garlic cloves with olive oil and roast alongside the bird in a separate pan during the last half hour of cooking. Place roasted fruits and vegetables on serving platter. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 257 Calories 12g Fat 13g Carbs 25g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 257 % Daily Value * Total Fat 12g 15% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Cholesterol 80mg 27% Sodium 77mg 3% Total Carbohydrate 13g 5% Total Sugars 6g Protein 25g Vitamin C 53.1mg 266% Calcium 80.8mg 6% Iron 2mg 11% Potassium 473mg 10% Folate, total 32.3mcg Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg Vitamin B-6 0.5mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.