Herb-Roasted Turkey

Let this oven-roasted turkey recipe featuring aromatics and lots of fresh herbs fill your kitchen with the aroma of Thanksgiving. This no-fuss method delivers a perfectly cooked turkey that you'll be proud to share with friends and family. Here are a few tips to help you make your best oven-roasted turkey:

This easy recipe requires minimal equipment. You'll need a large roasting pan, a roasting rack, kitchen string and an instant-read thermometer. Since you'll be taking the turkey in and out of a hot oven a few times, avoid disposable aluminum pans and opt for a sturdy roasting pan with handles instead. A good roasting pan is not only easier to handle, but it's better at collecting the fond—the key ingredient to making a good gravy once the turkey is finished roasting.

If your turkey was frozen, you will want to make sure that it is completely thawed before it hits the oven. (Check out our guide on how to thaw a turkey here.) Most turkeys will have the neck and giblets stuffed into the cavity. You will want to remove them before you roast. You can discard the neck and giblets, or save them to make stock and gravy. Note: Thawing the turkey and using the neck and giblets for gravy takes some advanced planning, so this step is best addressed a few days ahead.

We rely on fresh chopped herbs and a few aromatics to flavor the bird. We combine the chopped fresh herbs that we slather on the skin with canola oil instead of butter to cut down on saturated fat. The oil helps to crisp up the skin, but also remember to rub some of that herb mixture under the skin as well. This flavors the meat itself, so if the skin is taken off, you'll still have flavor underneath. You'll want to place more herbs and a few aromatics (think onion, apple, lemon and/or orange), cut into 2-inch pieces, into the cavity. You should not have more than 1 1/2 cups. If you cram too much stuff into the cavity, the turkey may not cook evenly. After you're done filling the cavity, tuck the wing tips underneath the bird and tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. This step keeps the bird compact and prevents smaller pieces like wing tips and leg meat from burning.

You'll begin roasting the turkey in a pretty hot oven—450°F. This jump-starts the cooking process and lays the foundation for beautiful golden brown skin. To prevent the pan drippings from burning and to help keep the meat moist, we fill the bottom of the roasting rack with 3 cups of water. After 45 minutes, carefully remove the turkey from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350°F. Lower temperatures are better for finishing the bird, as it cooks the meat more evenly. Even with temperature adjustments, cooking a turkey without drying it out in parts requires some handiwork. Before the turkey returns to the oven, we cover the breast with a double layer of foil. The breast meat is the most exposed in the oven, so this step helps slow the cooking process so the breast is finished with the rest of the meat without overcooking. When is the turkey done? When an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone registers 165°F. This should take 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours more. If the pan dries out at any point, tilt the turkey to let juices run out of the cavity into the pan and add 1 cup water.

It may look perfect the second it's done, but it's best to let the bird stand out of the oven for about 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute into the meat, helping to keep it moist. You can cover it with foil to keep some of the heat in, but even after 20 minutes, it will still be plenty hot. Don't forget to remove the string before carving! (Check out our guide on how to carve a turkey like a pro here.)

We know plenty of people do, but we don't recommend it. Stuffing the cavity full of anything increases the cooking time. Waiting for the center of the stuffing to reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F, you risk overcooking the meat. It's best to fill the cavity loosely with aromatics, as we do here, and enjoy the stuffing cooked on the side or in the slow cooker.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer